to making ready meat and drink; fruits, flowers and
perfumes. Now when the appointed trysting day
came, she donned her costliest dress and adorned herself
and scented herself, then spread the sitting-room with
various kinds of rich carpets and sat down to await
who should come. And behold, the Kazi was the
first to appear, devancing the rest, and when she
saw him, she rose to her feet and kissed the ground
before him; then, taking him by the hand, made him
sit down by her on the couch and lay with him and
fell to jesting and toying with him. By and by,
he would have her do his desire, but she said, “O
my lord, doff thy clothes and turband and assume this
yellow cassock and this head-kerchief,[FN#212] whilst
I bring thee meat and drink; and after thou shalt
win thy will.” So saying, she took his
clothes and turband and clad him in the cassock and
the kerchief; but hardly had she done this, when lo!
there came a knocking at the door. Asked he, “Who
is that rapping at the door?” and she answered,
“My husband.” Quoth the Kazi, “What
is to be done, and where shall I go?” Quoth she,
“Fear nothing, I will hide thee in this cabinet;”
and he, “Do as seemeth good to thee.”
So she took him by the hand and pushing him into the
lowest compartment, locked the door upon him.
Then she went to the house-door, where she found the
Wali; so she bussed ground before him and taking his
hand brought him into the saloon, where she made him
sit down and said to him, “O my lord, this house
is thy house; this place is thy place, and I am thy
handmaid: thou shalt pass all this day with me;
wherefore do thou doff thy clothes and don this red
gown, for it is a sleeping gown.” So she
took away his clothes and made him assume the red
gown and set on his head an old patched rag she had
by her; after which she sat by him on the divan and
she sported with him while he toyed with her awhile,
till he put out his hand to her. Whereupon she
said to him, “O our lord, this day is thy day
and none shall share in it with thee; but first, of
thy favour and benevolence, write me an order for
my brother’s release from gaol that my heart
may be at ease.” Quoth he, “Hearkening
and obedience: on my head and eyes be it!”;
and wrote a letter to his treasurer, saying, “As
soon as this communication shall reach thee, do thou
set such an one free, without stay or delay; neither
answer the bearer a word.” Then he sealed
it and she took it from him, after which she began
to toy again with him on the divan when, behold, some
one knocked at the door. He asked, “Who
is that?” and she answered, “My husband.”
“What shall I do?” said he, and she, “Enter
this cabinet, till I send him away and return to thee.”
So she clapped him into the second compartment from
the bottom and padlocked the door on him; and meanwhile
the Kazi heard all they said. Then she went to
the house-door and opened it, whereupon lo! the Wazir
entered. She bussed the ground before him and
received him with all honour and worship, saying, “O