So I ate with them and he said to me, 'O my lord and my brother,
now have bread and salt passed between us and thou hast
discovered our secret and [become acquainted with] our case; but
secrets [are safe] with the noble.' Quoth I, 'As I am a
lawfully-begotten child, I will not name aught [of this] neither
denounce [you!*]' And they assured themselves of me by an oath.
Then they brought me out and I went my way, scarce crediting but
that I was of the dead.

I abode in my house, ill, a whole month; after which I went to
the bath and coming out, opened my shop [and sat selling and
buying as usual], but saw no more of the man or the woman, till,
one day, there stopped before my shop a young man, [a Turcoman],
as he were the full moon; and he was a sheep-merchant and had
with him a bag, wherein was money, the price of sheep that he had
sold. He was followed by the woman, and when he stopped at my
shop, she stood by his side and cajoled him, and indeed he
inclined to her with a great inclination. As for me, I was
consumed with solicitude for him and fell to casting furtive
glances at him and winked at him, till he chanced to look round
and saw me winking at him; whereupon the woman looked at me and
made a sign with her hand and went away. The Turcoman followed
her and I counted him dead, without recourse; wherefore I feared
with an exceeding fear and shut my shop. Then I journeyed for a
year's space and returning, opened my shop; whereupon, behold,
the woman came up to me and said, 'This is none other than a
great absence.' Quoth I, 'I have been on a journey;' and she
said, 'Why didst thou wink at the Turcoman?' 'God forbid!'
answered I. 'I did not wink at him.' Quoth she, 'Beware lest thou
cross me;' and went away.