This was grievous to the princess and it irked her sore that he should not remember her; so she called her slave- girl Shefikeh and said to her, “Go to El Abbas and salute him and say to him, ’What hindereth thee from sending my lady Mariyeh her part of thy booty?’” So Shefikeh betook herself to him and when she came to his door, the chamberlains refused her admission, until they should have gotten her leave and permission.  When she entered, El Abbas knew her and knew that she had somewhat of speech [with him]; so he dismissed his mamelukes and said to her, “What is thine errand, O handmaid of good?” “O my lord,” answered she, “I am a slave-girl of the Princess Mariyeh, who kisseth thy hands and commendeth her salutation to thee.  Indeed, she rejoiceth in thy safety and reproacheth thee for that thou breakest her heart, alone of all the folk, for that thy largesse embraceth great and small, yet hast thou not remembered her with aught of thy booty.  Indeed, it is as if thou hadst hardened thy heart against her.”  Quoth he, “Extolled be the perfection of him who turneth hearts!  By Allah, my vitals were consumed with the love of her [aforetime] and of my longing after her, I came forth to her from my native land and left my people and my home and my wealth, and it was with her that began the hardheartedness and the cruelty.  Nevertheless, for all this, I bear her no malice and needs must I send her somewhat whereby she may remember me; for that I abide in her land but a few days, after which I set out for the land of Yemen.”

Then he called for a chest and bringing out thence a necklace of Greek handiwork, worth a thousand dinars, wrapped it in a mantle of green silk, set with pearls and jewels and inwrought with red gold, and joined thereto two caskets of musk and ambergris.  Moreover, he put off upon the girl a mantle of Greek silk, striped with gold, wherein were divers figures and semblants depictured, never saw eyes its like.  Therewithal the girl’s wit fled for joy and she went forth from his presence and returned to her mistress.  When she came in to her, she acquainted her with that which she had seen of El Abbas and that which was with him of servants and attendants and [set out to her] the loftiness of his station and gave her that which was with her.

Mariyeh opened the mantle, and when she saw that necklace, and indeed the place was illumined with the lustre thereof, she looked at her slave-girl and said to her, “By Allah, O Shefikeh, one look at him were liefer to me than all that my hand possesseth!  Would I knew what I shall do, whenas Baghdad is empty of him and I hear no tidings of him!” Then she wept and calling for inkhorn* and paper and pen of brass, wrote the following verses: 

Still do I yearn, whilst passion’s fire flames in my liver aye;
     For parting’s shafts have smitten me and done my strength
     away. 
Oft for thy love as I would be consoled, my yearning turns
     To-thee- ward still