Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

Tales from the Arabic — Volume 02 by John Payne
page 105 of 254 (41%)


THE SECOND OFFICER'S STORY.



I was once an officer in the household of the Amir Jemaleddin El
Atwesh El Mujhidi, who was invested with the governance of the
Eastern and Western districts,[FN#107] and I was dear to his
heart and he concealed from me nought of that which he purposed
to do; and withal he was master of his reason.[FN#108] It chanced
one day that it was reported to him that the daughter of such an
one had wealth galore and raiment and jewels and she loved a Jew,
whom every day she invited to be private with her, and they
passed the day eating and drinking in company and he lay the
night with her. The prefect feigned to give no credence to this
story, but one night he summoned the watchmen of the quarter and
questioned them of this. Quoth one of them, "O my lord, I saw a
Jew enter the street in question one night; but know not for
certain to whom he went in." And the prefect said, "Keep thine
eye on him henceforth and note what place he entereth." So the
watchman went out and kept his eye on the Jew.

One day, as the prefect sat [in his house], the watchman came in
to him and said, "O my lord, the Jew goeth to the house of such
an one." Whereupon El Atwesh arose and went forth alone, taking
with him none but myself. As he went along, he said to me,
"Indeed, this [woman] is a fat piece of meat."[FN#109] And we
gave not over going till we came to the door of the house and
stood there till a slave-girl came out, as if to buy them
DigitalOcean Referral Badge