378 LIEUT.-COL. D. G. PHILLOTT : 



lady said, " My husband." The colour fled from Khwaja Ibrahim's cheeks. Seizing 

 the lady's skirt with both hands, he said, " I throw myself on your mercy : 'I'm a stran- 

 ger. If your husband sees me he'll kill me. Hide me somewhere." The lady rose, 

 and opening a large chest containing clothes, removed the contents, saying, "Young 

 man, come, get inside. My husband will eat his breakfast and then depart/ I will 

 then come and let you out." The lad)' closed and locked the chest and then went and 

 opened the door and admitted her husband. 



The husband came in and saw that his wife had made everything ready for a feast, 

 and had changed her clothes and adorned herself. " Woman," said he, "for whom 

 have you made ready this feast ? " Husband," said she, ■" I had a guest." " Who was 

 your guest ? " said he. The lady said, " This morning I went to the bazar and I saw a 

 good-looking youth : I showed him my face and returned home. I then went on 

 to the roof and saw the same youth sitting by the stream. I called him in. This feast 

 was for him. We drank a few cups of wine and he snatched a kiss or two. Then 

 you honoured us by arriving and knocking at the door. The youth besought me 

 to hide him somewhere from you. I thought to myself that if I hid him in the 

 stable he might run away from me, so I hid him in that chest and locked the lid. 

 As for the rest you are my husband : kill him if you like ; spare him if you think 

 fit ;. do just as you please." : 



The merchant became purple with rage and screamed out, " Rise and fetch my dag^ 

 ger that I may sever his head from his body." The lady rose and laid the dagger at her 

 husband's feet. He said, " And the key — where's that ? " The lady felt 1 under the 

 matting and produced the key and placed it in her husband's h^nd, at once e^ 

 claiming, ' ' I remember, thou forgetest," and began snapping her fingers and dancing r The 

 merchant thought she had planned the whole story as a trick to win the philopena : he 

 dashed the key on the iioor> seized his cloak and rushed out of the house. The. lady rah 

 to the window and shouted after him down the street, " My dear, I 'shan't accept from 

 you a forfeit that's cheap." ;■'.• - '■ ,'''■''• 



The lady then opened the chest, and behold ! the youth had fainted.' So she lifted 

 him out, sprinkled his face with rose water and revived him. His eyes began to wander 

 round the room as he asked, "Where is youir husband ? All I possess Twill give" you; >i£t 

 you get me out of this house alive." " Young man," said the lady, ''iwhat has happened' 

 to you ? I was merely talking with my husband. Why did you get afraid''?:," The 

 youth said, "From your talk withyour husband I fainted. '' : ■She ans'Wered, "It was 

 all a trick of mine to get rid of my husband, so that you and I might ibe alone togetherC ; ?> 

 khwaja Ibrahim said,' " Woman, -what can I give you to let me go f ree* '?■ >"• i ; ; 3he<saidf 

 ' Write me a bond for a -hundred iumans and I'll get you outsafe/.T will come tbyoiir. 

 office door later and .get the money:"" 'Khwaj a Ibrahim agreed, 'wrote' the' [bond:,' 

 sealed it, and handing it to the ladyy left the house and returned to the ba^vaiiisefavr- 



His companions at once perceived that he was upsetv> One of 'them' smarter than 

 the rest said, "khwaja Ibrahim ! Is everything all right ? Where 'have you been ?. 



i Muslims have seals with their names engraved on them;: tfiey seal documents ; they do not sign them. 



