as men.

Now it chanced that one day the lady Halima saw her slave Mario, and
gazed so much upon him that his image regained printed on her heart. Not
very well satisfied with the languid embraces of her old husband, she
readily gave admission to a reprehensible desire, and as readily
communicated it to Leonisa, whom she liked much for her agreeable
temper, and treated with great respect as a slave of the Grand Signor.
She told her how the cadi had brought home a Christian captive of such
graceful manners and appearance, that she had never set eyes on a more
engaging man in all her life; she understood that he was a chilidi (that
is, a gentleman) of the same country as her renegade Mahmoud, and she
knew not how to make known to him her inclination, so that the Christian
might not despise her for her voluntary declaration. Leonisa asked what
was the captive's name, and being told that it was Mario, she replied,
"If he was a gentleman, and of the place they say, I should know him;
but there is no one of that name in Trapani. But let me see him, and
speak with him, lady, and I will tell you who he is, and what may be
expected of him."

"It shall be so," said Halima. "On Friday, when the cadi is at prayers
in the mosque, I will make Mario come in here where you may speak to him
alone, and if you can give him a hint of my desires you will do so in
the best way you can."

Not two hours after this conversation the cadi sent for Mahmoud and
Mario, and with no less earnestness than Halima had unbosomed herself to
Leonisa, the amorous graybeard opened his own to his two slaves, asking
their advice as to what he should do to enjoy the Christian and cheat
the Grand Signor, to whom she belonged, for he would sooner die a
thousand deaths, than give her up to him. So earnestly did the reverend
Turk declare his passion that he inspired his two slaves with no less
earnestness, though their purposes were quite the reverse of his. It was
settled between them that Mario, as a countryman of the fair
Christian's, should take it in hand to solicit her on the cadi's part;
and that if that failed, the latter should use force, since she was in
his power, and afterwards account for not sending her to Constantinople
by pretending that she was dead. The cadi was highly delighted with the
advice of his two slaves, and with all imaginable alacrity he gave
Mahmoud his freedom on the spot, and promised to bequeath him half his
property when he died