where was the woman, and it was the middle of the night Here we
smelt rich scents and heard the clink of earrings; so I said to
my comrades, "Methinks I spy an apparition," And the captain of
the watch said, "See what it is." So I came forward and entering
the lane, came presently out again and said, "I have found a fair
woman and she tells me that she is from the Citadel and that the
night surprised her and she espied this street and seeing its
cleanness and the goodliness of its ordinance, knew that it
appertained to a man of rank and that needs must there be in it a
guardian to keep watch over it, wherefore she took shelter
therein." Quoth the captain of the watch to me, "Take her and
carry her to thy house." But I answered, "I seek refuge with
Allah![FN#93] My house is no place of deposit[FN#94] and on this
woman are trinkets and apparel [of price]. By Allah, we will not
deposit her save with Amin el Hukrn, in whose street she hath
been since the first of the darkness; wherefore do thou leave her
with him till the break of day." And he said, "As thou wilt."
Accordingly, I knocked at the Cadi's door and out came a black
slave of his slaves, to whom said I, "O my lord, take this woman
and let her be with you till break of day, for that the
lieutenant of the Amir Ilmeddin hath found her standing at the
door of your house, with trinkets and apparel [of price] on her,
and we feared lest her responsibility be upon you;[FN#95]
wherefore it is most fit that she pass the night with you." So
the slave opened and took her in with him.

When the morning morrowed, the first who presented himself before
the Amir was the Cadi Amin el Hukm, leaning on two of his black
slaves; and he was crying out and calling [on God] for aid and
saying, "O crafty and perfidious Amir, thou depositedst with me a