dwelling that was known as House of the Prince. I answered that his name
was Ana.

"Once I knew an Ana very well," she said, "but I left him."

"Why?" I asked, turning cold in my limbs, for although I could not see
her face because of a hood she wore, now I began to be afraid.

"Because he was a poor fool," she answered, "no man at all, but one who
was always thinking about writings and making them, and another came my
way whom I liked better until he deserted me."

"And what happened to this Ana?" I asked.

"I do not know. I suppose he went on dreaming, or perhaps he took
another wife; if so, I am sorry for her. Only, if by chance it is the
same that has come to Thebes, he must be wealthy now, and I shall go and
claim him and make him keep me well."

"Had you any children?" I asked.

"Only one, thank the gods, and that died--thank the gods again, for
otherwise it might have lived to be such as I am," and she sobbed once
in a hard fashion and then fell to her vile endearments.

As she did so, the hood slipped from her head and I saw that the face
was that of my wife, still beauteous in a bold fashion, but grown
dreadful with drink and sin. I trembled from head to foot, then said in
the disguised voice that I had used to her.

"Woman, I know this Ana. He is dead and you were his ruin. Still,
because I was his friend, take this and go reform your ways," and I drew
from my robe and gave to her a bag containing no mean weight of gold.

She snatched it as a hawk snatches, and seeing its contents by the
starlight, thanked me, saying:

"Surely Ana dead is worth more than Ana alive. Also it is well that he
is dead, for he is gone where the child went, which he loved more than
life, neglecting me for its sake and thereby making me what I am. Had he
lived, too, being as I have said a fool, he would have had more ill-luck
with women, whom he never understood. Farewell, friend of Ana, who
have given me that which will enable me to find another husband," and
laughing wildly she reeled off behind a sphinx and vanished into the
darkness.

For this reason, then, I was glad to escape from Thebes. Moreover, that
miserable one had hurt me sorely, making me sure of what I had only
guessed, namely, that with women I was but a fool, so great a fool that
then and there I swore by my guardian god that never would I look with
love on one of them again, an oath which I have kept well whatever
others I may have broken. Again she sta