When it was the One Hundred and Fiftyninth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Abu alHasan farewelled the slavegirl and returned to his shop which he opened and sat down there according to his custom； but as he tarried，he found his heart oppressed and his breast straitened，and he was perplexed about his case. So he ceased not from melancholy the rest of that day and night，and on the morrow he betook himself to Ali bin Bakkar，with whom he sat till the folk withdrew，when he asked him how he did. Ali began to complain of desire and to descant upon the longing and distraction which possessed him，and repeated these words of the poet.
'Men have 'plained of pining before my time，Live and dead by parting been terrified：
But such feelings as those which my ribs immure I have never heard of，nor ever espied.'
And these of another poet，'I have borne for thy love what never bore For his fair，Kays the 'Daft one'[204] hight of old：
Yet I chase not the wildlings of wold and wild Like Kays，for madness is manifold.'
Thereupon quoth Abu alHasan，'Never did I see or hear of one like unto thee in thy love！ When thou sufferest all this transport and sickness and trouble being enamoured of one who returneth thy passion，how would it be with thee if she whom thou lovest were contrary and contumelious，and thy case were discovered through her perfidy？''And Ali the son of Bakkar'
（says Abu alHasan） 'was pleased with my words and he relied upon them and he thanked me for what I had said and done. I had a friend'（continued Abu alHasan），'to whom I discovered my affair and that of Ali and who knew that we were intimates； but none other than he was acquainted with what was betwixt us. He was wont to come to me and enquire how Ali did and after a little，he began to ask me about the damsel； but I fenced him off，saying，'She invited him to her and there was between him and her as much as can possibly take place，and this is the end of their affair；but I have devised me a plan and an idea which I would submit to thee.''Asked his friend，'And what is that？'Answered Abu alHasan，'I am a person well known to have much dealing among men and women，and I fear，O my brother，lest the affair of these twain come to light and this lead to my death and the seizure of my goods and the rending of my repute and that of my family.