“Accordingly, I took the mirror and the purse, and having kissed the Shaykh’s feet, and bade him farewell, and after resting three days in a Khan, I set out on the road to Damascus. I wandered through Damascus, Aleppo, Syria, the islands of the Mediterranean, Constantinople, Rumelia, Frankland, and many many kingdoms and cities; and although I found some perfect in beauty, I found none whose chastity could abide the trial of the mirror. A certain man told me that there were in Baghdād many beauties perfect in loveliness, and said, ‘If you go thither, belike you may find the fair one whom you seek.’ So I went to Baghdād and rented a house in a certain quarter and having taken up my abode there, began the search. The Imām of the quarter was an old man named Haji Bekr, who used to come to my house at nights to converse with me. One night I told him the secret of my heart and said, ‘If thou canst find a girl such as I wish, that is, such as were acceptable to my taste, I will give thee ten purses; and from that may be judged how I shall treat the girl and her relations. But even if, through the favour of God Most High, she be found, I may not marry her until I have gone and kissed the feet of my father who is grand Vezir of Egypt. If they will give me the girl whom I approve with this condition, I will cover her parents and relations with favours.’ Then the Imām, after pondering a while, thus made answer, ‘The Khalif has a Vezir named Nāsir, whom he dismissed from his service, having been displeased at certain of his actions; this Vezir has for a long time sat in the nook of retirement, and he has fallen a prey to exceeding poverty and indigence. He has a daughter named Mihr-i-Dil,[64] who is now in her fourteenth or fifteenth year. She is well known among the women, who say that her like has never been created upon earth. If she suit your taste, she may do; if not, it will be vain to look for another, hoping to find one better than she.’ When I heard these words I put ten florins into the Imām’s hand, saying, ‘Be this shoe-money: go to-morrow to the girl’s father and tell him of the affair; and if he be willing to give her, bring me word.’
“He came next day and told me that he had spoken to the girl’s father, that he was willing, and that they were awaiting my going to their house. So I straightway set out in all haste for the desired quarter, and reached their abode. After I had met her father and conversed with him, he took me into another room where his daughter was standing covered with a veil. Her father went up to her, and when he had raised the veil from his daughter’s face, I saw that she was a loveling of the soul, such that not merely was the Shaykh’s description insufficient, but that never heart or imagination had conceived her like. The glance of her eyes was a disturber of the world such that with one look it made my soul like to hell through the fire of love, and maddened me, taking me out of myself. Forthwith I pulled out the mirror and held it to her face, and when I saw that there was thereon no trace of dullness, even as the Shaykh had said, I made sure of her chastity. When I came forth I kissed her father’s hand and prayed him to accept me to son-in-law, and he blessed me, saying, ‘There is no refusal; may the Lord of the worlds grant to both of you life and fortune.’ The Imām, the Mu’ezzin and the assembly were straightway summoned, and when the marriage-ceremony was completed, I gave the ten purses I had promised, and also ten thousand sequins for the wedding expenses, and things proper to women to the value of two hundred purses, which I had prepared before hand. I took from the purse to the amount of about two hundred purses, and giving it to the Imām Efendi, sent him off with it, that they might buy whatsoever dresses they should wish. And I gave them notice, saying, ‘I may not tarry longer than a week, then I must set out whither I mean to go; let them be ready.’