HKB
home, where I had a second fit as I went into my chamber. Meanwhile the old woman applied her remedy, so that I came to myself, and went to bed.
My husband came to me at night, and seeing my head bound up, asked the reason. I told him I had the headache, and hoped he would inquire no further; but he took a candle, and saw that my cheek was hurt: How comes this wound? said he. Though I was not very guilty, yet I could not think of owning the thing: besides, to make such confession to a husband, was somewhat indecent; 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 vowed it should not go unpunished; for he should to-morrow give orders to the lieutenant of the police to seize upon all those brutes of porters, and cause them to be hanged. Being afraid to occasion the death of so many innocent persons, I told him, Sir, I should be sorry that so great a piece of injustice should be committed. Pray, do not do it; for I should judge myself unpardonable, if I were the cause of so much mischief. Then tell me sincerely, said he, how you came by this wound? I answered, that it came through the inadvertency of a broom-seller upon an ass, who coming behind me, and looking another way, his ass gave me such a push, that I fell down, and hurt my cheek upon some glass. Is it so? said my husband, then to-morrow morning, before sun-rise, the grand vizier Giafar shall have an account of this insolence, and he shall cause all the broom-sellers to be put to death. For the love of God, sir, said I, let me beg of you to pardon them, for they are not guilty. How, madam, said he, what is it I must believe? Speak, for I am absolutely resolved to know the truth from your own mouth. Sir, said I, I was taken with a giddiness, and fell down; and that is the whole matter. At these last words, my husband lost all patience. Oh! cried he, I have given ear to your lies too long. With that, clapping his hands, in came three slaves: Pull her out of bed, said he, and lay her in the middle of the floor. The slaves obeyed his orders, one holding me by the head, and another by the feet: he commanded the third to fetch him a scimitar, and when he had brought it, Strike, said he, cut her in two in the middle, and then throw her into the Tigris to feed the fishes. This is the punishment I give to those to whom I have given my heart, if they falsify their promise. When he saw that the slave made no haste to obey his orders, Why do not you strike? said he; who is it that holds you? what art thou waiting for?