HKB
are also my sisters by the father's side, but by another mother; she that has the scars on her breast is Amine, the other is Safie, and mine is Zobeide.
After our father's death, the estate that he left us was equally divided among us; and so soon as those two sisters received their portions, they went from me to live with their mother. My other two sisters and myself staid with our mother, who was then alive, and, when she died, left each of us a thousand sequins. As soon as we received our portions, the two elder (for I am the youngest) being married, followed their husbands, and left me alone. Some time after, my eldest sister's husband sold all that he had; and with that money, and my sister's portion, they both went into Africa, where her husband, by riotous living and debauchery, spent all; when, finding himself reduced to poverty, he found a pretext for divorcing my sister, and put her away. She returned to this city, and having suffered incredible hardships by the way, came to me in so lamentable a condition, as would have moved the hardest heart to compassion. I received her with all the tenderness she could expect; and inquiring into the cause of her sad condition, she told me, with tears, how inhumanly her husband had dealt by her. I was so much concerned at her misfortune, that tears flowed from my eyes: I put her into a bagnio, and clothed her with my own apparel, and spoke to her thus: Sister, you are the elder, and I esteem you as my mother: During your absence, God has blessed the portion that fell to my share, and the employment I follow to feed and bring up silk-worms. Assure yourself that there is nothing I have but what is at your service and as much at your disposal as my own.
We lived very comfortably together for some months; and as we were often discoursing together about our third sister, and wondering we heard no news of her, she came in as bad a condition as the elder; her husband had treated her after the same manner, and I received her with the same affection as I had done the former. Some time after, my two sisters, on pretence that they would not be chargeable to me, told me they had thoughts to marry again. I answered them, that if their putting me to charge was the only reason, they might lay those thoughts aside, and be very welcome to stay with me; for what I had would be sufficient to maintain us all three, answerably to our condition: But, said I, I rather believe you have a mind to marry again; which if you have, I am sure it will very much surprise me: After the experience you have had of the small satisfaction there is in wedlock, is it possible you dare venture a second time? You know how rare it is to meet with a husband that is a real honest man. Believe what I say, and let us stay together, and live as comfortably as we can. All my persuasion was in vain; they were resolved to marry, and so they did; but, after some months were past, they came back again, and begged my pardon a thousand times for not following my advice. You are our youngest sister, said they, and abundantly more wise than we; but if you will vouchsafe to receive us once more into your house, and account us your slaves, we shall never commit such a fault again. My answer was, Dear sisters, I have not altered my mind with respect to you since we last parted from one another; come again, and take part of what I have. Upon this, I embraced them cordially, and we lived together as formerly.