saying that I was properly punished for my
folly. At last, how could I bear it? I was on fire from head to foot,
and began to roll on live coals. In my rage and wrath I recollected
the proverb, that 'It is not the bullock that leaps, but the sack;
[182] whoever has seen a sight like this?' in saying this to myself,
I came away thence.

"That drunkard in the depravity of his heart thought, if I was
offended now, what then would be his treatment the next day, and
what a commotion I should raise. So he imagined it best to finish
my existence [whilst he had me in his power.] Having formed this
resolution in his mind with the advice of the hag, he put his _patka_
[183] round his neck and fell at my feet, and taking off his turban
from his head, began to supplicate [my forgiveness] in the humblest
manner. My heart was infatuated towards him; whithersoever he turned
I turned; and like the handmill I was entirely under his control. I
implicitly complied with all he desired; some way or other he pacified
me, and persuaded me to retake my seat. He again took two or three
cupfulls of the fiery liquor, and he induced me to drink some also. I,
in the first place, was already inflamed with rage, and secondly,
after drinking such strong liquor I soon became quite senseless--no
recollection remained. Then that unfeeling, ungrateful, cruel wretch
wounded me with his sword; yea, further, he thought he had completely
killed me. At that moment, my eyes opened, and I uttered these words,
'Well, as I have acted, so I have been rewarded; but do thou screen
thyself from the consequences of shedding unjustly my blood. Let it
not so happen that some tyrant should seize thee; do thou wash off
my blood from thy garment; what has happened is past.'

"Do not divulge this secret to any one; I have not been wanting to
thee even with loss of life. Then placing him under the protection
of God's mercy, I fainted [from the loss of blood], and knew nothing
of what afterwards happened. Perhaps, that butcher, conceiving me
dead, put me into the chest, and let me down over the walls of the
fortress, the same as you yourself saw, I wished no one ill; but these
misfortunes were written in my destiny, and the lines of fate cannot
be effaced. My eyes have been the cause of all these calamities: if
I had not had a strong desire to behold beautiful persons, then that
wretch would not have been my bane. [184] God so ordained that He made
thee arrive there; and, H