and Fridays, she
never stirs out of her little cell; and on those days on which she comes
into the town she does an infinite deal of good; for there is not a
person who is diseased but she puts her hand on them and cures them."

Having ascertained the place where the hermitage of this holy woman was,
the magician went at night, and, plunging a poniard into her heart,
killed this good woman. In the morning he dyed his face of the same hue
as hers, and arraying himself in her garb, taking her veil, the large
necklace she wore round her waist, and her stick, went straight to the
palace of Aladdin.

As soon as the people saw the holy woman, as they imagined him to be,
they presently gathered about him in a great crowd. Some begged his
blessing, others kissed his hand, and others, more reserved, only the
hem of his garment; while others, suffering from disease, stooped for
him to lay his hands upon them; which he did, muttering some words in
form of prayer, and, in short, counterfeiting so well, that everybody
took him for the holy woman. He came at last to the square before
Aladdin's palace. The crowd and the noise were so great that the
princess, who was in the hall of four-and-twenty windows, heard it, and
asked what was the matter. One of her women told her it was a great
crowd of people collected about the holy woman to be cured of diseases
by the imposition of her hands.

The princess, who had long heard of this holy woman, but had never seen
her, was very desirous to have some conversation with her; which the
chief officer perceiving, told her it was an easy matter to bring her to
her, if she desired and commanded it; and the princess expressing her
wishes, he immediately sent four slaves for the pretended holy woman.

As soon as the crowd saw the attendants from the palace, they made way;
and the magician, perceiving also that they were coming for him,
advanced to meet them, overjoyed to find his plot succeed so well. "Holy
woman," said one of the slaves, "the princess wants to see you, and has
sent us for you." "The princess does me too great an honour," replied
the false Fatima; "I am ready to obey her command," and at the same time
followed the slaves to the palace.

When the pretended Fatima had made her obeisance, the princess said, "My
good mother, I have one thing to request, which you must not refuse me;
it is, to stay with me, that you may edify me with your way of living,
and that I may learn from your