Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 2.djvu/50

34 men, who rose and condoled with him. Then he accosted Er Razi’s wife and said to her, ‘How came his death about?’ ‘I know not,’ answered she, ‘except that, when I arose in the morning, I found him dead.’ Moreover, he questioned her of the money and good that was with her, but she said, ‘I have no knowledge of this and no tidings.’

So he sat down at the sharper’s head, and said to him, ‘Know, O Razi, that I will not leave thee till after ten days and their nights, wherein I will wake and sleep by thy grave. So arise and be not a fool.’ But he answered him not and El Merouzi [drew his knife and] fell to sticking it into the other’s hands and feet, thinking to make him move; but [he stirred not and] he presently grew weary of this and concluded that the sharper was dead in good earnest. [However, he still misdoubted of the case] and said in himself, ‘This fellow is dissembling, so he may enjoy all the money.’ Therewith he addressed himself to prepare him [for burial] and bought him perfumes and what [not else] was needed. Then they brought him to the washing-place and El Merouzi came to him and heating water till it boiled and bubbled and a third of it was wasted, fell to pouring it on his skin, so that it turned red and blue and blistered; but he abode still on one case [and stirred not].

So they wrapped him in the shroud and set him on the bier. Then they took up his bier and bearing him