I was once an overseer in the household of the Emir Jamal al-Din
al-Atwash al-Mujhidi, who was made governor of the two provinces,
Sharkiyah and Gharbiyah,[FN#43] and I was dear to his heart and
he hid from me naught of whatso he desired to do; and he was eke
master of his reason.[FN#44] It came to pass one day of the days
that it was reported to him how the daughter of Such-an-one had a
mint of monies and raiment and ornaments and at that present she
loved a Jewish man, whom every day she invited to be private with
her, and they passed the light hours eating and drinking in
company and he lay the night with her. The Wali feigned not to
believe a word of this story, but he summoned the watchmen of the
quarter one night and questioned them of this tittle-tattle.
Quoth one of them, "As for me, O my lord, I saw none save a
Jew[FN#45] enter the street in question one night; but I have not
made certain to whom he went in;" and quoth the Chief, "Keep
thine eye on him from this time forward and note what place he
entereth." So the watchman went out and kept his eye on the
Judaean. One day as the Prefect sat in his house, the watchman
came in to him and said, "O my lord, in very sooth the Jew goeth
to the house of Such-an-one." Whereupon Al-Atwash sprang to his
feet and went forth alone, taking with him none save
myself."[FN#46] As he went along, he said to me, "Indeed, this
girl is a fat piece of meat."[FN#47] And we gave not over going
till we came to the door of the house and stood there until a
hand-maid came out, as if to buy them something wanted. We waited
till she opened the door, whereupon, without question or answer,
we forced our way into the house and rushed in upon the girl,