Then her eyes ran over with tears and her forehead shone like gleaming light， and Sherkan rose and kissed her hand and caused food to be set before her： but she refused it， saying， "I have not broken my fast （till sunset） for fifteen years； and how should I do so now， whenas my Lord hath been bountiful to me in delivering me from the captivity of the infidels and doing away from me that which was more grievous than the fiery torment？ I will wait till sun down." So at nightfall Sherkan and Zoulmekan came to her with food and said， "Eat， O pious man." But she said，"This is no time for eating； it is the hour for doing my service to the Requiting King." Then she took up her station in the prayer-niche and stood praying till the night was spent； and she ceased not to do thus for three days and nights， sitting not but at the time of salutation.[FN#108] When Zoulmekan saw this her behaviour， belief in her took firm hold upon his heart and he said to Sherkan， "Cause a tent of perfumed leather to be pitched for this holy man and appoint a servant to wait upon him." On the fourth day， she called for food； so they brought her all kinds of meats that could allure the sense or delight the eye； but of all this she ate but one cake of bread with salt. Then she turned again to her fast， and when the night came， she rose anew to pray： and Sherkan said to Zoulmekan， "Verily， this man carries renunciation of the world to the utmost extreme， and were it not for this holy war， I would join myself to him and worship God in his service， till I came before His presence. And now I would fain enter his tent and talk with him awhile." "And I also，" said Zoulmekan. "To-morrow we sally forth against Constantinople， and we shall find no time like the present." "And I also，" said the Vizier Dendan， "desire to see this holy man； haply he will pray for me that I may find my death in this holy war and come to the presence of my Lord， for I am weary of the world." So as soon as night had darkened on them， they repaired to the tent of the witch Dhat et Dewahi and finding her standing praying， fell a-weeping， for pity of her： but she paid no heed to them till the night was half spent， when she ended her devotions by pronouncing the salutation （to the guardian angels）. Then she turned to them and greeted them， saying， "Wherefore come ye？" "O holy man，" said they， "didst thou not hear us weeping round thee？" "To him who stands before God，" replied she， "there remains nor sight nor hearing for the things of this world." Quoth they， "We would have thee tell us the manner of thy captivity and offer up prayer for us this night， for that will profit us more than the possession of Constantinople." "By Allah，" answered she， "were ye not the leaders of the Muslims， I would not tell you aught of this； for I complain not but to God alone. However， to you I will relate the circumstance of my captivity. Know， then， that I was in Jerusalem with certain saints and ecstatics， and did not magnify myself among them， for that God had endowed me with humility and abnegation， till one night I chanced to go down to the lake and walked upon the water. There withal there entered into me pride，whence I know not， and I said to myself， "Who can walk upon the water， like unto me？" And from that time my heart became hardened and God afflicted me with the love of travel. So I journeyed to the land of the Greeks and visited it in every part during a whole year， leaving no place but I worshipped God therein. When I came to the place （where the Syrians found me） I ascended the mountain and saw there a hermitage， inhabited by a monk called Metrouhena. When he saw me， he came out to me and kissed my hands and feet， saying， "Verily， I have seen thee， since thou camest into the land of the Greeks， and thou hast filled me with longing for the land of Islam." Then he took my hand and carrying me into the hermitage， brought me to a dark place， where he took me unawares and locking the door on me， left me there forty days，without meat or drink； for it was his intent to kill me by starvation. One day it chanced that a knight called Decianus came to the hermitage， accompanied by ten squires and his daughter Temathil， a girl of incomparable beauty. The monk told them of me， and Decianus said， "Bring him out， for surely there is not a bird"s meal of flesh left on him." So they opened the door of the dungeon and found me standing erect in the niche， praying and reciting the Koran and glorifying God and humbling myself to Him.
When they saw this， the monk exclaimed， "This man is indeed a sorcerer of the sorcerers！" Then they all came in on me， and Decianus and his company beat me grievously， till I desired death and reproached myself， saying， "This is the reward of him who glorifies himself and takes credit for that which God hath bestowed upon him， beyond his own competence！ For， indeed，my soul， pride and arrogance have crept into thee. Dost thou not know that pride angers the Lord and hardens the heart and brings men to the fire？" Then they laid me in fetters and returned me to my place， which was a dungeon under the earth. Every three days，they threw me down a cake of barley-bread and a draught of water；
