They abode thus awhile and presently she said, “Up to now we have not become drunken; let me pour out.”  So she took the cup and gave him to drink and plied him with liquor, till he became drunken, when she took him and carried him into a closet.  Then she came out, with his head in her hand, what while I stood silent, fixing not mine eyes on hers neither questioning her of this; and she said to me, “What is this?” “I know not,” answered I; and she said, “Take it and cast it into the river.”  I obeyed her commandment and she arose and stripping herself of her clothes, took a knife and cut the dead man’s body in pieces, which she laid in three baskets, and said to me, “Throw them into the river.”

I did as she bade me and when I returned, she said to me, “Sit, so I may relate to thee yonder fellow’s case, lest thou be affrighted at that which hath befallen him.  Thou must know that I am the Khalif’s favourite, nor is there any more in honour with him than I; and I am allowed six nights in each month, wherein I go down [into the city and take up my abode] with my [former] mistress, who reared me; and when I go down thus, I dispose of myself as I will.  Now this young man was the son of neighbours of my mistress, when I was a virgin girl.  One day, my mistress was [engaged] with the chief [officers] of the palace and I was alone in the house.  When the night came on, I went up to the roof, so I might sleep there, and before I was aware, this youth came up from the street and falling upon me, knelt on my breast.  He was armed with a poniard and I could not win free of him till he had done away my maidenhead by force; and this sufficed him not, but he must needs disgrace me with all the folk, for, as often as I came down from the palace, he would lie in wait for me by the way and swive me against my will and follow me whithersoever I went.  This, then, is my story, and as for thee, thou pleasest me and thy patience pleaseth me and thy good faith and loyal service, and there abideth with me none dearer than thou.”  Then I lay with her that night and there befell what befell between us till the morning, when she gave me wealth galore and fell to coming to the pavilion six days in every month.

On this wise we abode a whole year, at the end of which time she was absent[FN#185] from me a month’s space, wherefore fire raged in my heart on her account.  When it was the next month, behold, a little eunuch presented himself to me and said, “I am a messenger to thee from such an one,” [naming my mistress], “who giveth thee to know that the Commander of the Faithful hath sentenced her to be drowned, her and those who are with her, six-and-twenty slave-girls, on such a day at Deir et Tin,[FN#186] for that they have confessed against one another of lewdness, and she biddeth thee look how thou mayst do with her and how thou mayst contrive to deliver her, even if thou gather together all her money and spend it upon her, for that this is the time of manhood."[FN#187] Quoth I, “I know not this woman; belike it is other than I [to whom this message is addressed]; so beware, O eunuch, lest thou cast me into stress.”  Quoth he, “Behold, I have told thee [that which I had to say,”] and went away, leaving me in concern [on her account].