ned in her own mind to
execute one of the boldest acts ever meditated. When Abdalla came for
the dessert of fruit, and had put it with the wine and glasses before
Ali Baba, Morgiana retired, dressed herself neatly, with a suitable
head-dress like a dancer, girded her waist with a silver-gilt girdle, to
which there hung a poniard with a hilt and guard of the same metal, and
put a handsome mask on her face. When she had thus disguised herself,
she said to Abdalla, "Take your tabour, and let us go and divert our
master and his son's friend, as we do sometimes when he is alone."

Abdalla took his tabour and played all the way into the hall before
Morgiana, who, when she came to the door, made a low obeisance by way of
asking leave to exhibit her skill, while Abdalla left off playing. "Come
in, Morgiana," said Ali Baba, "and let Cogia Houssain see what you can
do, that he may tell us what he thinks of your performance."

Cogia Houssain, who did not expect this diversion after supper, began to
fear he should not be able to take advantage of the opportunity he
thought he had found; but hoped, if he now missed his aim, to secure it
another time, by keeping up a friendly correspondence with the father
and son; therefore, though he could have wished Ali Baba would have
declined the dance, he pretended to be obliged to him for it, and had
the complaisance to express his satisfaction at what he said, which
pleased his host.

As soon as Abdalla saw that Ali Baba and Cogia Houssain had done
talking, he began to play on the tabour, and accompanied it with an air,
to which Morgiana, who was an excellent performer, danced in such a
manner as would have created admiration in any company.

After she had danced several dances with much grace, she drew the
poniard, and holding it in her hand, began a dance, in which she outdid
herself by the many different figures, light movements, and the
surprising leaps and wonderful exertions with which she accompanied it.
Sometimes she presented the poniard to one breast, sometimes to another,
and oftentimes seemed to strike her own. At last, she snatched the
tabour from Abdalla with her left hand, and holding the dagger in her
right presented the other side of the tabour, after the manner of those
who get a livelihood by dancing, and solicit the liberality of the
spectators.

Ali Baba put a piece of gold into the tabour, as did also his son; and
Cogia Houssain seeing that she was coming to him, h