When she had finished， she looked round and seeing me through her tears， wiped them away and came up to me， but could not speak for excess of emotion. So she was silent awhile， then said to me， "O my cousin， tell me what befell thee with her this time." So I told her all that had passed， and she said， "Be patient， for the time of thy delight is come， and thou hast won to the attainment of thy hopes. As for her sign with the mirror and the bag， it was as if she said to thee， "When the sun is set；" and the letting down of her hair over her face signified， When the night is come and hath let fall the blackness of the dark and overmastered the daylight， come hither." As for her gesture with the flower-pot and the lamp， it meant， "When thou comest， enter the garden behind the street， and where as thou seest the lamp burning， go thither and seat thyself beneath it and wait for me； for the love of thee is killing me."" When I heard this， I cried out for excess of passion and said， "How long wilt thou deceive me with promises and I go to her， but get not my will nor find any truth in thine interpreting？" At this， she laughed and replied， "Thou needest but have patience for the rest of the day， till the light depart and the night come with the darkness， and thou shalt enjoy fruition and accomplish thy hopes. And indeed this is true without leasing." And she repeated the following verses：
Let the days pass， as they list， and fare， And enter thou not the house of despair.
Full oft when the quest of a thing is hard， The next hour brings us the end of our care.
Then she came to me and began to comfort me with soothing words，but dared not offer me food， fearing my wrath and seeking to make me incline to her： so she only took off my upper garment and said to me， "Sit， O my cousin， that I may entertain thee with talk，till the end of the day； and God willing， thou shalt be with thy beloved as soon as it is night." But I paid no heed to her and gave not over looking for the coming of the night， saying， "O Lord， hasten the coming of the night！" till the hour of the evening-prayer， when she wept sore and giving me a grain of pure musk， said to me， "O my cousin， put this in thy mouth， and when thou foregatherest with thy beloved and hast taken thy will of her and she hath granted thee thy desire， repeat to her this verse：
Tell me， O lovers， for God"s sake， I do entreat of you， When love is sore upon a maid， alack！ what shall she do？"
And she kissed me and made me swear not to repeat this to my mistress， till I should be about to leave her. Then I went out and walked on till I came to the garden. I found the door open；
so I entered， and seeing a light in the distance， made towards it and came to a great pavilion， vaulted over with a dome of ivory and ebony， from the midst of which hung the lamp. The floor was spread with silken carpets， embroidered in gold and silver， and under the lamp stood a great candle， burning in a stand of gold.
Midmost the pavilion was a fountain， adorned with all manner of figures； and by it stood a table of food， covered with a silken napkin， and a great porcelain vase full of wine， with a goblet of crystal， sprayed with gold. Near these was a great covered dish of silver， which I uncovered and found therein fruits of all kinds， figs and pomegranates and grapes and oranges and citrons and shaddocks， together with all manner sweet-scented flowers，such as roses and jasmine and myrtle and eglantine and narcissus and all kinds of sweet-smelling herbs； but I saw there not a living soul， no， not even a slave， male or female， to guard these things. I was transported with delight at what I saw， and my grief and anxiety ceased from me. So I sat down to await the coming of the beloved of my heart： but the first hour of the night passed by， and the second and the third， and still she came not. Then I grew sore an hungred， for that it was long since I had tasted food by reason of the violence of my passion： but when I found the garden even as my cousin had told me and saw the truth of her interpretation of my mistress"s signs， my mind was set at rest and I made sure of attaining my desire， so that nature resumed its sway and I felt the pangs of hunger. Moreover the odour of the viands on the table excited in me a longing to eat： so I went up to the table， and lifting the cover， found in the middle a porcelain dish， containing four fricasseed fowls，seasoned with spices， round which were four smaller dishes， one containing sweetmeats， another conserve of pomegranate-seeds， a third almond patties and a fourth honey fritters， and the contents of these dishes were part sweet and part acid. So I ate of the fritters and a piece of meat， then went on to the almond patties and ate what I would of them； after which I attacked the sweetmeats， of which I ate a spoonful or two or three or four，ending with part of a fowl and a mouthful of bread. With this my stomach became full and my limbs heavy and I grew drowsy； so I laid my head on a cushion， after having washed my hands， and sleep overcame me； and I knew not what happened to me after this nor did I awake till the sun"s heat burnt me， for that I had not tasted sleep for days. When I awoke， I found myself lying on the naked marble， with a piece of salt and another of charcoal on my stomach； so I stood up and shook my clothes and turned right and left， but could see no one. At this I was perplexed and afflicted； the tears ran down my cheeks and I mourned grievously for myself. Then I returned home， and when I entered， I found my cousin beating her bosom and weeping like the rain-clouds， as she repeated the following verses：
From out my loved one"s land a breeze blows cool and sweet： The fragrance of its wafts stirs up the ancient heat.
Blow， zephyr of the East！ Each lover hath his lot， His heaven-appointed doom of fortune or defeat.
Lo， if we might， we would embrace thee for desire， Even as a lover clips his mistress， when they meet.
Whenas my cousin"s face is absent， God forbids All pleasance [unto me] and all life has of sweet.
