was sure that her honor was unspotted.

Now, the nobleman had two cooks remarkable for their cunning and
adroitness. To one of these he said, "Repair to the soldier's country,
where, through artifice and deceit, contrive to form an intimacy with
his wife, and return quickly with a particular account of her. Then
we shall see whether this nosegay continues fresh or not." The cook,
in accordance with his master's command, went to the soldier's city,
and sent a procuress to the wife with his message. The wife did not
assent directly, but told the procuress to send the man to her, so
that she might see whether he was agreeable or not. The wife made a
secret assignation with the cook, but trapped him in a dry well; and
when he found that he could not get out, he confessed the nobleman's
plot. When the cook did not return, the nobleman sent the second cook;
but he fared no better: he too was captured in the same way by the
clever wife. Now the nobleman resolved to go himself. He set out
under the pretext of hunting, accompanied by the soldier. When they
arrived at the soldier's city, the soldier went to his own home and
presented the fresh nosegay to his wife, who told him all that had
happened. So the next day the soldier conducted the nobleman to his
home, where a hospitable entertainment was given him. The two cooks,
under promise of subsequent liberty, consented to dress as women and
wait on the guests. When the nobleman saw them, he failed to recognize
them, for their long confinement and bad air had made them thin and
pale. He asked the soldier about the "girls," but the soldier told
the cooks to tell their own story. Then the nobleman recognized them;
and when they testified to the woman's chastity, he was abashed,
and asked forgiveness for his offences.

Another Oriental form of this story is given by Somadeva, chapter
XIII (Tawney, 1 : 85 f.), "The Story of Devasmita." It runs in part
as follows:--

Here, on the departure of the husband, the divinity Siva says to the
couple, "Take each of you one of these red lotuses; and, if either
of you shall be unfaithful during your separation, the lotus in the
hand of the other shall fade, but not otherwise." Then the husband
set out for another city, where he began to buy and sell jewels. Four
merchants of that country, astonished at the never-fading lotus in
his hand, wormed the secret out of the husband by making him drunk,
and then planned the seduction of the wife ou