第27章 THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES OF BAGHDAD.(2)

Then she rose and coming with a stately gait to meet her sisters in the middle of the saloonsaid to them'Why stand ye still？

Relieve this poor porter of his burden.'So the cateress came and stood before and the portress behind him and with the help of the third damsellifted the basket from his head and emptying it，laid everything in its place. Then they gave him two dinars，saying'GoO porter！'But he stoodlooking at the ladies and admiringtheir beauty and pleasant mannersnever had he seen goodlierand wondering greatly at the profusion of wine and meat and fruits and flowers and so forth that they had provided and to see no man with themand made no movement to go. So the eldest lady said to him'What ails thee that thou dost not go away？

Belikethou grudgest at thy pay？'And she turned to the cateress and said to her'Give him another dinar.'Noby AllahO lady！'answered the porter. 'I do not indeed grudge at my pay，for my right hire is scarce two dirhems；but of a truth my heart and soul are taken up with you and how it is that ye are alone and have no man with you and no one to divert youalthough ye know that women's sport is little worth without mennor is an entertainment complete without four at the tableand ye have no fourth. What says the poet？

Dost thou not see that for pleasure four several things combine，Instruments fourharphautboy and gittern and psaltery？

And unto thesefour perfumes answer and correspondViolets，roses and myrtle and blood-red anemone.

Nor is our pleasure perfectunless four things have weMoney and wine and gardens and mistress fair and free.

And ye are three and need a fourthwho should be a manwitty，sensible and discreetone who can keep counsel.'When they heard what he saidit amused them and they laughed at him and replied，'What have we to do with thatwe who are girls and fear to entrust our secrets to those who will not keep them？ For we have readin such and such a historywhat says Ibn eth Thumam：

Tell not thy secrets： keep them with all thy might. A secret revealed is a secret lost outright.

If thine own bosom cannot thy secrets holdWhy expect more reserve from another wight？

Oras well says Abou Nuwas on the same subject：

The foolthat to men doth his secrets avowDeserves to be marked with a brand on the brow.'

'By your lives，'rejoined the porter'I am a man of sense and discretionwell read in books and chronicles. I make known what is fair and conceal what is fouland as says the poet：

None keeps a secret but the man who's trusty and discreet. A secret's ever safely placed with honest folk and leal；

And secrets trusted unto me are in a locked-up house Whose keys are lost and on whose door is set the Cadi's seal.

When the girls heard thisthe eldest one said to him'Thou knowest that we have laid out much money in preparing this entertainment： hast thou aught to offer us in return？ For we will not let thee sit with us and be our boon companion and gaze on our bright fair facesexcept thou pay down thy share of the cost. Dost thou not know the saying：

Love without money Is not worth a penny？'

'If thou have aughtmy friend，'added the portress'then art thou something： but if thou have nothingbe off without anything.'Here the cateress interposedsaying'O sisterslet him be： for by Allahhe has not failed us to-day： another had not been so patient with us. I will pay his share for him.'

Whereupon the porteroverjoyedkissed the earth and thanked hersaying'By Allahit was thou didst handsel me this day！

Here are the two dinars I had of you： take them and admit me to your companynot as a guestbut as a servant.'Sit down，'

answered they；'thou art welcome.'But the eldest lady said，'By Allahwe will not admit thee to our society but on one condition；and it is that thou enquire not of what does not concern thee；and if thou meddlethou shalt be beaten.'Said the porter'I agree to thisO my ladyon my head and eyes！

Henceforth I am dumb.'Then arose the cateress and girding her middlelaid the table by the fountain and set out the cups and flagonswith flowers and sweet herbs and all the requisites for drinking. Moreovershe strained the wine and set it on；and they sat downshe and her sisterswith the porterwho fancied himself in a dream. The cateress took the flagon of wine and filled a cup and drank it off. Then she filled again and gave it to one of her sisterswho drank and filled another cup and gave it to her other sister： then she filled a fourth time and gave it to the portersaying：

Drink and fare well and health attend thee still. This drink indeed's a cure for every ill.

He took the cup in his hand and bowed and returned thanks，reciting the following verses：

Quaff not the cup except with one who is of trusty stuffOne who is true of thought and deed and eke of good descent.

Wine's like the windthatif it breathe on perfumesmells as sweetButif o'er carrion it passimbibes its evil scent.

And again：

Drink not of wine except at the hands of a maiden fairWholike unto thee and itis joyous and debonair.

Then he kissed their hands and drank and was merry with wine and swayed from side to side and recited the following verses：

Hitherby AllahI conjure thee！Goblets that full of the grape juice be！

And brim upI pritheea cup for meFor this is the water of lifeperdie！

Then the cateress filled the cup and gave it to the portresswho took it from her hand and thanked her and drank. Then she filled again and gave it to the eldestwho filled another cup and handed it to the porter. He gave thanks and drank and recited the following verses：

It is forbidden us to drink of any blood Except it be of that which gushes from the vine.

So pour it out to mean offering to thine eyesTo ransom from thy hands my soul and all that's mine.

Then he turned to the eldest ladywho was the mistress of the houseand said to her'O my ladyI am thy slave and thy servant and thy bondman！'And repeated the following verses：

There is a slave of all thy caves now standing at thy gate Who ceases not thy bounties all to sing and celebrate.

May he come inO lady fairto gaze upon thy charms？ Desire and I from thee indeed may never separate.