Then said she， "O my beloved， to it and do thy best， for I am thine handmaid. My life on thee， give it me， all of it， that I may take it in my hand and thrust it into my entrails！" And she ceased not to excite me with sobs and sighs and amorous gestures，in the intervals of kissing and clipping， till we attained the supreme felicity and the term of our desires. We lay together till the morning， when I would have gone out； but she came up to me， laughing， and said， "Thinkest thou that going out of the bath is the same as going in？[FN#138] Verily， I believe thou deemest me to be the like of the daughter of Delileh. Beware of such a thought， for thou art my husband by contract and according to law. If thou be drunken， return to thy right mind and know that this house is opened but one day in every year. Go down and look at the great door." So I went down and found the door locked and nailed up and returned and told her so. "Know， O Aziz，" said she，"that we have in this house flour and grain and fruits and pomegranates and sugar and meat and sheep and fowls and so forth，enough to serve us for many years； and henceforth， the door will not be opened till after the lapse of a whole year， nor shalt thou find thyself without till then." Quoth I， "There is no power and no virtue but in God！" "And what can this irk thee，" rejoined she， "seeing thou knowest the cock"s craft， of which I told thee？" Then she laughed and I laughed too， and I conformed to what she said and abode with her， plying the cock"s craft， eating and drinking and cricketing， twelve whole months， during which time she conceived by me and brought me a son. At the end of the year， I heard the door opened and men came in with manchets and flour and sugar. Thereupon， I would have gone out， but my wife said， "Wait till nightfall and go out as thou camest in." So I waited till the hour of evening-prayer， and was about to go forth in fear and trembling， when she stopped me， saying， "By Allah， I will not let thee go， except thou swear to return this night before the closing of the door." I agreed to this， and she made me take a solemn oath by sword and Koran and the oath of divorce to boot that I would return to her. Then I left her and going straight to the garden， found the door open as usual； whereat I was angry and said to myself， "I have been absent a whole year and come here at unawares and find the place open as of wont！ I wonder， is the damsel still in her old case？ Algates I must enter and see， before I go to my mother， more by token that it is now nightfall." So I entered and making for the pavilion， found the daughter of Delileh sitting there with her head on her knee and her hand to her cheek. Her colour was changed and her eyes sunken； but when she saw me， she exclaimed， "Praised be God for thy safety！" and would have risen， but fell down for joy. I was abashed before her and hung my head； but presently went up to her， and kissing her， said， "How knewest thou that I should come to thee to-night？" "I knew it not，" replied she. "By Allah， this whole year past I have not tasted sleep， but have watched every night， expecting thee， from the day thou wentest out from me and I gave thee the new suit of clothes， and thou didst promise me to go to the bath and come back！ So I abode awaiting thee that night and a second and a third； but thou camest not till now， and I ever expecting thy coming， for this is the way of lovers. And now I would have thee tell me what has been the cause of thine absence this year long." So I told her all that had happened： and when she knew that I was married， her colour paled. "I have come to thee to-night，" added I； "but I must leave thee before day."
Quoth she， "Doth it not suffice her to have tricked thee into marrying her and kept thee prisoner with her a whole year， but she must make thee take the oath of divorce to return to her before morning and not allow thee to divert thyself with thy mother or me nor suffer thee to pass one night with either of us，away from her？ How， then， must it be with one from whom thou hast been absent a whole year， and I knew thee before she did？ But may God have compassion on thy cousin Azizeh， for there befell her what never befell any and she endured what never any endured else and died， oppressed and rejected of thee； yet was it she protected thee against me. Indeed， I thought thou didst love me，so let thee take thine own way； else had I not let thee go safe and sound， when I had it in my power to hold thee in duresse and destroy thee." Then she wept and waxed wroth and shuddered in my face and looked at me with angry eyes. When I saw this， I was terrified at her and trembled in every nerve， for she was like a dreadful ghoul and I like a bean over the fire. Then said she，"Thou art of no use to me， now thou art married and hast a child，nor art thou any longer fit for my company. I care only for bachelors and not for married men； for they profit us nothing.
Thou hast sold me for yonder stinking nosegay； but by Allah， I will make the baggage"s heart ache for thee， for thou shalt not live either for me or for her！" Then she gave a loud cry， and ere I could think， up came ten damsels and threw me on the ground；
