deposit that he had left with him. 'And what is the deposit?'
asked the merchant. Quoth the sharper, 'It is such a purse, with
the thousand dinars therein.' And the merchant said, 'When didst
thou give it me?' 'Extolled be the perfection of God!' replied
the sharper. 'Was it not on such a day, by such a token, and thus
and thus?' 'I know not of this,' rejoined the merchant, and words
were bandied about between them, whilst the folk [who were
present also] disputed together concerning their affair and their
speech, till their voices rose high and the neighbours had
knowledge of that which passed between them.

Then said the sharper, 'O folk, this is my friend and I deposited
with him a deposit, but he denieth it; so in whom shall the folk
put trust after this?' And they said, 'This [FN#49] is a man of
worth and we have found in him nought but trustiness and loyality
and good breeding, and he is endowed with understanding and
generosity. Indeed, he avoucheth no falsehood, for that we have
consorted with him and mixed with him and he with us and we know
the sincerity of his religion.' Then quoth one of them to the
merchant, 'Harkye, such an one! Bethink thee and consult thy
memory. It may not be but that thou hast forgotten.' But he said,
'O folk, I know nothing of that which he saith, for indeed he
deposited nought with me.' And the affair was prolonged between
them. Then said the sharper to the merchant, 'I am about to make
a journey and have, praised be God the Most High, wealth galore,
and this money shall not escape me; but do thou swear to me.' And
the folk said, 'Indeed, this man doth justice upon
himself.'[FN#50] Whereupon the merchant fell into that which he
misliked[FN#51] and came near upon [suffering] loss and ill
repute.