continued I， "she bade me repeat to my mistress these two words，"Faith is fair and perfidy foul."" When she heard this， she exclaimed， "By Allah， O Aziz， it was this that saved thee from dying by her hand： and now my heart is at ease for thee from her for she will never slay thee and thy cousin preserved thee， both in her lifetime and after her death. By Allah， I have desired thee this many a day， but could not get at thee till now and except by a trick， which succeeded with thee for thou art inexperienced and knowest not the malice of women nor the wiles of old women." "No， by Allah！" rejoined I. Then said she to me，"Be of good cheer and take comfort； the dead is in the mercy of God and the living shall be fairly entreated. Thou art a handsome youth， and I do not desire thee but according to the ordinance of God and of His prophet， on whom be peace and salvation！ Whatever thou desirest of money and stuff， thou shalt have without stint，and I will not impose any toil on thee， for there is with me always bread baked and water in the pitcher. All I ask of thee is that thou do with me even as the cock does." "And what is it the cock does？" asked I. At this she laughed and clapped her hands and fell over on her back for excess of laughter： then she sat up and said， "O light of my eyes， dost thou not know what the cock"s business is？" "No， by Allah！" replied I； and she said， "The cock"s business is to eat and drink and tread." I was abashed at her words and said， "Is that the cock"s business？" "Yes，"
answered she； "and all I ask of thee now is to gird thy loins and strengthen thy resolution and swive thy best." Then she clapped her hands and cried out， saying， "O my mother， bring hither those who are with thee." Whereupon in came the old woman， carrying a veil of silk and accompanied by four lawful witnesses， who saluted me and sat down. Then she lighted four candles， whilst the young lady covered herself with the veil and deputed one of the witnesses to execute the contract on her behalf. So they drew up the marriage contract and she acknowledged to have received the whole of her dowry， both precedent and contingent， and to be indebted to me in the sum of ten thousand dirhems. Then he gave the witnesses their fee and they withdrew whence they came；
whereupon she put off her clothes and abode in a shift of fine silk， laced with gold， after which she took me by the hand and carried me up to the couch， saying， "There is no blame in what is lawful." She lay down on her back and drawing me on to her breast， heaved a sigh and followed it up with an amorous gesture.
Then she pulled up the shift above her breasts， and when I saw her thus， I could not choose but thrust into her， after I had sucked her lips， whilst she moaned and made a show of bashfulness and wept without tears. And indeed the case reminded me of the saying of the poet：
When I drew up her shift and discovered the terrace-roof of her kaze， I found it as strait as my humour or eke my worldly ways.
So I drove it incontinent in， halfway； and she heaved a sigh.
"For what dost thou sigh？" quoth I. "For the rest of it，sure，" she says.
