Know you that when I entered the service of this Emir, I had a great repute and every low fellow and lewd feared me most of all mankind, and when I rode through the city, each and every of the folk would point at me with their fingers and sign at me with their eyes. It happened one day, as I sat in the palace of the Prefecture, back propped against a wall, considering in myself, suddenly there fell somewhat in my lap, and behold, it was a purse sealed and tied. So I seized it in hand and lo! it had in it an hundred dirhams, but I found not who threw it and I said, "Lauded be the Lord, the King of the Kingdoms!" Another day, as I sat in the same way, somewhat fell on me and startled me, and lookye, 'twas a purse like the first: I took it and hiding the matter, made as though I slept, albeit sleep was not with me. One day as I thus shammed sleep, I suddenly sensed in my lap a hand, and in it a purse of the finest; so I seized the hand and behold, 'twas that of a fair woman. I said to her, "O my lady, who are you?" and she said, "Rise and come away from here, that I may make myself known to you."

Presently, I rose up and following her, walked on, without tarrying, till we stopped at the door of a high builded house, whereupon I he asked, "O my lady, who are you? Indeed, you have done me kindness, and what is the reason of this?" She answered, "By God, O Captain Mu'in, I am a woman on whom love and longing are sore for desire of the daughter of the Kazi Amin al-Hukm. Now there was between me and her what was and fondness for her fell upon my heart and I agreed upon an assignation with her, according to possibility and convenience; but her father Amin al-Hukm took her and went away, and my heart cleavs to her and yearning and distraction grew sore upon me for her sake." I said to her, marvelling the while at her words, "What would you have me do?" and she said, "O Captain Mu'in, I would have you lend me a helping hand." I said, "Where am I and where is the daughter of the Kazi Amin al-Hukm?" and she said,"Be assured that I would not have you intrude upon the Kazi's daughter, but I would glad work for the winning of my wishes. This is my will and my want which may not be wroughten save by yours aid."

Then she added, "I mean this night to go with heart enheartened and hire me bracelets and armlets and anklets of price; then will I hie me and sit in the street in which is the house of Amin al-Hukm; and when 'tis the season of the round and folk are asleep, do you pass, you and those who are with you of the men, and you will see me sitting and on me fine raiment and ornaments and will smell on me the odour of Ottars; whereupon do you question me of my case and I will say, 'I hail from the Citadel and am of the daughters of the deputies and I came down into the town for a purpose; but night overtook me all unawares and the Zuwaylah Gate was shut against me and all the other portals and I knew not where I should go this night. Presently, I saw this street and noting

The First Constable's History. 5 the goodly fashion of its ordinance and its cleanliness, I sheltered me within it against break of day.' When I speak these words to you with complete self possession, the Chief of the watch will have no ill suspicion of me, but will say, 'There's no help but that we leave her with one who will take care of her till morning.' Thereto do you rejoin,' 'Twere best that she night with Amin al-Hukm and lie with his wives and children until dawn of day.' Then At once knock at the Kazi's door, and thus shall I have secured admission into his house, without inconvenience, and won my wish; and—the Peace!" I said to her, "By God, this is an easy matter." So, when the night was blackest, we rose to make our round, followed by men with girded swords, and went about the ways and compassed the city, till we came to the street where was the woman, and it was the middle of the night. Here we smelt mighty rich scents and heard the clink of rings: so I said to my comrades, "I think I espy a spectre;" and the Captain of the watch cried, "See what it is."

Accordingly, I undertook the work and entering the thoroughfare presently came out again and said, "I have found a fair woman and she tells me that she is from the Citadel and that dark night surprised her and she saw this street and noting its cleanness and goodly fashion of ordinance, knew that it belonged to a great man and that needs must there be in it a guardian to keep watch over it, so she sheltered her within it." the Captain of the watch to me said, "Take her and carry her to your house;" but I said, "I seek refuge with Allah! My house is no strong box and on this woman are trinkets and fine clothing. By God, we will not deposit the lady save with Amin al-Hukm, in whose street she has been since the first starkening of the darkness; therefore do you leave her with him till the break of day." He rejoined, "Do whatever you willest." So I rapped at the

Kazi's gate and out came a black slave of his slaves, to whom i said, "O my lord, take this woman and let her be with you till day shall dawn, for that the lieutenant of the Emir Alam al-Din has found her with trinkets and fine apparel on her, sitting at the door of your house, and we feared lest her responsibility be upon you; Why I suggested 'twere meetest she night with you." So the chattel opened and took her in with him. Now when the morning morrowed, the first who presented himself before the Emir was the Kazi Amin al-Hukm, leaning on two of his negro slaves; and he was crying out and calling for aid and saying, "O Emir, crafty and perfidious, yesternight you depositedst with me a woman and brought her into my house and home, and she arose in the dark and took from me the monies of the little orphans my wards, six great bags, each containing a thousand dinars, and made off; but as for me, I will say no syllable to you except in the Soldan's presence." When the Wali heard these words, he was troubled and rose and sat down in his agitation; then he took the Judge and placing him by his side, soothed him and exhorted him to patience, till he had made an end of talk, when he turned to the officers and questioned them of that. They fixed the affair on me and said, "We know nothing of this matter but from Captain Mu'in al-Din." So the Kazi turned to me and said, "You were of accord to practice upon me with this woman, for she said she came from the Citadel." As for me, I stood, with my head bowed groundwards, forgetting both Sunnah and Farz, and remained sunk in thought, saying, "How came I to be the dupe of that randy wench?" Then cried the Emir to me, "What ails you that you answerest not?" Thereupon I replied,

The First Constable's History. 7

"O my lord, 'tis a custom among the folk that he who has a payment to make at a certain date is allowed three days' grace: do you have patience with me so long, and if, at the end of that time, the culprit be not found, I will be responsible for that which is lost." When the folk heard my speech they all approved it as reasonable and the Wali turned to the Kazi and sware to him that he would do his utmost to recover the stolen monies adding, "And they shall be restored to you." Then he went away, whilst I mounted without delay and began toing and froing about the world without purpose, and indeed I was become the underling of a woman without honesty or honour; and I went my rounds in this way all that my day and that my night, but happened not upon tidings of her; and thus I did on the morrow. On the third day I said to myself, "You are mad or silly;" for I was wandering in quest of a woman who knew me and I knew her not, she being veiled when I met her. Then I went round about the third day till the hour of mid afternoon prayer, and sore grew my cark and my care for I kenned that there remained to me of my life but the morrow, when the Chief of Police would send for me. However, as sundown time came, I passed through one of the main streets, and saw a woman at a window; her door was ajar and she was clapping her hands and casting sidelong glances at me, as who should say, "Come up by the door."

So I went up, without fear or suspicion, and when I entered, she rose and clasped me to her breast. I marvelled at the matter and she said to me, "I am she whom you depositedst with Amin al-Hukm." I said to her, "O my sister, I have been going round and round in request of you, for indeed you have done a deed which will be chronicled and have cast me into red death on yours account." She asked me, "Do you speak thus to me and you a captain of men?" and I answered, "How should I not be troubled, seeing that I be in concern for an affair I turn over and over in mind, more by token that I continue my day long going about searching for you and in the night I watch its stars and planets?" she cried,

"nothing shall happen save weal, and you will get the better of him." So saying, she rose and going to a chest, drew out from it six bags full of gold and said to me, "This is what I took from Amin al-Hukm's house. So If you will, restore it; else the whole is lawfully yours; and if you desire other than this, you will obtain it; for I have monies in plenty and I had no design in this save to marry you." Then she arose and opening other chests, brought out from it wealth galore and I said to her, "O my sister, I have no wish for all this, nor do I want anything except to be quit of that in which I am." she said, "I came not forth of the Kazi's house without preparing for yours acquittance." Then she said to me, "When the morrow shall morn and Amin al-Hukm shall come to you bear with him till he have made an end of his speech, and when he is silent, return him no reply; and if the Wali ask, 'What ails you that you answerest me not?' do you rejoin, 'O lord and master know that the two words are not alike, but there is no helper for the conquered one save Allah Almighty.'

The Kazi will cry, 'What is the meaning of your saying, The two words are not alike?' And do you retort, 'I deposited with you a damsel from the palace of the Sultan, and most likely some enemy of hers in your household has transgressed against her or she has been secretly murdered. truly, there were on her raiment and ornaments worth a thousand ducats, and had you put to the question those who are with you of slaves and slave girls, needs must you have litten on some traces of the crime.' When he hears this from you, his trouble will redouble and he will be amated and will make oath that you have no help for it but to go with him to his house: however, do you say, 'That will I not do, for I am the party aggrieved, more especially because I am under suspicion with you.' If he redouble in calling on Allah's aid and conjure you by the oath of divorce saying, 'You must assuredly come,' do you reply, 'By God, I will not go, unless the Chief also go with me.' Then, as soon as you come to the house, begin by searching the terrace roofs; then rummage the First Constable's History. 9 closets and cabinets; and if you find nothing, humble yourself before the Kazi and be abject and feign yourself subjected, and after stand at the door and look as if you sought a place in which to make water, because there is a dark corner there.

Then come forward, with heart harder than syenite stone, and lay hold upon a jar of the jars and raise it from its place. You will find there under it a mantilla skirt; bring it out publicly and call the Wali in a loud voice, before those who are present. Then open it and you will find it full of blood, exceeding for freshness, and within it a woman's walking boots and a pair of petticoat trousers and something of linen." When I heard from her these words, I rose to go out and she said to me, "Take these hundred sequins, so they may succour you; and such is my guest gift to you." Accordingly I took them and leaving her door ajar returned to my lodging. Next morning, up came the Judge, with his face like the ox eye, and asked, "In the name of Allah, where is my debtor and where is my property?" Then he wept and cried out and said to the Wali, "Where is that ill omened fellow, who abounds in robbery and villainy?" Thereupon the Chief turned to me and said, "Why do you not answer the Kazi?" and I replied, "O Emir, the two heads are not equal, and I, I have no helper; but, an the right be on my side 'twill appear."

At this the Judge grew hotter of temper and cried out, "Woe to you, O ill omened people! How will you make manifest that the right is on your side?" I replied, "O our lord the Kazi, I deposited with you and in your charge a woman whom we found at your door, and on her raiment and ornaments of price. Now she is gone, even as yesterday is gone; and after this you turnest upon us and suest me for six thousand gold pieces. By God, this is none other than a mighty great wrong, and assuredly some foe of hers in your household has transgressed against her!" With this the Judge's wrath redoubled and he swore by the most solemn of oaths that I should go with him and search his house. I replied, "By God I will not go, unless the Wali go with us; for, If he be present, he and the officers, you will not dare to work your wicked will upon me." So the Kazi rose and swore an oath, saying, "By the truth of Him who created mankind, we will not go but with the Emir!" Accordingly we repaired to the Judge's house, accompanied by the Chief, and going up, searched it through, but found nothing; at which fear fell upon me and the Wali turned to me and said, "Fie upon you, O ill omened fellow! You have put us to shame before the men."

All this, and I wept and went round about right and left, with the tears running down my face, till we were about to go forth and drew near the door of the house. I looked at the place which the woman had mentioned and asked, "What is that dark place I see?" Then I said to the men, "Pull up this jar with me." They did my bidding and I saw somewhat appearing under the jar and said, "Rummage and look at what is under it." So they searched, and behold, they came upon a woman's mantilla and petticoat trousers full of blood, which when I espied, I fell down in a fainting fit. Now when the Wali saw this, he said, "By God, the Captain is excused!" Then my comrades came round about me and sprinkled water on my face till I recovered, when I arose and accosting the Kazi (who was covered with confusion), said to him, "You see that suspicion is fallen on you, and indeed this affair is no light matter, because this woman's family will assuredly not sit down quietly under her loss." Therewith the Kazi's heart quaked and fluttered for that he knew the suspicion had reverted upon him, Why his colour yellowed and his limbs smote together; and he paid of his own money, after the measure of that he had lost, so we would quench that fire for him.

Then we departed from him in peace, whilst I said within myself, "Indeed, the woman falsed me not." After that I tarried till three days had passed, when I went to the Hammam and changing my clothes, betook myself to her home, but found the door shut and covered with dust. So I asked the neighbours of her and they answered, "This house has been empty of habitants these many days; but three days agone there came a woman with an ass, and at supper time last night she took her gear and went away." at this I turned back,

The Second Constable's History. 11 bewildered in my wit, and for many a day after I inquired of the dwellers in that street concerning her, but could happen on no tidings of her. And indeed I wondered at the eloquence of her tongue and the readiness of her talk; and this is the most admirable of all I have seen and of whatever has happened me. When Al-Malik al-Zahir heard the tale of Mu'in al-Din, he marvelled at that. Then rose another constable and said, "O lord, hear what befell me in bygone days."