ere I
again fainted, as I went into my chamber. Meanwhile, the old
woman applied her remedy; I came to myself, and went to bed.

My husband came to me at night, and seeing my head bound up,
asked me the reason. I told him I had the head-ache, which I
hoped would have satisfied him, but he took a candle, and saw my
cheek was hurt: "How comes this wound?" said he. Though I did not
consider myself as guilty of any great offence, yet I could not
think of owning the truth. Besides, to make such an avowal to a
husband, I considered as somewhat indecorous; I therefore said,
"That as I was going, under his permission, to purchase some silk
stuff, a porter, carrying a load of wood, came so near to me, in
a narrow street, that one of the sticks grazed my cheek; but had
not done me much hurt." This account put my husband into a
violent passion. "This act," said he, "shall not go unpunished. I
will to-morrow order the lieutenant of the police to seize all
those brutes of porters, and cause them to be hanged." Fearful of
occasioning the death of so many innocent persons, I said, "Sir,
I should be sorry so great a piece of injustice should be
committed. Pray refrain; for I should deem myself unpardonable,
were I to be the cause of so much mischief." "Then tell me
sincerely," said he, "how came you by this wound." I answered,
"That it was occasioned by the inadvertency of a broom-seller
upon an ass, who coming behind me, while he was looking another
way, his ass came against me with so much violence, that I fell
down, and hurt my cheek upon some glass." "If that is the case,"
said my husband, "to-morrow morning, before sun-rise, the grand
vizier Jaaffier shall be informed of this insolence, and 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," he demanded, "what then am I to believe?
Speak, for I am resolved to know the truth from your own mouth."
"Sir," I replied, "I was taken with a giddiness, and fell down,
and that is the whole matter."

At these words my husband lost all patience. "I have," said he,
"too long listened to your falsehoods." As he spoke he clapped
his hands, and in came three slaves: "Pull her out of bed," said
he, "and lay her in the middle of the floor." The slaves obeyed,
one holding me by the head, another by the feet; he commanded the
third to fetch a cimeter, and when he had brought it, "Strike,"