When the overseer heard that they had gone to the bath， he sat down to await them， and presently they came up to him， like two gazelles， with red cheeks and black eyes and shining faces， as they were two lustrous moons or two fruit-laden saplings. When he saw them， he rose and said to them， "May your bath profit you ever！" Whereupon Taj el Mulouk replied， with the sweetest of speech， "May God be bountiful to thee， O my father！ Why didst thou not come with us and bathe in our company？" Then they both bent over his hands and kissing them， walked before him to the shop， to do him honour and show their respect for him， for that he was chief of the merchants and the market， as well as their sense of his kindness in giving them the shop. When he saw their hips quivering， emotion and longing redoubled on him and he could not contain himself， but puffed and snorted and devoured them with his eyes， repeating the following verses：
The heart in them studies the chapter of worship unshared sheer No proofs of more gods to worship than one it readeth here.
No wonder it is they tremble by reason of their weight； How much is there not of motion in that revolving sphere！
And also these：
Two fair ones walking on the earth mine eyes did late espy； Two that I needs must love although they walked upon mine eye.
When they heard this， they begged him to enter the bath with them a second time. He could hardly believe his ears and hastening thither， went in with them. The Vizier had not yet left the bath；
so when he heard of the overseer"s coming， he came out and meeting him in the outer room of the bath， invited him to enter.
He refused， but Taj el Mulouk took him by one hand and Aziz by the other and carried him into a cabinet， the impure old man submitting to them， whilst his emotion increased on him. Then Taj el Mulouk swore that none but he should wash him and Aziz that none but he should pour water on him. He would have refused，albeit this was what he desired； but the Vizier said to him，"They are thy sons； let them wash thee and bathe thee." "God preserve them to thee！" exclaimed the overseer. "By Allah， thy coming and theirs hath brought blessing and fortune upon our city！" and he repeated the following verses：
Thou cam"st， and the mountains about us grew green And glittered，with flowers for the bridegroom beseen；
Whilst earth and her creatures cried， "Welcome to thee， Thrice welcome， that comest in glory and sheen！"
They thanked him for this， and Taj el Mulouk proceeded to wash him， whilst Aziz poured water over him and he thought himself in Paradise. When they had made an end of his service， he called down blessings on them and sat talking with the Vizier， gazing the while on the youths. Presently， the servants brought them towels， and they dried themselves and donned their clothes. Then they went out， and the Vizier said to the overseer， "O my lord，verily the bath is the Paradise of this world." "May God vouchsafe it[FN#143] to thee，" replied the overseer， "and health to thy sons and guard them from the evil eye！ Do you remember aught that the poets have said in praise of the bath？" "Yes，"
said Taj el Mulouk and repeated the following verses：
The life of the bath is the pleasantest part of life， Except that the time of our sojourn there is slight.
A heaven， wherein "tis irksome to us to bide： A hell， into which we enter with delight.
"And I also，" said Aziz， "remember some verses in praise of the bath." Quoth the overseer， "Let us hear them." So he repeated the following：
I know a house， wherein flowers from the sheer stone blow； Most goodly， when the flames about it rage and glow.
Thou deem"st it hell， and yet， in truth， "tis Paradise And most that be therein are sun and moons， I trow.
His verses pleased the overseer and he wondered at their grace and eloquence and said， "By Allah， ye possess both beauty and eloquence！ But now listen to me." And he chanted the following verses：
O pleasaunce of hell-fire and paradise of pain！ Bodies and souls therein indeed are born again.
I marvel at a house， whose pleasantness for aye Doth flourish，though the flames beneath it rage amain.
A sojourn of delight to those who visit it It is； the pools on them their tears in torrents rain.
Then he fed his eyes on the gardens of their beauty and repeated the following verses：
I went to the bath-keeper"s house and entered his dwelling-place And found no door-keeper there but met me with smiling face.
I sojourned awhile in his heaven[FN#144] and visited eke his hell[FN#145] And thanked both Malik[FN#146] and Rizwan[FN#147] for solace and kindly grace.
They were charmed with these verses， and the overseer invited them to his house； but they declined and resumed to their own lodging， to rest from the great heat of the bath. They took their ease there and ate and drank and passed the night in the greatest comfort and delight， till morning， when they arose from sleep and making their ablutions， prayed the morning-prayer anddrank the morning-draught. As soon as the sun had risen and the markets and shops were open， they went out to the bazaar and opened their shop， which their servants had already furnished， after the handsomest fashion， with prayer-rugs and silken carpets and a pair of divans， each worth a hundred dinars. On each divan they had spread a rug， garded with gold and fit for a king， and in the midst of the shop stood a third seat of still greater elegance，even as the case required. Taj el Mulouk sat down on one couch and Aziz on another， whilst the Vizier seated himself on that in the centre， and the servants stood before them. The people of the city heard of them and crowded to them， so that they sold some of their goods and the report of Taj el Mulouk"s beauty and grace spread throughout the place. Some days passed thus， and every day the people flocked to them more and more， till the Vizier， after exhorting the prince to keep his secret， commended him to Aziz"s care and went home， that he might be alone and cast about for some device that might profit them.
