10- The Three Calenders - Page 2

magnificent house, whose
front was adorned with fine columns, and had a gate of ivory.
There they stopped, and the lady knocked softly.

While the young lady and the porter waited for the opening of the
gate, the porter made a thousand reflections. He wondered that
such a fine lady should come abroad to buy provisions; he
concluded she could not be a slave, her air was too noble, and
therefore he thought she must needs be a woman of quality. Just
as he was about to ask her some questions upon this head, another
lady came to open the gate, and appeared to him so beautiful,
that he was perfectly surprised, or rather so much struck with
her charms, that he had nearly suffered his basket to fall, for
he had never seen any beauty that equalled her.

The lady who brought the porter with her, perceiving his
disorder, and knowing the cause, was greatly diverted, and took
so much pleasure in watching his looks, that she forgot the gate
was opened. "Pray, Sister," said the beautiful portress, "come
in, what do you stay for? Do not you see this poor man so heavy
laden, that he is scarcely able to stand,"

When she entered with the porter, the lady who had opened the
gate shut it, and all three, after having passed through a
splendid vestibule, entered a spacious court, encompassed with an
open gallery, which had a communication with several apartments
of extraordinary magnificence. At the farther end of the court
there was a platform, richly furnished, with a throne of amber in
the middle, supported by four columns of ebony, enriched with
diamonds and pearls of an extraordinary size, and covered with
red satin embroidered with Indian gold of admirable workmanship.
In the middle of the court there was a fountain, faced with white
marble, and full of clear water, which was copiously supplied out
of the mouth of a lion of brass.

The porter, though heavy laden, could not but admire the
magnificence of this house, and the excellent order in which
every thing was placed; but what particularly captivated his
attention, was a third lady, who seemed to be more beautiful than
the second, and was seated upon the throne just mentioned; she
descended as soon as she saw the two others, and advanced towards
them: he judged by the respect which the other ladies showed her,
that she was the chief, in which he was not mistaken. This lady
was called Zobeide, she who opened the gate Safie, and she who
went to buy the provisions was named Amene.

Zobeide said to the two ladies, when she came to them, "Sisters,
do not you see that this honest man is ready to sink under his
burden, why do not you ease him of it?" Then Amene and Safie took
the basket, the one before and the