I was one day abroad on an occasion with certain of my comrades, and as we went along, we fell in with a company of women, as they were moons, and among them one, the tallest and handsomest of them.  When I saw her and she saw me, she tarried behind her companions and waited for me, till I came up to her and bespoke her.  Quoth she, “O my lord, (God favour thee!) I saw thee prolong thy looking on me and imagined that thou knewest me.  If it be thus, vouchsafe me more knowledge of thee.”  “By Allah,” answered I, “I know thee not, save that God the Most High hath cast the love of thee into my heart and the goodliness of thine attributes hath confounded me and that wherewith God hath gifted thee of those eyes that shoot with arrows; for thou hast captivated me.”  And she rejoined, “By Allah, I feel the like of that which thou feelest; so that meseemeth I have known thee from childhood.”

Then said I, “A man cannot well accomplish all whereof he hath need in the market-places.”  “Hast thou a house?” asked she.  “No, by Allah,” answered I; “nor is this town my dwelling-place.”  “By Allah,” rejoined she, “nor have I a place; but I will contrive for thee.”  Then she went on before me and I followed her till she came to a lodging-house and said to the housekeeper, “Hast thou an empty chamber?” “Yes,” answered she; and my mistress said, “Give us the key.”  So we took the key and going up to see the room, entered it; after which she went out to the housekeeper and [giving her a dirhem], said to her, “Take the key-money,[FN#110] for the room pleaseth us, and here is another dirhem for thy trouble.  Go, fetch us a pitcher of water, so we may [refresh ourselves] and rest till the time of the noonday siesta pass and the heat decline, when the man will go and fetch the [household] stuff.”  Therewith the housekeeper rejoiced and brought us a mat and two pitchers of water on a tray and a leather rug.

We abode thus till the setting-in of the time of mid-afternoon, when she said, “Needs must I wash before I go.”  Quoth I, “Get water wherewithal we may wash,” and pulled out from my pocket about a score of dirhems, thinking to give them to her; but she said, “I seek refuge with God!” and brought out of her pocket a handful of silver, saying, “But for destiny and that God hath caused the love of thee fall into my heart, there had not happened that which hath happened.”  Quoth I, “Take this in requital of that which thou hast spent;” and she said, “O my lord, by and by, whenas companionship is prolonged between us, thou wilt see if the like of me looketh unto money and gain or no.”  Then she took a pitcher of water and going into the lavatory, washed[FN#111] and presently coming forth, prayed and craved pardon of God the Most High for that which she had done.

Now I had questioned her of her name and she answered, “My name is Rihaneh,” and described to me her dwelling-place.  When I saw her make the ablution, I said in myself, “This woman doth on this wise, and shall I not do the like of her?” Then said I to her, “Belike thou wilt seek us another pitcher of water?” So she went out to the housekeeper and said to her, “Take this para and fetch us water therewith, so we may wash the flags withal.”  Accordingly, the housekeeper brought two pitchers of water and I took one of them and giving her my clothes, entered the lavatory and washed.