Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/128

108 of him, whilst they both wept exceeding sore, and the jeweller shut his shop, saying in himself, ‘Needs must I bring my friend on his way.’

So, as often as he went on an occasion, the jeweller went with him, and when they entered Kemerezzeman’s house, they found Helimeh there, and she stood before them and served them; but, when Ubeid entered his own house, he found her sitting there; nor did he cease to see her thus in each house in turn, for the space of three days, at the end of which time she said to Kemerezzeman, ‘Now have I transported to thee all that he hath of treasures and carpets and things of price, and there remains with him but the slave-girl, who used to come in to you with the night drink: but I cannot part with her, for that she is my kinswoman and confidant and she is dear to me. So I will [feign to] beat her and be wroth with her and when my husband comes home, I will say to him, “I will no longer put up with this slave-girl nor abide in the house with her; take her and sell her.” So he will sell her and do thou buy her, that we may carry her with us.’ ‘Good,’ answered he. So she beat the girl and when the jeweller came in, he found her weeping and asked her why she wept. Quoth she, ‘My mistress hath beaten me.’ So he went in to his wife and said to her, ‘What hath that accursed girl done, that thou hast beaten her?’ ‘O man,’ answered she, ‘I have but one word to say to thee, and it is that I can no longer brook the sight of this girl; so take her and sell her, or else divorce me.’ Quoth he, ‘I will sell her, for I may not cross thee in aught.’ So, when he went out to go to the shop, he took her and passed with her by Kemerezzeman.

No sooner had he gone out than his wife slipped through the underground passage to Kemerezzeman, who placed her in the litter, before her husband reached him. When he came up and Kemerezzeman saw the slave-girl with