house until now; and if you are surprised to see me here, I am as much so to find myself in your company.”
The caliph, more and more perplexed at all he heard, determined that he would have the explanation of these mysterious proceedings. But the question was, who should make the inquiry? The caliph endeavored to persuade the calenders to speak first, but they excused themselves. At last they all agreed that the porter should be the man. While they were consulting how to put the question, Zobeide herself, as Amina had recovered from her fainting, approached them, and said, “What are you talking of?—what is your dispute about?”
The porter then addressed her as follows: “These gentlemen, madam, entreat you to explain why you wept with those dogs, after having treated them so ill, and how it has happened that the lady who fainted has her bosom covered with scars?”
At these words Zobeide put on a stern look, and turning toward the caliph and the rest of the company: “Is it true, gentlemen,” said she, “that you desired him to ask me these questions?” All of them, except the vizier Giafar, who spoke not a word, answered, “Yes.” On which she exclaimed, in a tone of resentment: “Before we granted you the favor of receiving you into our house we imposed the condition that you should not speak of anything that did not concern you, lest you might hear that which would not please you;
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