“When I had delivered poor Nāsir and his belongings from all need, I got ready all things necessary for the journey, and we started on the way to Egypt. While on the journey, I assisted the maiden in mounting into and alighting from the litter and as the poor girl thought I was her husband, she took no heed but disclosed her fair face to me, whereupon my wit and understanding were ravished, and passion and longing brought me to such a pass that I would have abandoned wealth and hoard, image and treasure, nay, even the world itself, but that dread of the Shaykh and fear for my life held me back from accomplishing my desire; for I knew that if I touched but so much as her hand with mine, my death was certain. Accordingly I endured it as I might, and sighed and groaned night and day. When we were come to within an hour’s journey of Cairo, I went up to the side of the girl’s litter, and caused her to alight. I made them pitch a sun-tent in the shade of which we sat down, and then I laid bare to her the secret that was in my heart, and told her that I was taking her for the Shaykh; whereupon her wailing and lamentations ascended to the heavens, and she fainted and became senseless. We placed her in this plight in the litter; and when we reached the Shaykh’s house I knocked at the door thereof. Again a slave-girl came and opened the door and took us in. I caused the girl to alight, and took her into the presence of the Shaykh, whose feet I kissed. He said, ‘Upon thee be peace, my son; thy service is accepted and thy endeavour thanked; lo, manfulness is the name of this. I rejoice exceedingly for that thou has borne up against the urging of passion in such a case. Thou shalt live long and reap great good from this service.’ Then he asked for the purse and the mirror, which I laid before him. He continued, ‘Now, do thou again abide in Cairo during three days, and then go to thine own country and thou shalt find the wished for image placed upon the empty stand.’
“Again I kissed his feet and bade him farewell, and after tarrying for three days in Cairo, returned to my own country. When I arrived there I foregathered with my mother, and after I had related to her all that had happened, we hastened together to the buried treasure. We opened the door, and when we entered we saw upon that oft mentioned stand my darling, my beloved, Mihr-i-Dil. My senses and understanding forsook me, and I abode for a while confounded. When she saw me she arose; and there was a paper in her hand which she presented to me. It was signed with the Shaykh’s signature, and there was written thereon: ‘My son, ‘Abd-us-Samed, the reason why thy father and myself deemed it good to subject thee to these trials is this, that having therefore endured toil and trouble, thou mightest know that a virtuous wife is worth many treasures such as this, and consider whether it were more desirable to find upon this stand an image which were worth the world, or better to find thereon the lovely Mihr-i-Dil. Now thou shalt know the value of the latter to the end of thy life; and she is thy wedded wife.’