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- Avt'handil’s Arrival at
Ph’atman's; Her Reception of Him and Her Joy
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- 1074
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- P'HATMAN, Usen's wife, met him in front of the door,
- joyful she saluted him, she showed her pleasure; they
- greeted each other, they went in and seated themselves. As
- I have observed, his coming annoyed not Dame P'hatman.
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- 1075
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- DAME P'hatman was attractive to the eye, not young but
- brisk, of a good figure, dark in complexion, plump-faced,
- not wizened, a lover of minstrels and singers,
- a wine-drinker; she had abundance of elegant gowns and
- head-dresses.
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- 1076
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- THAT night Dame P'hatman entertained him right well.
- The knight presented beautiful gifts; they that received
- them said: "They are worthy!" P'hatman's entertainment
- of him was worth while; by God! she lost not. When they
- had drunken and eaten, the knight went out to sleep.
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- 1077
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- IN the morning he showed all his wares, he had them all
- unpacked; the fairest were laid aside for the king, he had
- the price counted out; he said to the merchants: "Take
- them away!" He loaded them, and had them carried away.
- He said: "Sell as ye will; reveal not who I am!"
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- 1078
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- THE knight was clad as a merchant; he was by no means
- dressed in his proper raiment. Sometimes P'hatman calls
- on him, sometimes he visits P'hatman. They sat together;
- they conversed with refined discourse. Absence from him
- was death to P'hatman, as Ramin's was to Vis.
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