The Seven Hundred and Seventy-fourth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that as soon as the Shalabi's wife was informed touching her husband how the Wali had seized him in company with the Kazi's daughter, she arose forthright and doffing whatso of woman's dress was upon her and donning man's disguise provided herself with somewhat of provaunt[461] and went forth intending for the gaol in the Wali's house. She asked for the road as she went and a man of the people directed her to the office until she reached the place carrying her victuals; then she enquired for the gaoler. So they made him meet her and quoth she, "Open to me the prison wherein they have gaoled the Shalabi and the maiden," and she promised him by signs a gold piece; hereupon he admitted her and she passed into the room where lay her spouse and the girl and set meat before him. But he knew her not and cried, "Indeed I will nor eat nor drink, and do thou fare from me and leave me in this my plight." Quoth she, "Nay, thou must eat and gladness shall befal thee." Accordingly he came forward and ate a small matter and she after sitting with him for an hour or so, arose and doffed her man's dress. Then she stripped the Kazi's daughter of all the clothes she was wearing and garbed her in the masculine garb wherewith she had entered to the twain. The young lady did as she was bidden and showed likest to the Shalabi's wife who lastly served her with what remained of the meat and said to her, "Up with thee and hie thee home." So the Kazi's daughter fared forth under the disguise of a dainty youth such an one as he who anon had entered the gaol; and as soon as she had wended her way the wife took seat beside her husband. When he saw her habited in the habit of the Kazi's daughter he recognised her and knew her for his spouse; so he asked of her, "What hath brought thee hither?" and she answered, "I have come with this contrivance for the purpose of saving thee and of saving the honour of the girl thou lovest." But as soon as the Kazi's daughter had departed in her disguise the gaoler was deaf to entreaty and closed the prison doors upon the pair and the Shalabi and his spouse sat down together and his heart was satisfied and his secret was safe-directed,[462] and fell from him all the sorrow which had settled upon his heart. Such was the case with these two; but as regards the Chief of Police, when he went up to the Sultan and saw that he was busied he took patience until the work was ended, after which he came forward and kissed ground before him and salam'd to him and blessed him. The King returned his salute and then said, "What is to do?" and said he, "O King of the Age, I found during the past night the Lady Sitt al-Husn, daughter to the Kazi al-'Askar, companying with her lover a certain Mohammed Shalabi son of the Emir Such-and-such; so I seized the couple and confined them by me and now I myself come to report the case in thy presence." When the Sultan heard these words, he was wroth with exceeding wrath and his eyes flashed red and his outer jugulars[463] swelled and he foamed at the mouth and roaring cried, "How can it be that the daughter of the Kazi al-Islam companieth with a lover and alloweth herself to be debauched? By Allah, needs must I slay her and slay her father and slay the youth her lover." Thus befel it with the Sultan and the Wali; but as regards the matter of the girl Sitt al-Husn, when she went forth the prison in the dress of a Shalabi, a dainty youth, she ceased not wending till she reached her paternal home. Here she repaired to a place which was private and having doffed her man's dress garbed her in maidenly garments, then retiring secretly to her own room lay her down and her heart was heartened and trouble and turmoil and travail of mind fell from her. Now at that time her mother was lamenting like a funeral mourner and buffeting her face and her breast and kept crying out, "Oh the shame of us! Oh the dishonour of us! When they shall have informed the Sultan of this, he shall surely slay her sire." And the Kazi waxed distraught and full of thought and he also said in his mind, "How shall I remain Kazi al-Islam when the folk of Cairo say, 'Verily the daughter of our Lord High Chancellor hath been debauched?'" With these words he kept visiting his wife's apartment and sitting with her for awhile, then faring forth and coming in from place to place[464] and he wandered about like one bewildered of wits. When behold, a handmaid of the handmaidens entered the room wherein lay the Kazi's daughter and finding her strown upon her bed looked upon her and recognised her. So she left her and running in her haste hied her to the mistress and cried, "O my lady, indeed Sitt al-Husn of whom you are talking is lying down in such a room of the Harem." Thereupon the mother arose and went and came upon her daughter, so she rejoiced in her and returning to the Kazi in his apartment acquainted him therewith. He also repaired to his daughter's bower and finding her therein quoth he, "Where hast thou been?" Quoth she, "O my father, my head began to ache after sunset-time, so I lay me down in this place." Hereupon without stay or delay the Kazi took horse, he and his Officials, and repaired to the Sultan—And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was