marvels of Fatimah the Devotee and her piety and the beauties of her worship; then, taking him by the hand went with him without the city and showed him the way to her abode, a cavern upon a hillock’s head.  The Necromancer acknowledged his kindness in many words and, thanking him for his good offices, returned to his cell in the caravanserai.  Now by the fiat of Fate on the very next day Fatimah came down to the city, and the Maghrabi, the Necromancer, happened to leave his hostelry a-morn, when he saw the folk swarming and crowding; wherefore he went up to discover what was to do and found the Devotee standing amiddlemost the throng, and all who suffered from pain or sickness flocked to her soliciting a blessing and praying for her prayers; and each and every she touched became whole of his illness.[FN#218] The Maroccan, the Necromancer, followed her about until she returned to her antre; then, awaiting till the evening evened, he arose and repaired to a vintner’s store where he drank a cup of wine.  After this he fared forth the city and finding the Devotee’s cavern, entered it and saw her lying prostrate[FN#219] with her back upon a strip of matting.  So he came for ward and mounted upon her belly; then he drew his dagger and shouted at her; and, when she awoke and opened her eyes, she espied a Moorish man with an unsheathed poniard sitting upon her middle as though about to kill her.  She was troubled and sore terrified, but he said to her, “Hearken! an thou cry out or utter a word I will slay thee at this very moment:  arise now and do all I bid thee.”  Then he sware to her an oath that if she obeyed his orders, whatever they might be, he would not do her die.  So saying, he rose up from off her and Fatimah also arose, when he said to her, “Give me thy gear and take thou my habit ;” whereupon she gave him her clothing and head-fillets, her face-kerchief and her mantilla.  Then Quoth he, " ’tis also requisite that thou anoint me with somewhat shall make the colour of my face like unto thine.”  Accordingly she went into the inner cavern and, bringing out a gallipot of ointment, spread somewhat thereof upon her palm and with it besmeared his face until its hue favoured her own; then she gave him her staff[FN#220] and, showing him how to walk and what to do when he entered the city, hung her rosary around his neck.  Lastly she handed to him a mirror and said, “Now look!  Thou differest from me in naught;” and he saw himself Fatimah’s counterpart as though she had never gone or come.[FN#221] But after obtaining his every object he falsed his oath and asked for a cord which she brought to him; then he seized her and strangled her in the cavern; and presently, when she was dead, haled the corpse outside and threw it into a pit hard by.—­And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

     When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-eighth Night,