The Khalif smiled and said to his eunuch, “O Mesrour, verily women are little of wit.  I conjure thee, by Allah, say, was not Aboulhusn with me but now?” ["Yes, O Commander of the Faithful,” answered Mesrour] Quoth the Lady Zubeideh, laughing from a heart full of wrath, “Wilt thou not leave thy jesting?  Is it not enough that Aboulhusn is dead, but thou must kill my slave-girl also and bereave us of the two and style me little of wit?” “Indeed,” answered the Khalif, “it is Nuzhet el Fuad who is dead.”  And Zubeideh said, “Indeed he hath not been with thee, nor hast thou seen him, and none was with me but now but Nuzhet el Fuad, and she sorrowful, weeping, with her clothes torn.  I exhorted her to patience and gave her a hundred dinars and a piece of silk; and indeed I was awaiting thy coming, so I might condole with thee for thy boon- companion Aboulhusn el Khelia, and was about to send for thee.”  The Khalif laughed and said, “None is dead but Nuzhet el Fuad;” and she, “No, no, my lord; none is dead but Aboulhusn.”

With this the Khalif waxed wroth, and the Hashimi vein[FN#36] started out from between his eyes and he cried out to Mesrour and said to him, “Go forth and see which of them is dead.”  So Mesrour went out, running, and the Khalif said to Zubeideh, “Wilt thou lay me a wager?” “Yes,” answered she; “I will wager, and I say that Aboulhusn is dead.”  “And I,” rejoined the Khalif, “wager and say that none is dead save Nuzhet el Fuad; and the stake shall be the Garden of Pleasance against thy palace and the Pavilion of Pictures.”  So they [agreed upon this and] abode awaiting Mesrour, till such time as he should return with news.

As for Mesrour, he gave not over running till he came to the by-street, [wherein was the house] of Aboulhusn el Khelia.  Now the latter was sitting reclining at the lattice, and chancing to look round, saw Mesrour running along the street and said to Nuzhet el Fuad, “Meseemeth the Khalif, when I went forth from him, dismissed the Divan and went in to the Lady Zubeideh, to condole with her [for thee;] whereupon she arose and condoled with him [for me,] saying, ’God greaten thy recompence for [the loss of] Aboulhusn el Khelia!’ And he said to her, ’None is dead save Nuzhet el Fuad, may thy head outlive her!’ Quoth she, ’It is not she who is dead, but Aboulhusn el Khelia, thy boon-companion.’  And he to her, ’None is dead but Nuzhet el Fuad.’  And they gainsaid one another, till the Khalif waxed wroth and they laid a wager, and he hath sent Mesrour the sword- bearer to see who is dead.  Wherefore it were best that thou lie down, so he may see thee and go and acquaint the Khalif and confirm my saying.”  So Nuzhet el Fuad stretched herself out and Aboulhusn covered her with her veil and sat at her head, weeping.