At length he came to
himself, and, wrapping up his head in the robe of his cousin, entreated
that she would not return to the harem; he was afraid of being snapped at
by Shaban, his tutor, a wrinkled old eunuch of a surly disposition; for
having interrupted the stated walk of Nouronihar, he dreaded lest the
churl should take it amiss. The whole of this sprightly group, sitting
round upon a mossy knoll, began to entertain themselves with various
pastimes, whilst their superintendents the eunuchs were gravely
conversing at a distance. The nurse of the Emir's daughter, observing
her pupil sit ruminating with her eyes on the ground, endeavoured to
amuse her with diverting tales, to which Gulchenrouz, who had already
forgotten his inquietudes, listened with a breathless attention; he
laughed, he clapped his hands, and passed a hundred little tricks on the
whole of the company, without omitting the eunuchs, whom he provoked to
run after him, in spite of their age and decrepitude.
During these occurrences the moon arose, the wind subsided, and the
evening became so serene and inviting, that a resolution was taken to sup
on the spot.
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