The officer of the eunuchs was angry that they should break his rest, and chid the favourite lady severely for coming home so late. You shall not come off so easily as you think for, said he: not one of these trunks shall pass till I have opened them every one. At the same time he commanded the eunuch to bring them before him, and open them one by one. The first they began with was that wherein I lay, which put me into inexpressible fear. The favourite lady, who had the key of that trunk, protested it should not be opened. You know very well, said she, I bring nothing hither but what is for the use of Zobeide, your mistress and mine. This trunk, continued she, is filled with rich goods that I had from some merchants lately arrived, besides a number of bottles of Zemzem water sent from Mecca; [71] and if any of these should happen to break, the goods will be spoiled, and then you must answer for them; depend on it, Zobeide will resent your insolence. She insisted upon this in so peremptory terms, that the officer did not dare to take upon him to open any of the trunks. Let them go, said he angrily; you may carry them off. Upon that the women’s apartment was opened, and all the trunks were carried in. They were scarcely got in, when all on a sudden I heard the people cry, Here is the caliph! here comes the caliph! This put me in such a fright, that I wonder I did not die upon the spot, for it really was the caliph. What hast thou got in these trunks? said he to the favourite. --Some stuffs, said she, lately arrived, which your majesty’s lady had a mind to see. --Open them, cried he, and let me see them. She pretended to excuse herself, alleging the stuffs were only proper for ladies, and that by opening them his lady would be deprived of the pleasure of seeing them first. I say, open them, cried the caliph; I have a mind to see them, and I will see them. She still represented that her mistress would be angry with her if she opened them. No, no, said he; I will engage she shall not say a word to you for so doing: come, come, open them, and do not keep me waiting here. There was a necessity of obeying, which gave me such alarm, that I tremble every time I think on it. The caliph sat down; and the favourite ordered all the trunks to be brought before him one after another. Then she opened them; and to lengthen out the time, showed all the beauties of each particular stuff, thinking thereby to tire out his patience; but her stratagem did not succeed. Being as unwilling as myself to have the trunk where I lay opened, she left that to the last. So when all the rest were viewed, Come, said the caliph, make an end; let us see what is in that. I am at a loss to tell you whether I was dead or alive that moment; for I little thought of escaping so great a danger.