my eye like a looking-glass, which retains nothing
of the objets that is set before it." "To shew you," said Zobeide
with a serious countenance, "that what we demand of you is not a
new thing among us, read what is written over our gate on the
inside."

The porter went and read these words, written in large characters
of gold: "He who speaks of things that do not concern him, shall
hear things that will not please him." Returning again to the
three sisters, "Ladies," said he, "I swear to you that you shall
never hear me utter a word respecting what does not relate to me,
or wherein you may have any concern."

These preliminaries being settled, Amene brought in supper, and
after she had lighted up the room with tapers, made of aloe-wood
and ambergris, which yield a most agreeable perfume, as well as a
delicate light, she sat down with her sisters and the porter.
They began again to eat and drink, to sing, and repeat verses.
The ladies diverted themselves in intoxicating the porter, under
pretext of making him drink their healths, and the repast was
enlivened by reciprocal flashes of wit. When they were all in the
best humour possible, they heard a knocking at the gate.

When the ladies heard the knocking, they all three got up to open
the gate; but Safie was the nimblest; which her sisters
perceiving, they resumed their seats. Safie returning, said,
"Sisters, we have a very fine opportunity of passing a good part
of the night pleasantly, and if you agree with me, you will not
suffer it to go by. There are three calenders at our gate, at
least they appear to be such by their habit; but what will
surprise you is, they are all three blind of the right eye, and
have their heads, beards, and eye-brows shaved. They say, they
are but just come to Bagdad, where they never were before; it
being night, and not knowing where to find a lodging, they
happened by chance to knock at this gate, and pray us, for the
love of heaven, to have compassion on them, and receive them into
the house. They care not what place we put them in, provided they
may be under shelter; they would be satisfied with a stable. They
are young and handsome, and seem not to want spirit. But I cannot
without laughing think of their amusing and uniform figure." Here
Safie laughed so heartily, that the two sisters and the porter
could not refrain from laughing also. "My dear sisters," said
she, "you will permit them to come in; it is impossible but that
with