Page:The Perfumed Garden - Burton - 1886.djvu/181

Rh meeting her some days later, said to her, 'Surrender yourself to my passion, or else I shall conjure God to change you into a bitch.' She answered, 'Conjure as much as you like.' The man then called the maledictions of heaven upon that woman, and she was changed into a bitch, as you see here."

At these words the mistress of the house began to cry and lament, saying, "O, my mother! I am afraid that I shall meet the same fate as this bitch." "Why, what have you done," said the old woman. The other answered, "There is a man who has loved me since a long time, and I have refused to accede to his desires, nor did I listen to him, though the saliva was dried up in his mouth by his supplications; and in spite of the large expenses he had gone to in order to gain my favour I have always answered him that I should not consent, and now, O my mother, I am afraid he might call to God to curse me."

"Tell me how to know this man," said the old woman, "for fear that you might become like this animal."

"But how will you be able to find him, and whom could I send to him?"

The old woman answered, "Me, daughter of mine! I shall render you this service, and find him." "Make haste, O my mother, and see him before he conjures God against me." "I shall find him still this day," answered the old woman, and, please God, you shall meet him to-morrow."

With this, the old woman took her leave, went on the same day to the man who had made her his confidant, and told him of the meeting arranged for the next day.

So the next day the mistress of the house went to the