With this the broker took her and turned away with her，and she asked，'Whither goest thou with me？'He answered，'Back to thy master the Persian；it sufficeth me what hath befallen me because of thee this day；for thou hast been the means of spoiling both my trade and his by thine ill manners.'Then she looked about the market right and left，front and rear till，by the decree of the Decreer her eyes fell on Ali Nur al-Din the Cairene.So she gazed at him and saw him[469] to be a comely youth of straight slim form and smooth of face，fourteen years old，rare in beauty and loveliness and elegance and amorous grace like the full moon on the fourteenth night with forehead flower-white，and cheeks rosy red，neck like alabaster and teeth than jewels and dews of lips sweeter than sugar，even as saith of him one of his describers；'Came to match him in beauty and loveliness rare * Full moons and gazelles but quoth I，'Soft fare！
Fare softly，gazelles，nor yourselves compare * With him and，O Moons，all your pains forbear！'
And how well saith another bard；'Slim-waisted loveling，from his hair and brow * Men wake a-morn in night and light renewed.
Blame not the mole that dwelleth on his cheek * For Nu'uman's bloom aye shows spot negro-hued.'
When the slave-girl beheld Nur al-Din he interposed between her and her wits；she fell in love to him with a great and sudden fall and her heart was taken with affection for him；--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Eight Hundred and Seventy-third Night； She pursued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the slave-girl beheld Nur al-Din，her heart was taken with affection for him；so she turned to the broker and said to him，'Will not yonder young merchant，who is sitting among the traders in the gown of striped broadcloth，bid somewhat more for me？'The broker replied，'O lady of fair ones，yonder young man is a stranger from Cairo，where his father is chief of the trader-guild and surpasseth all the merchants and notables of the place.He is but lately come to this our city and lodgeth with one of his father's friends；but he hath made no bid for thee nor more nor less.'
When the girl heard the broker's words，she drew from her finger a costly signet-ring of ruby and said to the man，'Carry me to yonder youth，and if he buy me，this ring shall be thine，in requital of thy travail with me this day.'The broker rejoiced at this and brought her up to Nur al-Din，and she considered him straitly and found him like the full moon，perfect in loveliness and a model of fine stature and symmetric grace，even as saith of him one of his describers.
'Waters of beauty o'er his cheeks flow bright，* And rain his glances shafts that sorely smite：
Choked are his lovers an he deal disdain's * Bitterest draught denaying love-delight.
His forehead and his stature and my love * Are perfect perfected perfection-dight；
His raiment folds enfold a lovely neck * As crescent moon in collar buttoned tight：
His eyne and twinned moles and tears of me * Are night that nighteth to the nightliest night.
His eyebrows and his features and my frame[470] * Crescents on crescents are as crescents slight：
His pupils pass the wine-cup to his friends * Which，albe sweet；tastes bitter to my sprite；
And to my thirsty throat pure drink he dealt * From smiling lips what day we were unite：
Then is my blood to him，my death to him * His right and rightful and most righteous right.'
The girl gazed at Nur al-Din and said，'O my lord，Allah upon thee，am I not beautiful？'；and he replied，'O Princess of fair ones，is there in the world a comelier than thou？'She rejoined；'Then why seest thou all the other merchants bid high for me and art silent nor sayest a word neither addest one dinar to my price？'Twould seem I please thee not，O my lord！'Quoth he，'O
my lady，were I in my own land，I had bought thee with all that my hand possesseth of monies；'and quoth she，'O my lord，I said not，'Buy me against thy will，'yet，didst thou but add somewhat to my price，it would hearten my heart，though thou buy me not；so the merchants may say，'Were not this girl handsome，yonder merchant of Cairo had not bidden for her，for the Cairenes are connoisseurs in slave-girls.'These words abashed Nur al-Din and he blushed and said to the broker，'How high are the biddings for her？'He replied，'Her price hath reached nine hundred and sixty dinars，[471] besides brokerage，as for the Sultan's dues，they fall on the seller.'Quoth Nur al-Din，'Let me have her for a thousand dinars，brokerage and price.'And the damsel hastening to the fore and leaving the broker，said'I sell myself to this handsome young man for a thousand dinars.'But Nur al-Din held his peace.Quoth one，'We sell to him；'and another，'He deserveth her；'and a third，'Accursed，son of accursed，is he who biddeth and doth not buy！'；and a fourth，'By Allah，they befit each other！'Then，before Nur al-Din could think，the broker fetched Kazis and witnesses，who wrote out a contract of sale and purchase；and the broker handed the paper to Nur al-Din；saying，'Take thy slave-girl and Allah bless thee in her for she beseemeth none but thee and none but thou beseemeth her.'And he recited these two couplets；'Boom Fortune sought him in humblest way[472] * And came to him draggle-tailed，all a-stir：
And none is fittest for him but she * And none is fittest but he for her.'
Hereat Nur al-Din was abashed before the merchants；so he arose without stay or delay and weighed out the thousand dinars which he had left as a deposit with his father's friend the druggist；and taking the girl，carried her to the house wherein the Shaykh had lodged him.When she entered and saw nothing but ragged patched carpets and worn out rugs，she said to him，'O my lord；have I no value to thee and am I not worthy that thou shouldst bear me to thine own house and home wherein are thy goods，that thou bringest me into thy servant's lodging？ Why dost thou not carry me to thy father's dwelling？'
