Page:Arabian Nights Entertainments (1728)-Vol. 2.djvu/104

ſelf found my Cheek all Bloody: The old Woman and my Slaves took care to cover it with my Veil, that the People that came about us could not perceive it, but ſuppoſed it to be only a fainting Fit.

Scheherazade, as ſhe ſpoke theſe Words, perceiv’d Day, and held her Peace. The Sultan finding the Relation very extraordinary and pleaſant, roſe up with a Deſign to hear the reſt of it.

WHEN next Night was near an end, Dizarzade awak’d, and called the Sultaneſs, if you pleaſe, Siſter, pray continue the Story of Amine. Scheherazade anſwered, the Lady reſum’d it thus.

The old Woman that was with me being extreamly troubled at the Accident, endeavour’d to comfort me; My dear Miſtreſs, ſaid ſhe, I beg your Pardon, for I am the Cauſe of this Misfortune, having brought you to this Merchant, becauſe he is my Countryman but I never thought he could be capable of ſuch a villanous Action. But do not grieve, let us make haſte to go home, I will give you a Medicine that ſtall perfectly cure you in three Days time, ſo that the leaſt Mark ſhall not be ſeen. The Fit had made me ſo weak that I was ſcarce able to walk: But at laſt I got home, where I had a ſecond Fit, as I went into my Chamber. Mean while the old Woman applied her Remedy, ſo that I came to my ſelf, and went to bed.

My Husband came to me at Night, and ſeeing my Head bound up, ask’d me the Reaſon? I told him, I had the Head-ach, and hop’d he would enquire no farther; but he took a Candle and ſaw my Cheek was hurt: How comes this Wound, ſaid he? And tho’ I was not very guilty, yet I could not think of owning, the thing: Beſides, to make ſuch a Confeſſion to a Husband, I thought was ſomewhat undecent; therefore I told him, That as I was going to ſeek for that Stuff you gave me leave to buy, a Porter, carrying a Load of Wood, came ſo cloſe by me, as I went through a narrow Street that one of the Sticks gave me a Rub on my Cheek, but it is not much hurt. This put my Husband into ſuch a Paſſion, that he vow’d it ſhould not go unpuniſh’d; for I will to morrow give Order to the Lieutenant of the Police to ſeize