Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/322

288 another man and carry him to her.” So she walked about the streets till her eye fell on a handsome and elegant young man, who bore on his face the traces of travel.

Now this was the lady’s husband; but she knew it not; so she went up to him and saluted him, saying, “Hast thou a mind to meat and drink and a girl adorned and ready?” “Where is this to be had?” asked he. “At home, in my house,” answered she and carrying him to his own house, knocked at the door. The lady opened to them and hastened in again, to make an end of her dressing and perfuming; whilst the old woman brought the husband into the saloon and made him sit down. Presently, in came the lady, who no sooner set eyes on her husband than she knew him and guessed how the case stood; nevertheless, she was not taken aback and forthwith bethought her of a device to hoodwink him. “Is this how thou keepest our contract?” cried she. “Hou canst thou betray me and deal thus with me? Know that, when I heard of thy coming, I sent this old woman to try thee and she hath made thee fall into that against which I warned thee: so now I am certified of thine affair and that thou hast broken faith with me. I thought thee chaste till now, till I saw thee, with my own eyes, in this old woman’s company and knew that thou didst frequent loose women.”

So saying, she pulled off her slipper and fell to beating him about the head, whilst he excused himself and swore to her by God the Most High that he had never in his life been untrue to her nor had done aught of that whereof she suspected him. But she stinted not to weep and scream and beat him, crying out and saying, “Come to my help, O Muslims!” till he laid hold of her mouth with his hand and she bit it. Moreover, he humbled himself to her and kissed her hands and feet, whilst she continued to cuff him and would not be appeased. At last, she made a privy sign to the old woman to come and hold her hand from