abode all careless of such matters, in consequence of the virtues of his spouse, until one chance day of the days when suddenly a man came to him with a grievance about his better half and showed how he had been evil entreated by her and how her misconduct was manifest and public.  But when the man laid his case before the Kazi and enlarged upon his charge, the Judge determined that he was in tort and that his wife was in the right; so the complainant went forth the court as one deaf and blind who could neither hear nor see.  Moreover he was perplexed as to his affair, unknowing what he should do in the matter of his helpmate and wherefore the Kazi had determined contrary to justice that he had ill-used his spouse.  Now as to the Kazi’s wife none could forgather with her;[FN#491] so the plaintiff was distraught and confounded when he was met unexpectedly on the way by one who asked him, “What may be thy case, O certain person, and how hath it befallen thee with the Kazi in the matter of thy rib?” “He hath given sentence,” quoth the man, “that I am the wrong-doer and that she is the wronged, and I know not how I shall act.”  Whereupon quoth the other, “Return and take thy station hard by the entrance to the Judge’s Harem and thyself under the protection of its inmates.”  The man did as his friend advised him and knocked, when a handmaiden came out and he said to her, “O Damsel, ’tis my desire that thou send me hither thy lady, so I may bespeak her with a single word.”  She went in and informed her mistress[FN#492] who rose and humoured him, and standing veiled behind the door asked, “What is to do with thee, O man?” “O my lady,” said he, “I place myself under thy ward and thine honour, so thou enable me to get justice of my wife and overcome her and prevail over her, for in very deed she hath wronged me and disgraced me.  I came to complain of her ill-conduct before His Honour our lord the Kazi, yet he hath determined that I am the wrong-doer and have injured her while she is the wronged.  I know not what I shall do with him, and sundry of the folk have informed me that thou art of the beneficent; so I require that thou charge for me the Judge to deliver according to Holy Law his decree between me and my mate.”  Quoth she, “Go thou and take thy rest, nor do thou return to him until he shall have sent after thee, and fear not aught from him at all.”  “Allah increase thy weal, O my lady,” quoth he, and he left her and went about his business pondering his case and saying to himself in mind, “Oh would Heaven I wot whether the Kazi’s wife will protect me and deliver me from this fornicatress, this adulteress, who hath outraged me and carried away my good and driven me forth from her.”  Now when it was night-tide and the Judge was at leisure from his commandments, he went into his Harem, and it was his wife’s custom whenever he returned home to meet him at the middle doorway.  But as on that occasion she failed so to do, he walked into the apartment wherein she