When he heard this, he came up to me and looking in my face, cried out and said, ’By Allah, this is my brother, the son of my mother and father!  Allah!  Allah!’ Then he loosed me from my bonds and kissed my head, and behold it was my friend who used to borrow money of me.  When I kissed his head, he kissed mine and said, ‘O my brother, be not affrighted.’  Then he called for my clothes [and money and restored to me all that had been taken from me] nor was aught missing to me.  Moreover, he brought me a bowl full of [sherbet of] sugar, with lemons therein, and gave me to drink thereof; and the company came and seated me at a table.  So I ate with them and he said to me, ’O my lord and my brother, now have bread and salt passed between us and thou hast discovered our secret and [become acquainted with] our case; but secrets [are safe] with the noble.’  Quoth I, ’As I am a lawfully-begotten child, I will not name aught [of this] neither denounce [you!*]’ And they assured themselves of me by an oath.  Then they brought me out and I went my way, scarce crediting but that I was of the dead.

I abode in my house, ill, a whole month; after which I went to the bath and coming out, opened my shop [and sat selling and buying as usual], but saw no more of the man or the woman, till, one day, there stopped before my shop a young man, [a Turcoman], as he were the full moon; and he was a sheep-merchant and had with him a bag, wherein was money, the price of sheep that he had sold.  He was followed by the woman, and when he stopped at my shop, she stood by his side and cajoled him, and indeed he inclined to her with a great inclination.  As for me, I was consumed with solicitude for him and fell to casting furtive glances at him and winked at him, till he chanced to look round and saw me winking at him; whereupon the woman looked at me and made a sign with her hand and went away.  The Turcoman followed her and I counted him dead, without recourse; wherefore I feared with an exceeding fear and shut my shop.  Then I journeyed for a year’s space and returning, opened my shop; whereupon, behold, the woman came up to me and said, ’This is none other than a great absence.’  Quoth I, ‘I have been on a journey;’ and she said, ‘Why didst thou wink at the Turcoman?’ ‘God forbid!’ answered I.  ‘I did not wink at him.’  Quoth she, ’Beware lest thou cross me;’ and went away.

Awhile after this a friend of mine invited me to his house and when I came to him, we ate and drank and talked.  Then said he to me, ’O my friend, hath there befallen thee in thy life aught of calamity?’ ‘Nay,’ answered I; ’but tell me [first], hath there befallen thee aught?’ [’Yes,’] answered he.  ’Know that one day I espied a fair woman; so I followed her and invited her [to come home with me].  Quoth she, “I will not enter any one’s house; but come thou to my house, if thou wilt, and be it on such a day.”  Accordingly, on the appointed day, her messenger came to me, purposing to carry me to her; so I arose and