When my good mistress had done speaking, I endeavoured, as to the last article of inquiring into the prince’s welfare, to calm her mind, which was in some disorder, and to persuade her not to yield so much to love, since the danger she had so lately escaped would be soon renewed by such indulgence.  She bid me hold my tongue, and do what she had commanded.  I was forced to be silent, and am come hither to obey her commands without any further scruple.  I have been at your house, and, not finding you at home, was about to have gone to wait on the prince of Persia, but did not dare to attempt so great a journey.  I have left the two purses with a particular friend of mine, and, if you have patience, I shall go and fetch them immediately.

The confident returned quickly to the jeweller in the mosque, where she had left him.  She gave him the two purses, and bid him accept them for her lady’s sake.  They are more than necessary, said the jeweller; and I can never be enough thankful for so great a present from so good and generous a lady:  but I beseech you to acquaint her, on my behalf, that I shall preserve an eternal remembrance of her bounties.  He then agreed with the confident, that she should find him at the place where she had first seen him whenever she had occasion to impart any commands from Schemselnihar, or to know any thing of the prince of Persia.

The jeweller returned home very well satisfied, not only that he had got wherewithal plentifully to make up his losses, but also to think that no person in Bagdad could possibly come to know of the prince and Schemselnihar being in his other house when it was robbed.  It is true, he had acquainted the thieves with it, but their secrecy he thought might very well be depended on, as he imagined they had not sufficient converse with the world to give him any disturbance.  He therefore hugged himself in his good fortune, paid his debts, and furnished both his houses to a nicety.  Thus he forgot all his past danger, and next morning set out to wait on the prince of Persia.

The prince’s domestics told the jeweller, on his arrival, that he came in very good time to make their lord speak, for they had not been able to get a word out of him ever since he was there.  They introduced him softly into his chamber, where he found him in such a condition as raised his pity.  He was lying in bed, with his eye-lids shut; but when the jeweller saluted him, and exhorted him to take courage, be faintly opened his eyes, and regarded him with such an aspect, as sufficiently declared the greatness of his affliction.  He, however, took and grasped him by the hand, to testify his friendship, telling him, in a faint and weak tone, that he was extremely obliged to him for coming so far to seek one so exceedingly unhappy and miserable.

My lord, replied the jeweller, mention not, I beseech you, any obligations you owe to me; I could wish, with all my soul, that the good offices I have endeavoured to do you had had a better effect.  But, at present, let us discourse only of your health, which I fear you greatly injure by unreasonably abstaining from proper nourishment.