had a boon to crave so listened to her, but when she
told her news I took her by the throat to strangle her, but in choking
breath she vowed the great vow, therefore I listened again, and though
I were like to die of shame I took counsel with her, asking her the
price of her information, whereupon she merely muttered 'revenge,' and
showed her breast which was a festering sore caused by the boiling
water which her mistress had flung upon her when the scissors had
proved over sharp.

"Whereupon I withdrew the handmaidens from the beautiful Zuleikha with
the exception of one, cross-bred of French and Tunisian, who, though of
passing beauty, scorned all men, it seemed, and passed her days in
waiting upon the whims of her mistress, and tending to the beauties of
her body.

"I know not how far the women of the West are versed in the knowledge
of evil, therefore will I speak in words that are veiled. Be it that
I--I, Hahmed, the son of my great father, demeaned myself to spy
between the perfumed curtains of my bride's chamber, to witness the
passionate farewells of the two beautiful women. Allah! That such
things should be. Tears streamed down the cheeks of she who was to
share my couch, as the slave, the unclean half-caste, beat her breast
in her despair, and letting loose the strands of thick black hair which
covered her to the knees, knotted it around until it covered, as a
mantle, the body of she who had been anointed for my pleasure.

"And then I tore down the curtains and strode in upon them, bound one
to another in their disgrace, and clapping my hands brought eight women
as witnesses to my shame. And still bound with the thongs of hair I
threw the sinners naked across my horse, and made my way to the woman's
house, and before a great assembly, for behold, the guests had not yet
departed, I flung them at the feet of the woman's father, and calling
my witnesses spake my tale. And when I had finished, the wailing of
grief was heard in the land. And then they were unbound and brought
before me, and the half-caste mocked me. Me! Until I took her hair
within my hands and twisting it about her neck, stopped her speech for
ever, and when she fell dead, Zuleika my wife, Allah! hear me, my wife!
screamed in terror, for I ordered my slaves to seize her. And then the
Sheik el Banjad, her father, pronounced judgment, quoting from the
Koran as is written in the second verse of the 24th Sura.

"'Shall you scourge with a