Page:Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz (1862).djvu/149

 I cannot here forbear relating the history of a Turkish lady who was acquainted with our janissary, Mustapha. She was young and tolerably good-looking. Once upon a time Mustapha invited her to an afternoon entertainment, and I provided him for the purpose with the best wine and confectionary. He was particularly kind to me as being a Bohemian. This lady had a very aged husband, who put very little confidence in her. Not knowing how to manage to be in time for the entertainment at the appointed hour, about vespers, (for then our chiaous usually went out to prayers,) she told her husband that she was going to the bath. She took with her two captive serving-women, who carried her dresses, as usual, on their heads, in copper-pails covered with carpets, and walked behind her past our hotel, not far from which stands the handsome female bathing-house which was built by Ruska, the wife of the Turkish sultan, into which no man is allowed to go under pain of death. As she went past our hotel the lady gave notice to the janissary that she would come to the entertainment. Her distrustful husband walked a little way behind her, and, as she went into the bath, posted himself opposite, and waited for her. But who can frustrate a woman’s cunning? She walked past our house in a green dress, but dressed herself in other clothes which she had brought with her, and, leaving her attendants at the bath, walked out, and came to the janissary in a red dress. He received and welcomed her in his apartment, entertained her well, and, after supper, let her out again by the little door. She went to the bath a second time, bathed, and returned home with her husband. I could not sufficiently admire this woman’s cunning, and