Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 5.djvu/34

ſays to her; Treacherous Wretch, don’t you know me! Alas Sir! anſwers ſhe trembling, who are you? I don’t remember that ever I ſaw you, I am, ſays he, the Perſon to whoſe Houſe you came the other Day to waſh and ſay your Prayers. Hypocritical Hagg, ſays he, don’t you remember it? Then ſhe fell on her Knees to beg his Pardon; but he cut her in four Pieces.

There remain’d only the Lady, who knew nothing of what had paſsd: He ſought her out, and found her in a Chamber, where ſhe was ready to ſink when ſhe ſaw him: She begged her Life, which he generouſly granted. Madam, ſays he, How could you live with ſuch wicked People, as I have ſo juſtly revenged my ſelf upon now? I was, ſays ſhe, Wife to an honeſt Merchant; and the curſed old Woman, whoſe Wickedneſs I did not know, uſed ſometimes to come to ſee me; Madam, ſays ſhe to me one Day, we have a very fine Wedding at our Houle, which you will be pleaſed to ſee, if you give us the Honour of your Company: I was perſuaded by her; put on my beſt Apparel, and took with me a hundred Pieces of Goid I followed her; ſhe brought me to this Houſe, where the Black has kept me ſince by Force, and I have been three Years here to my very great Sorrow. By the Trade the curſed Black follow’d, reply’d my Brother, be muſt have gathered together a vaſt deal of Riches. There’s ſo much, ſays ſhe, that you will be made for ever, if you can carry them off: Follow me, and you ſhall ſee them, ſays ſhe, Alnaſchar followed her to a Chamber, where ſhe ſhew’s him ſeveral Coffers full of Go!d, which he beheld with Admiration; Go, ſays ſhe, fetch People enough to, carry it all off. My Brother needed no: be bid twice he went out and ſtay’d only ’till he got ten Men together, he brought them with him, and was much ſurpriſed to find the Gate open, but more when he found the Lady and the Coffers all gone; for ſhe being more diligent than he, carry’d them all off: However, being reſolv’d not to return empty handed, he carry’d off all the Goods he could find in the Houſe, which was a great deal more than enough, to make up the five hundred Pieces of Gold he was robb’d of: But when he went out of the Houſe, he forgot to ſhut the Gate. The Neighbours, who ſaw my Brother, and the Porters come and go, went and acquainted the