o like as she had been used to do, laying hands on
those in pain and reciting for this one the Fatiheh [645] and for that
a[nother] chapter of the Koran and praying for a third. Then, for
the much crowding upon him and the clamour of the folk, the Lady
Bedrulbudour heard and said to her women, "See what is to do and what is
the cause of this noise." So the Ada of the eunuchs went to see what was
toward and returning, said to her, "O my lady, this clamour is because
of the Lady Fatimeh. An it please thee bid me fetch her to thee, so thou
mayst ask a blessing of her...." And the Lady Bedrulbudour said to him,
"Go and bring her to me; marry, this long while past I have still heard
of her gifts and excellences and have yearned to see her, so I may ask a
blessing of her, for that the folk are beyond measure abundant [in
talk] of her [646] virtues." So the Aga went and brought the enchanter,
disguised as Fatimeh, before the Lady Bedrulbudour; whereupon the
Maugrabin offered up abundance of prayers for her, and none misdoubted
of him but that he was Fatimeh the recluse. The princess rose and
saluting him, seated him by her side and said to him, "O my Lady
Fatimeh, I will have thee with me alway, that I may be blessed in thee
and eke that I may learn of thee the ways of God-service and piety and
model myself on thee."

Now this was what the accursed sorcerer aimed at; however, the better to
accomplish his perfidious intent, [647] he [dissembled and] said to her,
"O my lady, I am a poor woman sitting in the desert and it beseemeth
not that the like of me should abide in kings' palaces." Quoth the Lady
Bedrulbudour, "Have no manner of care, O my lady Fatimeh; I will give
thee a place in my house, where thou shalt do thy devotions, and none
shall ever go in to thee; nay, here shalt thou serve God better than in
thy cavern." And the Maugrabin said to her, "Hearkening and obedience,
O my lady; I will not gainsay thy commandment, for that the speech of
princes may not be crossed neither disputed; but I beg of thee that my
eating and drinking and sitting may be in my closet alone [and] that
none may come in upon me. Moreover, I need no rich viands, but every
day do thou favour me and send me by thy handmaid a piece of bread and
a draught of water to my closet; and when I am minded to eat, I will eat
in my closet alone." (Now this the accursed did, of his fear lest his
chin veil should be raised, when he ate, and so his case be exposed