As the beautiful Arouya did not wish to return the love of the governor any more than that of the others, she retired in despair.

‘O Banou!’ she said to her husband, ‘we must give up hope. No one sympathises with us in our troubles, nor wishes to help us in any way.’

These words drove the old merchant to despair. He cursed men a thousand times, till his wife said:

‘Cease to curse the authors of our misfortunes. What relief can your vain laments give you? It were better to think of other means of getting your money, and Mahomet himself inspires me with one. Do not ask me,’ she added, ‘what it is. I do not find it desirable to tell you. Be content with the assurance that it will make a great deal of noise, and that we shall be fully revenged upon the doctor, the cadi, and the governor.’

‘Do all you wish,’ said Banou. ‘I trust to you.’

The merchant’s wife immediately left the house, and having passed through two or three streets, she entered a carpenter’s shop. The owner saluted her, and said:

‘Beautiful lady, what do you wish?’

‘I want three coffers,’ she said. ‘I beg you to give them me in a good condition.’

The carpenter showed her several of different sizes. She chose three, which would each, without difficulty, contain a man. She paid for them, and had them sent home immediately. Then she dressed herself in her richest clothes, and adorned herself with all the jewels which her misfortunes had not yet reduced her to sell, not forgetting per­fumes.

In such a fitting condition to charm, she went to find the doctor, and employing all the airs and graces of a sham effrontery, she took off her veil without waiting for the doctor to ask her to uncover; then, looking at him with eyes capable of inspiring love in the most insensible of men, ‘Lord doctor,’ she said, ‘I come to beg you again to give back the thousand sequins you owe my husband. If you give them back for love of me, you can count on my gratitude.’

‘Beautiful lady,’ replied the doctor, ‘my feelings are still the same. I have two thousand sequins to give you on the conditions I proposed.’

‘I see,’ replied Arouya, ‘that you will not yield. I must resign myself with a good grace to pleasing you. I expect you to-night,’ she added, putting out one of her beautiful hands, which he kissed with effusion; ‘bring the money you have promised me, and come at ten o’clock precisely, and knock at the door of my house. A faithful slave will open to you and will introduce you into my presence.’

The doctor, at these words, which seemed to promise him all he desired, lost control over himself. He kissed the young woman without her being able to defend herself. But she escaped from his hands promptly, and seeing he was certain to keep the appointment, she left his house to go and play the same part with the cadi.

As soon as she was alone with this judge she said: ‘O my lord, since I left you I have not had a moment’s rest. I have remembered again and again everything you have told me. It seemed to me that I was not displeasing to you, and that it only depended on me to gain your affection. What a satisfaction for a woman of my class to see herself admired by a young and well-made cadi! My heart, I confess, is not proof against such an agreeable prospect.’

The cadi was delighted. ‘Yes, my queen,’ he cried, ‘you shall, if you wish, be the first lady of my seraglio and the sovereign mistress of my wishes. Leave old Banou and come and live with me.’

‘No, my lord,’ replied Arouya, ‘I cannot make up my mind to make him so unhappy. Besides, by so doing I should lose my reputation. I wish to avoid scandal and have secret interviews only with you.’

‘Where,’ replied the cadi, ‘can I meet you?’

‘In my house,’ replied the merchant’s wife; ‘it is the safest spot. Banou can be easily deceived. He is overwhelmed with old age and infirmities. He need cause you no uneasiness. Come to me this very night if you wish,’ she added; ‘be at the door of our house at eleven o’clock, but come alone, for I should be in despair if any of your people knew the weakness I have for you.’

The precautions taken by the young woman, far from making the cadi suspicious, seemed to increase the value of his good fortune. He did not fail to testify to the lady the pleasure it gave him to see her so favourably inclined towards him. He paid her a thousand compliments, and he promised to go to her at the hour indicated. Thereupon they separated very well pleased, although they had each very different thoughts.

Thus were two lovers ready to fall into the trap set for them. There was only the governor left to deceive, which was not very difficult. The young woman was skilful enough to entrap him with the others. He readily believed all she said to him, and the result of their conversation was that she gave him a tryst at her house at midnight, and he swore to come alone, with all the discretion she desired.

‘Great Prophet,’ said Arouya, when she was outside the governor’s palace, ‘protector of faithful Mussulmans! Mahomet, you who from heaven above look down upon my actions, you see the bottom of my soul: let my plan succeed, and do not forsake me in the danger of carrying it out!’

After this apostrophe, which she thought it wiser to make in order to more surely succeed in the object she had in view, she felt full of confi­dence; and obeying every impulse as so many secret counsels of the Prophet, she went to buy all sorts of fruit and preserves, which she had sent to her house. She had an old slave whose fidelity was known to her: she informed her of her plan, and gave her her orders. They then began to prepare an apartment: they arranged the furniture, and set up a table on which were placed several porcelain dishes filled with fruits and dried sweet­meats. Had the young woman truly wished to make her guests welcome, she could not have made greater preparations to receive them.

She awaited their arrival with extreme impatience; she even feared sometimes they would not come; but her fear was very ill-founded. They had conceived hopes too agreeable to be abandoned. The doctor Danischmend did not fail to be at the door at ten o’clock precisely. He knocked, the old slave opened the door, let him in, and conducted him to her mistress’s apartment, saying quite low: ‘Take care not to make a noise for fear of waking the old merchant, who is sleep­ing.’

As soon as Danischmend saw Arouya, who had adorned herself with as much care as if it had been a question of receiving a cherished lover, he was dazzled with the brilliancy of her charms, and said to her in an impassioned manner: ‘O, phoenix of the field of beauty! I cannot sufficiently congratu­late myself upon my good fortune. There,’ he continued, throwing a purse upon the table, ‘are the two thousand sequins I have promised; it is not too much to pay for such happiness.’

Arouya smiled at this speech; she put out her hand to the doctor, and after having made him seat himself on a sofa, she said to him: ‘My lord doctor, remove your turban and your belt, make yourself at ease. You are here as at home. Dalla Monkhtala,’ she continued, addressing the old slave, ‘come and help me to wait upon my lord, for his turban inconveniences him.’

Thus saying, the lady herself undid Danisch­mend’s waist-belt. They then both removed his outer robe, and the slave removed his turban, so that he remained with his head bare.

‘Let us begin,’ the young woman said, ‘with the refreshments which I have prepared for you.’ At the same time they set themselves to eat preserves and drink wine.

At the end of the repast, which the lady enlivened with conversation that charmed the doctor, a noise was heard in the house. Arouya appeared alarmed, as though she were unable to account for it. ‘Dalla,’ she said to the old slave with an uneasy air, ‘go and see what can be the cause of the noise which we hear.’

Dalla left the room, and returned a moment afterwards, saying to her mistress with much agitation: ‘Ah, mistress, we are lost! Your brother has just arrived from Cairo. He is at this moment with your husband, who is going to bring him to you here.’

‘O, unfortunate arrival!’ cried the wife of Banou, affecting to be greatly grieved. ‘What an annoying coincidence! It is not enough that they come to interrupt my feast, they must even surprise me with my lord, and I must pass for a false woman in the minds of my neighbours! What is going to become of me? How can I prevent this shame from overtaking me?’

‘You are soon perplexed,’ said the old slave. ‘Let the Lord Danischmend shut himself up in one of the three coffers which your husband has had made to put the merchandise in which he wishes to send to Bagdad. They are in your cabinet and we have the keys of them.’