Pagina 732 de 1116

I and only I have brought this calamity upon myself." Presently I

heard the Caliph say to my mistress, "A plague on thee, what is

in those boxes?"; and she answered, "Dresses for the Lady

Zubaydah";[FN#565] whereupon he, "Open them before me!" When I

heard this I died my death outright and said to myself, "By

Allah, today is the very last of my days in this world: if I come

safe out of this I am to marry her and no more words, but

detection stares me in the face and my head is as good as

stricken off." Then I repeated the profession of Faith, saying,

"There is no god but the God, and Mohammed is the Apostle of

God!"-And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say

her permitted say.

When it was the Twenty-eighth Night,