have no daughter befitting this man;’ and I rejoined, ’Allah aid thee!  My desire is for thee and not for her.’[FN#350] But he still refused and his friends said to him, ’This is an honourable match and a man thine equal, nor is it lawful to thee that thou hinder the young lady of her good luck.’  Quoth he to them, ’She will not suit him!’ nevertheless they were instant with him till at last he said, ’Verily, my daughter whom ye seek is passing illfavoured and in her are all blamed qualities of person.’  And I said, ‘I accept her, though she be as thou sayest.’  Then said the folk, ’Extolled be Allah!  Cease we to talk of a thing settled; so say the word, how much wilt thou have to her marriagesettlement?’ Quoth he, ‘I must have four thousand sequins;’ and I said, ’To hear is to obey!’ Accordingly the affair was concluded and we drew up the contract of marriage and I made the bride-feast; but on the wedding-night I beheld a thing[FN#351] than which never made Allah Almighty aught more fulsome.  Methought her folk had devised this freak by way of fun; so I laughed and looked for my mistress, whom I had seen at the window, to make her appearance; but saw her not.  When the affair was prolonged and I found none but her, I was like to lose my wits for vexation and fell to beseeching my Lord and humbling myself in supplication before Him that He would deliver me from her.  When I arose in the morning, there came the chamberwoman and said to me, ’Hast thou need of the bath?’[FN#352] I replied, ‘No;’ and she asked, ’Art thou for breakfast?’ But I still answered ‘No;’ and on this wise I abode three days, tasting neither meat nor drink.  When the young woman my wife saw me in this plight, she said to me, ’O man, tell me thy tale, for, by Allah, if I may effect thy deliverance, I will assuredly further thee thereto.’  I gave ear to her speech and put faith in her sooth and acquainted her with the adventure of the damsel whom I had seen at the window and how 1 had fallen in love with her; whereupon quoth she, ’An that girl belong to me, whatso I possess is thine, and if she belong to my sire, I will demand her of him and detain her from him and deliver her to thee.’  Then she fell to summoning hand-maid after hand-maid and showing them to me, till I saw the damsel whom I loved and said, ’This is she.’  Quoth my wife, ’Let not thy heart be troubled, for this is my slave-girl.  My father gave her to me and I give her to thee:[FN#353] so comfort thyself and be of good cheer and of eyes cool and clear.’  Then, when it was night, she brought the girl to me, after she had adorned her and perfumed her, and said to her, ’Cross not this thy lord in aught and every that he shall seek of thee.’  When she came to bed with me, I said in myself, ’Verily, this my spouse is more generous than I!’ Then I sent away the slave-girl and drew not near her, but arose forthwith and betaking myself to my wife, lay with her and abated her maidenhead.  She conceived by me at the first bout; and, accomplishing the time