myself as I will. Now this young man was the son of neighbours of
my mistress, when I was a virgin girl. One day, my mistress was
[engaged] with the chief [officers] of the palace and I was alone
in the house. When the night came on, I went up to the roof, so I
might sleep there, and before I was aware, this youth came up
from the street and falling upon me, knelt on my breast. He was
armed with a poniard and I could not win free of him till he had
done away my maidenhead by force; and this sufficed him not, but
he must needs disgrace me with all the folk, for, as often as I
came down from the palace, he would lie in wait for me by the way
and swive me against my will and follow me whithersoever I went.
This, then, is my story, and as for thee, thou pleasest me and
thy patience pleaseth me and thy good faith and loyal service,
and there abideth with me none dearer than thou." Then I lay with
her that night and there befell what befell between us till the
morning, when she gave me wealth galore and fell to coming to the
pavilion six days in every month.

On this wise we abode a whole year, at the end of which time she
was absent[FN#185] from me a month's space, wherefore fire raged
in my heart on her account. When it was the next month, behold, a
little eunuch presented himself to me and said, "I am a messenger
to thee from such an one," [naming my mistress], "who giveth thee
to know that the Commander of the Faithful hath sentenced her to
be drowned, her and those who are with her, six-and-twenty
slave-girls, on such a day at Deir et Tin,[FN#186] for that they
have confessed against one another of lewdness, and she biddeth
thee look how thou mayst do with her and how thou mayst contrive
to deliver her, even if thou gather together all her money and
spend it upon her, for that this is the time of manhood."[FN#187]