Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/287

262 lover had lessoned her and he went out to go to the trooper’s house, but turned back by the way, whereupon quoth she to him, ‘By Allah, go forthright, for that my sister asketh of thee.’ So the dolt of a fuller went out and made for the trooper’s house, whilst his wife forewent him thither by the secret passage, and going up, sat down beside her lover. Presently, the fuller entered and saluted the trooper and his [supposed] wife and was confounded at the coincidence of the case. Then doubt betided him and he returned in haste to his dwelling; but she forewent him by the underground passage to her chamber and donning her wonted clothes, sat [waiting] for him and said to him, ‘Did I not bid thee go to my sister and salute her husband and make friends with them?’ Quoth he, ‘I did this, but I misdoubted of my affair, when I saw his wife.’ And she said, ‘Did I not tell thee that she resembleth me and I her, and there is nought to distinguish between us but our clothes? Go back to her.’

So, of the heaviness of his wit, he believed her and turning back, went in to the trooper; but she had foregone him, and when he saw her beside her lover, he fell to looking on her and pondering. Then he saluted her and she returned him the salutation; and when she spoke, he was bewildered. So the trooper said to him, ‘What ails thee to be thus?’ And he answered, ‘This woman is my wife and the voice is her voice.’ Then he rose in haste and returning to his own house, saw his wife, who had foregone him by the secret passage. So he went back to the trooper’s house and saw her sitting as before;