Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/59

47 found for them [till the smith set them free]. ‘O damsel,’ said the Cadi, ‘what is thy name?’ ‘My name is Zein el Mewasif,’ answered she, ‘and this my maid’s name is Huboub.’ Quoth he, ‘Thy name accordeth with its owner and its words conform to its meaning.’ Whereupon she smiled and veiled her face, and he said to her, ‘O Zein el Mewasif, hast thou a husband or not?’ ‘I have no husband,’ answered she. ‘And what is thy faith?’ asked he. ‘That of Islam,’ replied she, ‘and the religion of the best of men.’ Quoth he, ‘Swear to me by the Law, full of instances and admonitions, that thou art a Muslim.’ So she swore to him and pronounced the profession of the faith.

Then said he, ‘How comes it that thou wastest thy youth with this Jew?’ And she answered, ‘Know, O Cadi (may God prolong thy days in contentment and bring thee to thy hopes and seal thine acts with benefits!), that my father left me, after his death, fifteen thousand dinars, which he put into the hands of this Jew, that he might trade therewith and share the profit with me, the capital being secured by acknowledgment according to law. When my father died, the Jew coveted me and sought me in marriage of my mother, who said, “How shall I cause her leave her faith and become a Jewess? By Allah, I will denounce thee to the authorities!” He was affrighted at her words and taking the money, fled to the town of Aden. When we heard where he was, we came to Aden in search of him, and when we foregathered with him, he told us that he was trading in stuffs [with the money] and buying goods upon goods. So we believed him and he ceased not to beguile us till he cast us into prison and fettered us and tortured us exceeding sore; and we are strangers and have no helper save God the Most High and our lord the Cadi.’

When the Cadi heard this, he said to Huboub, ‘Is this