Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/126

106 thou to him forthright and knock at the door and make shift to go in to him quickly. If thou see the damsel with him, it is a slave-girl of his who resembles me, and glory be to Him who hath no like! But, if thou see no slave-girl with him, then am I myself she whom thou sawest with him in the shop, and thine ill thought of me will be confirmed.’ ‘True,’ answered Ubeid and went out, whereupon she passed through the hidden way and seating herself by Kemerezzeman, told him what had passed, saying, ‘Open the door quickly and show me to him.’

As they were talking, there came a knocking at the door. Quoth Kemerezzeman, ‘Who is at the door?’ ‘I, thy friend,’ answered the jeweller; ‘thou showedst me thy slave-girl in the bazaar, and I rejoiced in her for thee: but my joy in her was not completed; so open the door and let me look at her again.’ ‘So be it,’ rejoined Kemerezzeman and opened the door to him, whereupon he saw his wife sitting by him. She rose and kissed their hands; and he looked at her. Moreover, she talked with him awhile and he saw her not to be distinguished from his wife in aught and said, ‘God createth what He will.’ Then he went away, more perplexed than ever, and returned to his own house, where he found his wife sitting in her chamber, for she had foregone him thither by the secret passage. Quoth she, ‘What hast thou seen?’ ‘I found her with her master,’ answered he; ‘and she resembleth thee.’ Then said she, ‘Go to thy shop and let this suffice thee of suspicion and never again deem ill of me.’ ‘So be it,’ replied he; ‘bear me not malice for what is past.’ ‘God pardon thee!’ said she; whereupon he kissed her right and left and went back to his shop.

No sooner was he gone than she again betook herself to Kemerezzeman through the underground passage, with four bags of money, and said to him, ‘Equip thyself for present departure and be ready to carry off the treasure