Has he been slain, or has he died, or can wild beasts have devoured him!" He continues: So I entered, and cried, "O daughter of my uncle! rejoice, and let thine eye be refreshed! For verily I was taken before el-Hajjâj, and so-and-so occurred." And I related to her what had been my occupation. Then when the young woman heard my words, she smote her face and screamed aloud. And her father and her mother and her brethren heard her cries, and came in and asked her, "What aileth thee?" And she answered her father, "May Allâh show no mercy to thee, neither reward thee with good on my account, nor on account of the son of thy brother! Thou hast been cruel to him and hast despoiled him until thou hast brought madness upon him, and his reason has departed. Listen to his words!" Then said my uncle, "O son of my brother! what has happened to thee?" I answered, "By Allâh! there is nothing amiss with me, only I was taken into the presence of el-Hajjâj."
And he related what he had been about, and that el-Hajjâj had ordered for him great riches. And when the uncle had heard his tale, he said, "This fellow is smitten with violent jaundice," and they re-
