knew not whither I should wend this night. Presently I saw this street and noting the goodly fashion of its ordinance and its cleanliness, I sheltered me therein against break of day. When I speak these words to thee with complete self-possession,[17] the Chief of the watch will have no ill suspicion of me, but will say:—There’s no help but that we leave her with one who will take care of her till morning. Thereto do thou rejoin:—’Twere best that she night with Amin al-Hukm and lie with his wives[18] and children until dawn of day. Then straightway knock at the Kazi’s door, and thus shall I have secured admission into his house, without inconvenience, and won my wish; and—the Peace!” I said to her, “By Allah, this is an easy matter.” So, when the night was blackest, we rose to make our round, followed by men with girded swords, and went about the ways and compassed the city, till we came to the street[19] where was the woman, and it was the middle of the night. Here we smelt mighty rich scents and heard the clink of rings: so I said to my comrades, “Methinks I espy a spectre;” and the Captain of the watch cried, “See what it is.” Accordingly, I undertook the work and entering the thoroughfare presently came out again and said, “I have found a fair woman and she telleth me that she is from the Citadel and that dark night surprised her and she saw this street and noting its cleanness and goodly fashion of ordinance, knew that it belonged to a great man[20] and that needs must there be in it a guardian to keep watch over it, so she sheltered her therein.” Quoth the Captain of the watch to me, “Take her and carry her to thy house;” but quoth I, “I seek refuge with Allah![21] My house is no strong box[22] and on this woman are trinkets and fine clothing. By Allah, we will not deposit the lady save with Amin al-Hukm, in whose street she hath been since the first starkening of the darkness; therefore do thou leave her with him till the break of day.” He rejoined, “Do whatso thou willest.” So I rapped at the Kazi’s gate and out came a black slave of his slaves, to whom said I, “O my lord, take this woman and let her be with you till day shall dawn, for that the lieutenant of the Emir Alam al-Din hath found her with trinkets and fine apparel on her, sitting at the door of your house, and we feared lest her responsibility be upon you;[23] wherefore I suggested ’twere meetest she night with you.” So the chattel opened and took her in with him. Now when the morning morrowed, the first who presented himself before the Emir was the Kazi Amin al-Hukm, leaning on two of his negro slaves; and he was crying out and calling for aid and saying, “O Emir, crafty and perfidious, yesternight thou depositedst with me a woman and broughtest her into my house and home, and she arose in the dark and took from me the monies of the little orphans my wards,[24] six great bags, each containing a thousand dinars,[25] and made off; but as for