So I went on and entered a by street which I had never before entered，perspiring profusely from the effects of the bath and the new clothes on my body；and the sweat streamed down whilst the scents of my dress were wafted abroad： I therefore sat me at the upper end of the street resting on a stone bench，after spreading under me an embroidered kerchief I had with me.The heat oppressed me more and more，making my forehead perspire and the drops trickled along my cheeks；but I could not wipe my face with my kerchief because it was dispread under me.I was about to take the skirt of my robe and wipe my cheeks with it，when unexpectedly there fell on me from above a white kerchief，softer to the touch than the morning breeze and pleasanter to the sight than healing to the diseased.I hent it in hand and raised my head to see whence it had fallen，when my eyes met the eyes of the lady who owned these gazelles.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say When it was the One Hundred and Thirteenth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the youth continued to Taj al-Muluk：'So I raised my head to see whence this kerchief had fallen，when my eyes met those of the lady who owned these gazelles.And lo！ she was looking out of a wicket in a lattice of brass and never saw my eyes a fairer than she，and in fine my tongue faileth to describe her beauty.When she caught sight of me looking at her，she put her forefinger into her mouth，then joined her middle finger and her witness finger[483] and laid them on her bosom，between her breasts；after which she drew in her head and closed the wicket shutter and went her ways.There upon fire broke out in and was heaped upon my heart，and greater grew my smart；the one sight cost me a thousand sighs and I abode perplexed，for that I heard no word by her spoken，nor understood the meaning of her token.I looked at the window a second time，but found it shut and waited patiently till sundown，but sensed no sound and saw no one in view.So when I despaired of seeing her again，I rose from my place and taking up the handkerchief，opened it，when there breathed from it a scent of musk which caused me so great delight I became as one in Paradise.[484] Then I spread it before me and out dropped from it a delicate little scroll；whereupon I opened the paper which was perfumed with a delicious perfume，and therein were writ these couplets，'I sent to him a scroll that bore my plaint of love，Writ in fine delicate hand；for writing proves man's skill：
Then quoth to me my friend，'Why is thy writing thus；So fine，so thin drawn'tis to read unsuitable？'
Quoth I，'for that I'm fine-drawn wasted，waxed thin，Thus lovers' writ Should be，for so Love wills his will.
And after casting my eyes on the beauty of the kerchief，[485]I saw upon one of its two borders the following couplets worked in with the needle，'His cheek down writeth （O fair fall the goodly scribe！）Two lines on table of his face in Rayhan-hand：[486]
O the wild marvel of the Moon when comes he forth！And when he bends，O shame to every Willow wand！'
And on the opposite border these two couplets were traced，'His cheek down writeth on his cheek with ambergris on pearl
Two lines，like jet on apple li'en，the goodliest design：
Slaughter is in those languid eyne whene'er a glance they deal，And drunkenness in either cheek and not in any wine.'
When I read the poetry on the handkerchief the flames of love darted into my heart，and yearning and pining redoubled their smart.So I took the kerchief and the scroll and went home，knowing no means to win my wish，for that I was incapable of conducting love affairs and inexperienced in interpreting hints and tokens.Nor did I reach my home ere the night was far spent and I found the daughter of my uncle sitting in tears.But as soon as she saw me she wiped away the drops and came up to me，and took off my walking dress and asked me the reason of my absence，saying，'All the folk，Emirs and notables and merchants and others，assembled in our house；and the Kazi and the witnesses were also present at the appointed time.They ate and tarried awhile sitting to await thine appearance for the writing of the contract；and，when they despaired of thy presence，they dispersed and went their ways.And indeed，' she added，'thy father raged with exceeding wrath by reason of this，and swore that he would not celebrate our marriage save during the coming year，for that he hath spent on these festivities great store of money.' And she ended by asking，'What hath befallen thee this day to make thee delay till now？；and why hast thou allowed that to happen which happened because of thine absence？' Answered I，'O daughter of mine uncle，question me not concerning what hath befallen me.'[487] Then I told her all that had passed from beginning to end，and showed her the handkerchief.She took the scroll and read what was written therein；and tears ran down her cheeks and she repeated these cinquains，'Who saith that Love at first of free will came，Say him： Thou liest！Love be grief and grame：
Yet shall such grame and grief entail no shame；All annals teach us one thing and the same Good current coin clips coin we may not crepe！
An please thou，say there's pleasure in thy pain，Find Fortune's playful gambols glad and fain：
Or happy blessings in th' unhappy's bane，That joy or grieve，with equal might and main：
Twixt phrase and antiphrase I'm all a heap！
But he，withal，whose days are summer bright，Whom maids e'er greet with smiling lips' delight；Whom spicey breezes fan in every site And wins whate'er he wills，that happy wight White blooded coward heart should never keep！'
