No doubt of it, said Fetnah, interrupting her there; he is no more guilty than you are; I can assure you of his innocence, for I am that very Fetnah you so much complain of, who, through some fatality in my stars, have occasioned so many misfortunes. To me you must impute the loss of your son, if he is no more; but if I have occasioned your misfortune, I can in some measure relieve it. I have already cleared Ganem to the caliph, who has caused it to be proclaimed throughout his dominions, that he pardons the son of Abou Ayoub; and I do not question but that he will do you as much good as he has done you harm. You are no longer his enemies: he expects Ganem to requite the service he has done me by uniting our fortunes: he gives me to him for his consort; therefore look on me as your daughter, and permit me to vow an eternal friendship to you. Having so said, she bowed down on Ganem’s mother, who was so astonished that she could return no answer. Fetnah held her a long time in her arms, and only left her to run to the other bed to Alcolomb, who, sitting up, held out her arms to receive her.
When the caliph’s charming favourite had given the mother and daughter all the tokens of affection they could expect from Ganem’s wife, she said to them, Cease both of you to afflict yourselves: the wealth Ganem had in this city is not lost; it is in my apartment in the palace; but I know all the treasure in the world cannot comfort you without Ganem: I judge so of his mother and sister, if I may judge of them by myself; blood is no less powerful than love in great minds. But why should we despair of seeing him again? We shall find him: the good fortune of meeting with you makes me conceive fresh hopes: and perhaps this is the last day of your sufferings, and the beginning of a greater felicity than you enjoyed in Damascus when Ganem was with you.
Fetnah would have gone on, when the syndic of the jewellers came in, saying, Madam, I am come from seeing a very moving object; it is a young man, a camel-driver, who was carrying to the hospital of Bagdad: he was bound with cords on a camel, because he had not strength enough to sit him. They had already unbound, and were carrying him into the hospital, when I happened to be passing by. I went close up to the young man, viewed him carefully, and fancied his countenance was not altogether unknown to me. I asked him some questions concerning his family and his country; but all the answer I could get, consisted only in sighs and tears. I took pity on him, and perceiving, by being so much used to sick people, that he had great need to have particular care taken of him, I would not permit him to be put into the hospital; for I am too well acquainted with their way of looking to the sick, and am sensible of the incapacity of the physicians. I have caused him to be brought home to my house by my slaves; and they are now, by my orders, putting on some of my own linen, and serving him as they would do me, in a chamber for that purpose.