The African magician, full of hopes of his expected happiness, rather flew than ran, and returned quickly with the wine. The princess not doubting in the least but he would make haste, put with her own hand the powder Aladdin gave her into the cup that was set apart for that purpose. They sat down at the table opposite to each other, the magician’s back towards the beaufet. The princess presented him with the best at the table, and said to him, “If you please, I will entertain you with a concert of vocal and instrumental music: but as we are only two, I think conversation may be more agreeable.” This the magician took as a new favour.
After they had eaten some time, the princess called for some wine, and drank the magician’s health; and afterwards said to him, “Indeed you were in the right to commend your wine, since I never tasted of any so delicious in my life.” “Charming princess,” said he, holding in his hand the cup which had been presented to him, “my wine becomes more exquisite by your approbation of it.” “Then drink my health,” replied the princess; “you will find I understand wines.” He drank the princess’s health, and returning the cup, said, “I think myself happy, princess, that I reserved this wine for so good an occasion; and I own I never before drank any so excellent in every respect.”
When they had drank two or three cups more a-piece the princess, who had completely charmed the African magician by her civility and obliging behaviour, gave the signal to the slave who served them with wine, bidding her bring the cup which had been filled for herself, and at the same time bring the magician a full cup. When they both had their cups in their hands, she said to him, “I know not how you here express your loves when drinking together as we are: with us in China, the lover and his mistress reciprocally exchange cups, and drink each other’s health;” at the same time she presented to him the cup which was in her hand, and held out her hand to receive his. He for his part hastened to make the exchange with the more pleasure, because he looked upon this favour as the most certain token of an entire conquest over the princess, which raised his happiness to its height. Before he drank, he said to her, with the cup in his hand, “Indeed, princess, we Africans are not so refined in the art of love as you Chinese: and instructing me in a lesson I was ignorant of, informs me how sensible I ought to be of the favour done me. I shall never, lovely princess, forget my recovering, by drinking out of your cup, that life, which your cruelty, had it continued, would have made me despair of.”