ad pulled his purse
out of his bosom to make her a present; but while he was putting his
hand into it, Morgiana, with a courage and resolution worthy of herself,
plunged the poniard into his heart.

Ali Baba and his son, shocked at this action, cried out aloud. "Unhappy
woman!" exclaimed Ali Baba, "what have you done to ruin me and my
family?" "It was to preserve, not to ruin you," answered Morgiana; "for
see here," continued she, opening the pretended Cogia Houssain's
garment, and showing the dagger, "what an enemy you had entertained?
Look well at him, and you will find him to be both the fictitious oil
merchant, and the captain of the gang of forty robbers. Remember, too,
that he would eat no salt with you; and what would you have more to
persuade you of his wicked design? Before I saw him, I suspected him as
soon as you told me you had such a guest. I knew him, and you now find
that my suspicion was not groundless."

Ali Baba, who immediately felt the new obligation he had to Morgiana for
saving his life a second time, embraced her: "Morgiana," said he, "I
gave you your liberty, and then promised you that my gratitude should
not stop there, but that I would soon give you higher proofs of its
sincerity, which I now do by making you my daughter-in-law." Then
addressing himself to his son, he said, "I believe you, son, to be so
dutiful a child, that you will not refuse Morgiana for your wife. You
see that Cogia Houssain sought your friendship with a treacherous design
to take away my life; and if he had succeeded, there is no doubt but he
would have sacrificed you also to his revenge. Consider, that by
marrying Morgiana you marry the preserver of my family and your own,"

The son, far from showing any dislike, readily consented to the
marriage; not only because he would not disobey his father, but also
because it was agreeable to his inclination. After this they thought of
burying the captain of the robbers with his comrades, and did it so
privately that nobody discovered their bones till many years after, when
no one had any concern in the publication of this remarkable history. A
few days afterward, Ali Baba celebrated the nuptials of his son and
Morgiana with great solemnity, a sumptuous feast, and the usual dancing
and spectacles; and had the satisfaction to see that his friends and
neighbours, whom he invited, had no knowledge of the true motives of the
marriage; but that those who were not unacquainted with Mor