I was once an overseer in the household of the Emir Jamál al-Din
al-Atwash al-Mujhidi, who was made governor of the two provinces,
Sharkíyah and Gharbíyah,[43] and I was dear to his heart and he hid from
me naught of whatso he desired to do; and he was eke master of his
reason.[44] It came to pass one day of the days that it was reported to
him how the daughter of Such-an-one had a mint of monies and raiment and
ornaments and at that present she loved a Jewish man, whom every day she
invited to be private with her, and they passed the light hours eating
and drinking in company and he lay the night with her. The Wali feigned
not to believe a word of this story, but he summoned the watchmen of the
quarter one night and questioned them of this tittle-tattle. Quoth one
of them, “As for me, O my lord, I saw none save a Jew[45] enter the
street in question one night; but I have not made certain to whom he
went in;” and quoth the Chief, “Keep thine eye on him from this time
forward and note what place he entereth.” So the watchman went out and
kept his eye on the Judæan. One day as the Prefect sat in his house, the
watchman came in to him and said, “O my lord, in very sooth the Jew
goeth to the house of Such-an-one.” Whereupon Al-Atwash sprang to his
feet and went forth alone, taking with him none save myself.[46] As he
went along, he said to me, “Indeed, this girl is a fat piece of
meat.”[47] And we gave not over going till we came to the door of the
house and stood there until a hand-maid came out, as if to buy them
something wanted. We waited till she opened the door, whereupon, without
question or answer, we forced our way into the house and rushed in upon
the girl, whom we found seated with the Jew in a saloon with four
daïses, and cooking-pots and candles therein. When her eyes fell on the
Wali, she knew him and rising to her feet, said, “Well come and welcome
and fair cheer! By Allah, great honour hath betided me by my lord’s
visit and indeed thou dignifiest my dwelling.” Hereat she carried him up
to the daïs and seating him on the couch, brought him meat and wine and
gave him to drink; after which she put off all that was upon her of
raiment and ornaments and tying them up in a kerchief, said to him, “O
my lord, this is thy portion, all of it.” Then she turned to the Jew and
said to him, “Rise, thou also, and do even as I:” so he arose in haste
and went out very hardly crediting his deliverance.[48] When the girl
was assured of his escape, she put out her hand to her clothes and
jewels and taking them, said to the Chief, “O Emir, is the requital of
kindness other than kindness? Thou hast deigned to visit me and eat of
my bread and salt; so now arise and depart from us without ill-doing; or
I will give a single outcry and all who are in the street will come
forth.” So the Emir went out from her, without having gotten a single
dirham; and on this wise she delivered the Jew by the seemliness of her
stratagem. The company admired this tale, and as for the Wali and
Al-Malik al-Zahir, they said, “Ever devised any the like of this
device?” and they marvelled with the utterest of marvel. Then arose a
third constable and said, “Hear what betided me, for it is yet stranger
and rarer.”