up with his hamper and after her till she stayed at the confectioner's，and she bought an earthen platter，and piled it with all kinds of sweetmeats in his shop，open-worked tarts and fritters scented with musk and"soap-cakes，"and lemon loaves and melon-preserves，and"Zaynab's combs，"and"ladies'fingers，"and"Kazi's tit-bits"and goodies of every description;and placed the platter in the Porter's crate.Thereupon said he（being a merry man），"You should have told me，and I would have brought with me a pony or a she-camel to carry all this market-stuff."She smiled and gave him a little cuff on the nape saying，"Step out and exceed not in words，for（Allah willing�。﹜our wage will not be wanting."Then she stopped at a perfumer's and took from him ten sorts of waters，rose scented with musk，orange-flower，water-lily，willow-flower，violet and five others;and she also bought two loaves of sugar，a bottle for perfumes-praying，a lump of male incense，aloe-wood，ambergris and musk，with candles of Alexandria wax;and she put the whole into the basket，saying，"Up with your crate and after me."He did so and followed until she stood before the greengrocer's，of whom she bought pickled safflower and olives，in brine and in oil;with tarragon and cream-cheese and hard Syrian cheese;and she stowed them away in the crate saying to the Porter，"Take up your basket and follow me."He did so and went after her till she came to a fair mansion fronted by a spacious court，a tall，fine place to which columns gave strength and grace;and the gate thereof had two leaves of ebony inlaid with plates of red gold.The lady stopped at the door and，turning her face-veil sideways，knocked sofdy with her knuckles while the Porter stood behind her，thinking of naught save her beauty and loveliness.Presently the door swung back and both leaves were opened，whereupon he looked to see who had opened it;and behold，it was a lady of tall figure，some five feet high;a model of beauty and loveliness，brilliance and symmetry and perfect grace.Her forehead was flower-white;her cheeks like the anemone ruddy bright;her eyes were those of the wild heifer or the gazelle，with eyebrows like the crescent-moon which ends Sha'aban and begins Ramazan;her mouth was the ring of Sulayman，her lips coral-red，and her teeth like a line of strung pearls or of camomile petals.Her throat recalled the antelope's，and her breasts，like two pomegranates of even size，stood at bay as it were;her body rose and fell in waves below her dress like the rolls of a piece of brocade.

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