When I was brought before him, I observed he looked upon me with an eye of compassion, from whence I prophesied good things. He ordered me to be untied, and addressing himself to the jeweller who accused me, and to my landlord, Is this the man, said he, who sold the pearl necklace? They had no sooner answered yes, than he said, I am sure he did not steal the necklace, and I am much astonished at the injustice that has been done him. These words giving me courage, Sir, said I, I do assure you that I am really innocent, and am likewise persuaded that the necklace never did belong to my accuser, whose horrible perfidiousness is the cause of my unjust treatment. It is true, I made a confession as if I had stolen it; but this was contrary to my conscience, through the force of torture, and for another reason that I am ready to tell you, if you will be so good as hear me. I know enough of it already, replied the governor, to do you one part of the justice that is due to you: take from hence, continued he, the false accuser, and let him undergo the same punishment which he caused to be inflicted on this young man, whose innocence is known to me.
The governor's orders were immediately put in execution, and the jeweller was punished according to his demerit. Then the governor, having ordered all the company to withdraw, said to me, My child, tell me without fear how this necklace fell into your hands; conceal nothing of the matter from me. Then I told him plainly all that had passed, and declared I had chosen rather to pass for a thief, than to reveal that tragical adventure. Good God! said the governor, thy judgments are incomprehensible, and we ought to submit to them without murmuring. I receive, with an entire submission, the stroke thou hast been pleased to inflict upon me. Then directing his discourse to me, My child, said he, having now heard the cause of your disgrace, for which I am much concerned, I will give you an account of the disgrace that befel me. Know, then, that I am the father of those two young ladies of whom you were just speaking. I know that the first lady, who had the impudence to come to your house, was my eldest daughter. I had given her in marriage to one of her cousins, my own brother's son, at Cairo. Her husband died, and she returned home corrupted with all manner of wickedness, which she had learned in Egypt. Before I took her home, her younger sister, who died in that deplorable manner in your arms, was a very prudent young woman, and had never given me any occasion to complain of her conduct; but, after that, the eldest sister grew very intimate with her, and insensibly made her as wicked as herself.
The day after the death of the youngest, not finding her at table, I asked her eldest sister what was become of her? But she, instead of answering, fell a-crying bitterly, from which I formed a fatal presage. I pressed her to inform me of what I asked her. My father, said she, with sobs, I can tell you no more than that my sister put on her best clothes yesterday, and her fine necklace, and went abroad, and has not been heard of since. I made search of my daughter all over the town, but could learn nothing of her unhappy fate. In the mean time, the eldest, who doubtless repented of her jealous fury, very much bewailed the death of her sister, and denied herself all manner of food, and so put an end to her deplorable days.
Such, continued the governor, is the state of mankind; such are the unlucky accidents to which they are exposed; however, my child, added he, since we are both of us equally unfortunate, let us unite our sorrow, and not abandon one another. I give you in marriage a third daughter I have still left; she is younger than her sisters, and imitates their conduct in no manner of way; besides, she is handsomer than they were, and I assure you is of a humour fitted to make you happy: you shall have no other house but mine; and, after my death, you and she shall be my heirs. Sir, said I, I am ashamed of all your favours, and shall never be able to make a sufficient acknowledgment. That is enough, said he, interrupting me; let us not waste time in idle words. He then called for witnesses, ordered the contract of marriage to be drawn, and I married his daughter without further ceremony.
He was not satisfied with punishing the jeweller who had falsely accused me, but confiscated for my use all his goods, which were very considerable. As for the rest, since you have been called to the governor's house, you have seen what respect they pay me there. I must tell you further, that a man, who was sent by my uncles to Egypt on purpose to inquire for me there, passing through this city, found me out, and came last night, and delivered me a letter from them. They gave me notice of my father's death, and invited me to come and take possession of his estate at Moussol; but as the alliance and friendship of the governor has fixed me with him, and will not suffer me to remove from him, I have sent back the express, with an order which will secure to me what is my due. Now, after what you have heard, I hope you will pardon my incivility, during the course of my illness, in giving you my left hand.
This, said the Jewish physician, is the story I heard from the young man of Moussol. I continued at Damascus as long as the governor lived; after his death, being in the flower of my age, I had the curiosity to travel. Accordingly, I went over Persia to the Indies, and came at last to settle in your capital, where I practise physic with reputation and honour.
The sultan of Casgar was pretty well pleased with this last story. I must say, said he to the Jew, your story is very odd; but I declare freely, that little Humph's is yet more extraordinary, and much more comical; therefore yon are not to expect that I will give you your life any more than the rest; I will hang you all four. Pray, sir, stay a minute, said the tailor; and then prostrating himself at the sultan's feet. Since your majesty loves pleasant stories, I have one to tell you that is very comical. Well, I will hear thee too, said the sultan: but do not flatter thyself that I will suffer thee to live, unless thou tellest me some adventure that is yet more diverting than that of the hump-bucked man. Upon this the tailor, as if he had been sure of his project, spoke very briskly to the following purpose:
THE STORY TOLD BY THE TAILOR.
A citizen of this city did me the honour, two days ago, to invite me to a treat, which he was to give to his friends yesterday morning. Accordingly, I went pretty early, and found twenty persons waiting.
The master of the house was gone out upon some business, but in a very little time came home, and brought with him a young man, a stranger, well dressed, and very handsome, but lame. When he came in, we all rose, and, out of respect to the master of the house, invited the young gentleman to sit down with us upon the sofa. He was going to sit down; but all on a sudden, spying a barber in our company, he flew backwards, and made towards the door. The master of the house being surprised, stopped him: Where are you going? said he; I brought you along with me to do me the honour of being my guest, and you are no sooner got into my house than you run away again. Sir, said the young man, for God's sake do not stop me, let me go; I cannot, without horror, look upon that abominable barber; though he was born in a country where all the natives are whites, he resembles an Ethiopian; and when all is come to all, his soul is yet blacker, and yet more horrible than his face.