Part 33

Transported with such good luck, I ordered the servants to bring us several sorts of fruits, and some bottles of wine. They served us with despatch, and we ate, drank and made merry till midnight. In short, I had not before passed a night so agreeably as this. Next morning, I would have put ten sherifs in the lady’s hands, but she drew back instantly. I am not come to see you, said she, with an interested design; you affront me; far from receiving money of you, I desire you to take money of me, or else I will see you no more. In speaking this, she put her hand into her purse, took out ten sherifs, and forced me to take them, saying, You may expect me three days hence after sunset. Then she took leave of me, and I felt that when she went she carried my heart along with her.

She did not fail to return at the appointed hour three days after, and I did not fail to receive her with all the joy of a person who waited impatiently for her arrival. The evening and the night we spent as before; and next day, at parting, she promised to return the third day after. However, she did not go without forcing me to take ten sherifs more.

She returned a third time; and at that interview, when we were both warm with wine, she spoke thus: My dear heart, what do you think of me? Am I not handsome and agreeable? Madam, said I, I think this an unnecessary question; all the expressions of love which I show you, ought to persuade you that I love you; I am charmed to see you and possess you. You are my queen, my sultaness; in you lies all the felicity of my life. Ah! replied she, I am sure you would speak otherwise if you saw a certain lady of my acquaintance, that is younger and handsomer than I. She is of such a pleasant, lively temper, that she would make the most melancholy people merry: I must bring her hither; I spoke of you to her, and from the account which I have given of you, she is dying with desire to see you. She entreated me to procure her that pleasure, but I did not dare to humour her without speaking to you beforehand. Madam, said I, do what you please; but whatever you may say of your friend, I defy all her charms to tear my heart from you, to whom it is so inviolably attached that nothing can disengage it. Be not too positive, said she, I now tell you I am about to put your heart to a strange trial.

We staid together all night, and next morning, at parting, instead of ten sherifs, she gave me fifteen, which I was forced to accept. Remember, said she, that in two days’ time, you are to have a new guest; pray take care to give her a good reception; we will come at the usual hour, after sunset. I took care to have my hall in great order, and a handsome collation prepared against they came.

I waited for the two ladies with impatience, and at last they arrived at the beginning of the night. They both unveiled themselves, and as I had been surprised with the beauty of the first, I had reason to be much more so when I saw her friend. She had regular features, a complete person, and such sparkling eyes, that I could hardly bear their splendour. I thanked her for the honour she did me, and entreated her to excuse me if I did not give her the reception she deserved. No compliments, said she; it should be my part to make them to you, for allowing my friend to bring me hither. But since you are pleased to suffer it, let us lay aside all ceremony, and think only of amusing ourselves.

I had given orders, as soon as the ladies arrived, to have the collation served up, and we soon sat down to supper. I sat opposite to the strange lady, and she never ceased looking upon me with a smile. I could not resist her conquering eyes, and she possessed herself so powerfully of my heart, that I could offer no opposition. But while she inspired me with a flame, she caught the flame herself, and so far from showing any constraint in her carriage, she held to me very lively language.

The other lady, who observed us, did nothing at first but laugh at us. I told you, said she, addressing herself to me, you would find my friend full of charms; and I perceive you have already violated the oath you made me of being faithful to me. Madam, said I, laughing as well as she, you would have reason to complain of me if I were wanting in civility to a lady whom you brought hither, and who is a favourite with you; both of you might then upbraid me, for not knowing how to do the honours of my house.

We continued to drink; but as the wine warmed us, the strange lady and I ogled one another with so little reserve, that her friend grew jealous, and quickly gave us a dismal proof of her jealousy. She rose from the table and went out, saying she would be with us presently again; but a few moments after, the lady that staid with me changed countenance, fell into violent convulsions, and, in short, expired in my arms, while I was calling for assistance to relieve her. I went out immediately, and asked for the other lady, and my people told me, she had opened the street door, and was gone. Then I suspected what was but too true, that she had been the cause of her friend’s death. She had the dexterity and the malice to put some very strong poison into the last glass, which she gave her with her own hand.

I was afflicted to the last degree with the accident. What shall I do? thought I, what will become of me? I considered there was no time to lose, and it being then moonlight, I made my servants quietly take up one of the great pieces of marble with which the court of my house was paved; under that I made them presently dig a hole, and there inter the corpse of the young lady. After replacing the stone, I put on a travelling suit, and took what money I had, and having locked up every thing, affixed my own seal on the door of my house. This done, I went to see for the jewel merchant my landlord; paid him what rent I owed, with a year’s rent in advance; and giving him the key, prayed him to keep it for me. A very urgent affair, said I, obliges me to be absent for some time; I am under the necessity of going to find out my uncles at Cairo. I took my leave of him, immediately mounted my horse, and set off with my attendants.

I had a good journey, and arrived at Cairo without any accident. There I met with my uncles, who were very much surprised to see me. To excuse myself, I pretended I was tired of staying for them; and hearing nothing of them, was so uneasy, that I could not be satisfied without coming to Cairo. They received me very kindly, and promised my father should not be angry with me for leaving Damascus without his permission. I lodged in the same khan with them, and saw all the curiosities of Cairo.

Having finished their traffic, they began to talk of returning to Moussoul, and to make preparations for their departure; but I having a mind to see something in Egypt that I had not yet seen, left my uncles, and went to lodge in another quarter, at a distance from the khan, and did not appear any more till they were gone. They sought for me all over the city; but not finding me, they supposed remorse for having come to Egypt, without my father’s consent, had put me on returning to Damascus, without saying any thing to them. So they began their journey, expecting to find me at Damascus, and there to take me up.

I continued at Cairo after their departure three years, more completely to indulge my curiosity after all the wonders of Egypt. During that time, I took care to send money to the jewel merchant, ordering him to keep my house for me; for I designed to return to Damascus, and stay there some years more. I had no adventure at Cairo worth relating; but, doubtless, you will be very much surprised at that I met with after my return to Damascus.

Arriving at this city, I went to the jewel-merchant’s house, who received me joyfully, and would needs go along with me to my house, to show me that nobody had entered it while I was absent. The seal was still entire upon the lock; and when I went in, I found every thing in the same order in which I had left it.

In sweeping and cleaning out my hall where I had used to eat with the ladies, one of my servants found a gold chain necklace, with ten very large and very perfect pearls placed upon it at certain distances. He brought it to me, and I knew it to be the same I had seen upon the lady’s neck that was poisoned, and concluded it had broken off and fallen, when I did not perceive it. I could not look upon it without shedding tears, when I called to mind the lovely creature I had seen die in such a shocking manner. I wrapt it up and put it in my bosom.

I passed some days to recover from the fatigues of my voyage; after which, I began to visit my former acquaintance. I abandoned myself to all manner of pleasure, and insensibly squandered away all my money. Being thus reduced, instead of selling my furniture, I resolved to part with my necklace; but I had so little skill in pearls, that I took my measures very ill, as you shall hear.

I went to the bezestein, where I called a crier aside, and showing him the necklace, told him I had a mind to sell it, and desired him to show it to the principal jewellers. The crier was surprised to see such a trinket. What a pretty thing it is! cried he, staring upon it a long while with admiration; never did our merchants see any thing so rich. I am sure I shall oblige them highly in showing it to them; and you need not doubt they will set a high price upon it, in emulation of each other. He carried me to a shop, which proved to be my landlord’s. Stay here, said the crier, I will return presently, and bring you an answer.

While he was running about to show the necklace with much caution, I sat with the jeweller, who was glad to see me, and we conversed on different subjects. The crier returned, and calling me aside, instead of telling me the necklace was valued at two thousand sherifs, he assured me nobody would give me more than fifty. The reason is, added he, the pearls are false: consider, see if you will part with it at that price. I took him at his word, and wanting money, Go, said I, I take your word, and that of those who know better than myself; deliver it to them, and bring me the money immediately.

The crier had been ordered to offer me fifty sherifs by one of the richest jewellers in town, who had only made that offer to sound me, and try if I was well acquainted with the value of the goods I exposed to sale. He had no sooner received my answer than he carried the crier to the judge, and showing him the necklace, Sir, said he, here is a necklace that was stolen from me, and the thief, under the character of a merchant, has had the impudence to offer it for sale; and is at this minute in the bezestein. He is willing to take fifty sherifs for a necklace that is worth two thousand, which is a plain argument that it is stolen.

The judge sent immediately to seize me; and when I came before him, he asked me, if the necklace he had in his hand was not the same that I had exposed to sale in the bezestein. I told him it was. Is it true, said he, that you are willing to deliver it for fifty sherifs? I answered I was. Well, said he, in a scoffing way to me, give him the bastinado; he will quickly tell us, with all his fine merchant’s clothes, that he is only a downright thief; let him be beat till he confesses. The violence of the blows made me tell a lie: I confessed, though it was not true, that I had stolen the necklace: and presently the judge ordered my hand to be cut off.

This made a great noise in the bezestein; and I was scarce returned to my house when my landlord came. My son, said he, you seem to be a young man well educated, and of good sense; how is it possible you could be guilty of such an unworthy action as that I hear talk of? You gave me an account of your property yourself, and I do not doubt but the account is just. Why did not you ask money of me, and I would have lent it you? However, after what has happened, I cannot allow you to lodge longer in my house; you must go and seek for other lodgings. I was extremely troubled at this; and entreated the jeweller, with tears in my eyes, to let me stay three days longer in his house, which he granted.

Alas! said I to myself, this misfortune and affront is unsufferable: how shall I dare to return to Moussoul? Nothing I can say to my father will persuade him that I am innocent.

Three hours after this fatal accident my house was assaulted by the judge’s officers, accompanied with my landlord, and the merchant that had falsely accused me of having stolen the necklace. I asked them what brought them there. But instead of giving me any answer, they bound and gagged me, calling me a thousand rogues, and telling me, the necklace belonged to the governor of Damascus, who had lost it above three years ago, and that one of his daughters had not been heard of since that time. Judge my sensations when I heard this news. However, I summoned all my resolution: I will tell, thought I, I will tell the governor the truth; and so it will rest with him either to put me to death, or to pardon me.

When I was brought before him, I observed he looked upon me with an eye of compassion, from whence I augured well. He ordered me to be untied; and addressing himself to the jeweller who accused me, and to my landlord, Is this the man, said he, that sold the pearl necklace? They had no sooner answered yes, than he said, I am sure he did not steal the necklace, and I am much astonished at the injustice that has been done him. These words giving me courage, Sir, said I, I do assure you I am perfectly innocent. I am likewise fully persuaded the necklace did never belong to my accuser, whom I never saw, and whose horrible perfidy is the cause of my unjust treatment. It is true, I made a confession as if I had stolen it; but this I did contrary to my conscience through the force of torture, and for another reason that I am ready to tell you, if you will be so good as to hear me. I know enough of it already, replied the governor, to do you one part of the justice that is due to you. Take from hence continued he, take the false accuser; let him undergo the same punishment he caused to be inflicted on this young man whose innocence is known to me.

The governor’s orders were immediately put in execution: the jeweller was punished as he deserved. Then the governor, having ordered all the company to withdraw, said to me, My son, tell me without fear how this necklace fell into your hands --conceal nothing from me. Then I told him plainly all that had passed, and declared I had chosen rather to pass for a thief than to reveal that tragical adventure. Good God! said the governor, thy judgments are incomprehensible, and we ought to submit to them without murmuring. I receive, with an entire submission, the stroke thou hast been pleased to inflict upon me. Then, directing his discourse to me, My son, said he, having now heard the cause of your disgrace, for which I am very much concerned, I will give you an account of the disgrace that befell me. Know, then, that I am the father of those two young ladies you were speaking of but now. The first lady, who had the impudence to come to your house, was my eldest daughter. I had given her in marriage, at Cairo, to one of her cousins, my brother’s son. Her husband died, and she returned home, corrupted with all manner of wickedness which she had learned in Egypt. Before I took her home, her youngest sister, who died in that deplorable manner in your arms, was a very prudent young woman, and had never given me any occasion to complain of her conduct. But after that, the eldest sister grew very intimate with her, and insensibly made her as wicked as herself.

The day after the death of the youngest, not finding her at table, I asked her eldest sister what was become of her; but she, instead of answering, fell to crying bitterly, from whence I formed a fatal presage. I pressed her to inform me of what I asked her. Father, said she, sobbing, I can tell you no more than that my sister put on her best clothes yesterday, and her fine pearl necklace, and went out, and has not been heard of since. I made search for my daughter all over the town, but could learn nothing of her unhappy fate. In the mean time the eldest, who doubtless repented of her jealous fury, took on very much, and incessantly bewailed the death of her sister; she denied herself all manner of food, and so put an end to her deplorable days.

Such, continued the governor, such is the condition of mankind! --such are the unlucky accidents to which they are exposed! However, my son, added he, since we are both of us equally unfortunate, let us unite our sorrow, and not abandon one another. I give you in marriage a third daughter I have still left; she is younger than her sisters, and in no respect imitates their conduct; besides, she is handsomer than they were, and I assure you is of a disposition calculated to make you happy. You shall have no other house but mine; and after my death, you and she shall be heirs to all my property.

Sir, said I, I am ashamed of all your favours, and shall never be able to make a sufficient acknowledgment. Enough, said he, interrupting me; let us not waste time in idle words. This said, he called for witnesses, ordered the contract of marriage to be drawn, and I married his daughter without farther ceremony.

He was not satisfied with punishing the jeweller who had falsely accused me, but confiscated for my use all his property, which was very considerable. As for the rest, since you have been called to the governor’s house, you may have seen what respect they pay me there. I must tell you further, that a man who has been sent by my uncles to Egypt, on purpose to inquire for me there, passing through this city, found me out, and came last night and delivered me a letter from them. They inform me of my father’s death, and invite me to come and take possession of his estate at Moussoul; but as the alliance and friendship of the governor have fixed me with him, and will not suffer me to leave him, I have sent back the express with a power, which will secure to me my property. After what you have heard, I hope you will pardon my incivility during the course of my illness, in giving you my left instead of my right hand.

This, said the Jewish physician, this is the story I heard from the young man of Moussoul. I continued at Damascus as long as the governor lived: after his death, being in the flower of my age, I had the curiosity to travel. Accordingly, I went through Persia to the Indies, and came at last to settle in this your capital, where I practise physic with reputation.

The sultan of Casgar was well pleased with this last story. I must say, said he to the Jew, the story you have told me is very singular; but I declare freely, that of the little hump-back is yet more extraordinary, and much more comical, so you are not to expect that I will give you your life, any more than the rest. I will hang you all four. Pray, sir, stay a minute, said the tailor, advancing forwards, and prostrating himself at the sultan’s feet; since your majesty loves pleasant stories, I have one to tell you that will not displease you. Well, I will hear thee too, said the sultan; but do not flatter thyself that I will suffer thee to live, unless thou tellest me some adventure that is yet more diverting than that of the hump-backed man. Upon this the tailor, as if he had been sure of his scheme, spoke boldly to the following purpose:--

The Story told by the Tailor.

A citizen of this city did me the honour, two days ago, to invite me to a treat which he was to give to his friends yesterday morning. Accordingly I went early, and found there about twenty persons.

The master of the house was gone out upon some business, but in a very little time he came home, and brought with him a young man, a stranger, very well dressed, and very handsome, but lame. When he came in, we all rose up, and, out of respect to the master of the house, invited the young man to sit down with us upon the sofa. He was going to do so, but, all on a sudden, spying a barber in our company, he flew backwards, and made towards the door. The master of the house, surprised at his behaviour, stopped him. Where are you going? said he. I brought you along with me to do me the honour of being my guest among the rest of my friends, and you are no sooner got into my house, but you are for running away again. Sir, said the young man, for God’s sake do not stop me --let me go: I cannot without horror look upon that abominable barber, who, though he was born in a country where all the natives are white, resembles an Ethiopian, and his soul is yet blacker and more horrible than his face.

We were all surprised to hear the young man speak so, and we began to have a very bad opinion of the barber, without knowing what ground the young man had for what he said. Nay, we protested we would not suffer any one to remain in our company who bore so horrid a character. The master of the house entreated the stranger to tell us what reason he had for hating the barber. Gentlemen, said the young man, you must know this cursed barber is the cause of my being lame, and falling under the cruellest accident that any one can imagine. For this reason I have sworn to avoid all the places where he is, and even not to stay in the cities where he dwells. It was for this reason that I left Bagdad, where he then was, and travelled so far to settle in this city, in the heart of Great Tartary, a place where I flattered myself I should never see him; and now, after all, contrary to my expectation, I find him here. This obliges me, gentlemen, against my will, to deprive myself of the honour of being merry with you. This very day I take leave of your town, and will go, if I can, to hide my head where he shall not come. This said, he would have left us, but the master of the house kept him, and entreated him to stay, and tell us the cause of his aversion for the barber, who all this while looked down, and said not a word. --We joined with the master of the house in requesting him to stay; and, at last, the young man, yielding to our importunities, sat down upon the sofa; and, after turning his back to the barber, that he might not see him, gave us the following account:--

My father’s quality might have entitled him to the highest posts in the city of Bagdad; but he always preferred a quiet life to all the honours he might deserve. I was his only child, and when he died I was already educated, and of age to dispose of the plentiful fortune he had left me; which I did not squander away foolishly, but applied it to such uses that every body respected me.