the night I watch its stars and planets?”[30] Cried she, “Naught shall betide save weal, and thou shalt get the better of him.”[31] So saying, she rose and going to a chest, drew out therefrom six bags full of gold and said to me, “This is what I took from Amin al-Hukm’s house. So an thou wilt, restore it; else the whole is lawfully[32] thine; and if thou desire other than this, thou shalt obtain it; for I have monies in plenty and I had no design herein save to marry thee.” Then she arose and opening other chests, brought out therefrom wealth galore and I said to her, “O my sister, I have no wish for all this, nor do I want aught except to be quit of that wherein I am.” Quoth she, “I came not forth of the Kazi’s house without preparing for thine acquittance.” Then said she to me, “When the morrow shall morn and Amin al-Hukm shall come to thee bear with him till he have made an end of his speech, and when he is silent, return him no reply; and if the Wali ask:—What aileth thee that thou answerest me not? do thou rejoin:—O lord and master[33] know that the two words are not alike, but there is no helper for the conquered one[34] save Allah Almighty. The Kazi will cry, What is the meaning of thy saying, The two words are not alike? And do thou retort:—I deposited with thee a damsel from the palace of the Sultan, and most likely some enemy of hers in thy household hath transgressed against her or she hath been secretly murdered. Verily, there were on her raiment and ornaments worth a thousand ducats, and hadst thou put to the question those who are with thee of slaves and slave-girls, needs must thou have litten on some traces of the crime. When he heareth this from thee, his trouble will redouble and he will be amated and will make oath that thou hast no help for it but to go with him to his house: however, do thou say, That will I not do, for I am the party aggrieved, more especially because I am under suspicion with thee. If he redouble in calling on Allah’s aid and conjure thee by the oath of divorce saying, Thou must assuredly come, do thou reply, By Allah, I will not go, unless the Chief also go with me. Then, as soon as thou comest to the house, begin by searching the terrace-roofs; then rummage the closets and cabinets; and if thou find naught, humble thyself before the Kazi and be abject and feign thyself subjected, and after stand at the door and look as if thou soughtest a place wherein to make water,[35] because there is a dark corner there. Then come forward, with heart harder than syenite-stone, and lay hold upon a jar of the jars and raise it from its place. Thou wilt find there under it a mantilla-skirt; bring it out publicly and call the Wali in a loud voice, before those who are present. Then open it and thou wilt find it full of blood, exceeding for freshness, and therein a woman’s walking boots and a pair of petticoat-trousers and somewhat of linen.” When I heard from her these words, I rose to go out