have you done to ruin me and my family?" "It was to
preserve, not to ruin you," answered Morgiana; "for see here," continued
she (opening the pretended Khaujeh Houssain's garment, and showing the
dagger), "what an enemy you had entertained! Look well at him, and you
will find him to be both the fictitious oil-merchant, and the captain of
the gang of forty robbers. Remember, too, that he would eat no salt with
you; and what would you have more to persuade you of his wicked design?
Before I saw him, I suspected him as soon as you told me you had such a
guest. I knew him, and you now find that my suspicion was not
groundless."

Ali Baba, who immediately felt the new obligation he had to Morgiana for
saving his life a second time, embraced her: "Morgiana," said he, "I
gave you your liberty, and then promised you that my gratitude should
not stop there, but that I would soon give you higher proofs of its
sincerity, which I now do by making you my daughter-in-law." Then
addressing himself to his son, he said: "I believe you, son, to be so
dutiful a child, that you will not refuse Morgiana for your wife. You
see that Khaujeh Houssain sought your friendship with a treacherous
design to take away my life; and, if he had succeeded, there is no doubt
but he would have sacrificed you also to his revenge. Consider, that by
marrying Morgiana you marry the preserver of my family and your own."

The son, far from showing any dislike, readily consented to the
marriage; not only because he would not disobey his father, but also
because it was agreeable to his inclination.

After this, they thought of burying the captain of the robbers with his
comrades, and did it so privately that nobody discovered their bones
till many years after, when no one had any concern in the publication of
this remarkable history.

A few days afterward, Ali Baba celebrated the nuptials of his son and
Morgiana with great solemnity, a sumptuous feast, and the usual dancing
and spectacles; and had the satisfaction to see that his friends and
neighbours, whom he invited, had no knowledge of the true motives of the
marriage; but that those who were not unacquainted with Morgiana's good
qualities commended his generosity and goodness of heart.

Ali Baba forbore, after this marriage, from going again to the robbers'
cave, as he had done, for fear of being surprised, from the time he had
brought away his brother Cassim's mangled remains. He had kept away
after the