She went toward Safie and opened the case, from whence she took a lute, and presented it to her; and after some time spent in tuning it, Safie began to play, and, accompanying the instrument with her voice, sang a song about the torments that absence creates to lovers. Having sung with much passion and sweetness, she said to Amina, “Pray take it, sister, for my voice fails me; oblige the company with a tune and a song in my stead.” “Very willingly,” replied Amina, and taking the lute from her sister Safie, sat down in her place. Having sung most delightfully, the caliph expressed his admiration. While he was doing so, Amina fainted away; and on opening her robe to give her air, they discovered that her breast was covered with fearful scars.
While Zobeide and Safie ran to assist their sister, the caliph asked a calender, “Can you inform me about these two black dogs, and this lady, who appears to have been so ill-treated?” “Sir,” said the calender, “we never were in this house before now, and entered it only a few minutes sooner than you did.” This increased the astonishment of the caliph. “Perhaps,” said he, “the man who is with you can give you some information?” The calender made signs to the porter to draw near, and asked him if he knew why the black dogs had been beaten, and why the bosom of Amina was so scarred. “Sir,” replied the porter, “if you know nothing of the matter, I know as little as you do. I never was in the
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