make him hope to see me; but he can pretend to no other favours from me, unless he aspires to marry me, and my father gives his consent to it.  Madam, replied I, your goodness overcomes me:  I will go and see for the young gentleman, and tell him he is to have the pleasure of an interview with you:  the most proper time I can think of, said she, for granting him that favour, is next Friday, at the time of noon-prayers.  Let him take care to observe when my father goes out, and then come and plant himself over against the house, if so be his health permits him to come abroad.  When he comes, I shall see him through my window, and shall come down and open the door to him; we shall then converse together during prayer-time, but he must be gone before my father returns.

It is now Tuesday, continued the old gentlewoman, you have till Friday to recruit your strength, and make the necessary dispositions for the interview.  While the good old gentlewoman was telling her story, I felt my illness decrease, or rather, by the time she had done, I found myself perfectly well.  Here, take this, said I, reaching out to her my purse, which was full, it is to you alone that I owe my cure.  I reckon this money better employed than what I gave to the physicians, who have done nothing but tormented me during the whole course of my illness.  When the lady was gone, I found I had strength enough to get up; and my relations, finding me so well, complimented me and went home.

On Friday morning the old woman came just when I was dressing myself, and laying out the finest clothes I had; I do not ask you, says she, how you do; what you are about is intimation enough of your health; but will you not bathe before you go to the first cadi’s house?  That will take up too much time, said I; I will content myself with calling a barber to get my head and beard shaved.  Presently I ordered one of my slaves to call a barber that could do his business cleverly and expeditiously.  The slave brought me this wretch you see here, who came in, and after saluting me, Sir, said he, you look as if you were not very well.  I told him I was just recovered from a fit of sickness:  I wish, said he, God may deliver you from all mischance; may his grace always go along with you.  I hope, said I, he will grant your wish, for which I am very much obliged to you.  Since you are recovering, said he, I pray God preserve your health; but now pray let us know what service I am to do; I have brought my razors and my lancets; do you desire to be shaved or to be bled?  I replied, I am just recovered of a fit of sickness, and so you may readily judge I only want to be shaved:  come, make haste, do not lose time in prattling, for I am in haste, and precisely at noon must be at a certain place.