The Alfakih, at these Words, which promis'd him all that he could defire, was not Master of himfelf: He embrac'd' the young Woman, nor cou'd fhe well refufe him; but the got out of his Arms, and feeing him in the Humour not to fail the Affignation fhe had given him, fhe went out of his Houfe, to go and do the very fame Thing at the Cady's.

As foon as she was in private with that Judge, fhe faid, O my Lord! fince I met you, I have not enjoyed a Moment's Reft; I have reflected a thousand Times on what you faid to me: I thought I was not difpleafing to you, and that it would be my Fault if I had not you for a Lover. What Satiffaction muft it be for a Citizen's Wife, to fee herfelf the Miftrefs of a young handfome Cady! My Virtue, I confefs, is not Proof against fo advantageous an Offer.

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This Difcourfe inchanted the Cady: Yes, my Queen, cried he, you fhall, if you will, be the first Lady of my Seraglio, and the Sovereign Miftrefs of me, and all my Authority: Leave the old Banou, and come live with me. No, Sir, replied Arouya, I cannot confent to do him fuch an Injury; besides, by that Means I fhould quite lofe my Reputation: I would avoid the publick Cenfure, and carry on a fecret Intrigue with you. Well, in what Place, replied the Cady, fhall I have your Converfation? In my own Apartment, fays the Merchant's fair Wife. that is the fureft Place: Banou lies in a Chamber by himself; he is old and infirm, he will give us no Disturbance Come this Night to me, if you : a Mind, added she. Be at the Door of my House about Eleven of the Clock, but bring no Servant with you; for I fhould be undone, if any of your People fhould difcover the Weaknefs that I have fhewn for you.

have

Thefe Precautions, which the young Woman took, were fo far from raifing a Sufpicion in the Cady, that they ferv'd. to increase the Price of his good Fortune.

He fail'd not to exprefs the Pleasure he had of finding her Sentiments fo favourable in his Behalf. He careffed her heartily, and promis'd to be with her at the Hour appointed. Upon this, they parted well fatisfied, tho they both had Thoughts very wide from each other.

Thus fhe got two of her Lovers in the Mind of falling into the Snare fhe had laid for them. The Governor alone remain'd to be decoy'd, which was difficult to be done. The Merchant's young

not very
Wife had the Address to
Bait as well as the others.

make him swallow the He believed all fhe faid,

and the Result of their Converfation was, that the appointed him to come to her Houfe at Midnight. He fwore to come alone, that their Amour might be carried on with all the Discretion the defired.

Great Prophet, faid Arouya, when she was got out of the Governor's Palace, O thou Protector of the faithful Muffulmen; Mahomet, thou who lookeft down from Heaven, and feeft the Steps I take, behold the Bottom of my Soul; give Succefs to my Design, and abandon me not in the Perils of the Execution of it.

After this fhort Prayer, which the believed herfelf obliged to make, in order to attain more fecurely at the End the propofed, fhe was full of Confidence, and purfued all the Motions of it, as if they. were dictated by the fecret Advice and Counsel of the Prophet, She bought all Sorts of Fruits and Sweetmeats, and fent them to her Houfe. She had an old Slave, whofe Fidelity fhe knew, and was affured of. She let her into the Project, and gave: her Orders for the carrying it on. Then they made ready an Apartment, put the Moveables in Order, and placed a Table, on which they fet China Bafins, fill'd with Fruits and dry Sweetmeats. If the Merchant's Wife had really defigned to make her Lovers happy, fhe could not have made greater Preparations for their Reception,

She

She waited their Coming with great Impatience. Sometimes fhe believed they would not come, but that Fear was ill-grounded; the Hopes they had conceived were too agreeable to be quitted. Dr. Danifchemende, among the reft, was readieft, and, as firft in Date, he failed not to be at the Door at Ten a Clock precifely. He knock'd, the old Slave open'd, let him in, and conducted him to her Miftrefs's Apartment; faying to him foftly, Take care of making a Noife, for fear of waking the old Merchant, who is afleep.

As foon as Danifchemende faw Arouya, who had fet herself off with as much Care, as if the had been to receive a Lover whom she loved, he was dazzled with the Luftre of her Charms, and faid with an Air of Paffion; O thou Phoenix of Beauty! I cannot fufficiently admire my Happiness. See, continued he, throwing a Purse upon the Table, the two thousand Sequins I promised you; 'tis not Reward enough for fuch an Enjoyment.

Arouya fmiled at this Difcourfe; fhe gave her Hand to the Alfakih, and, after having made him. fit down on a Sofa, faid to him; Mafter Doctor, take off your Turban and your Safh, put yourfelf to your Eafe, you are here, as if you were at Home. Dalla Moukhtala, continued fhe, fpeaking to her old Slave, come and help me to undrefs my Lover, for his Clothes are troublefome. Speaking thus, the Lady untied Danifchemende's Safh, and the Slave took away his Turban. They ftript him of all his upper Garments, fo that he was left in his Veft, and his Head uncover'd. Let us begin, said the Merchant's Wife then to him, with the Refreshments I have prepared for you; at the fame Time they fell to eating the Sweetmeats and drinking the Liquors.

At the End of the Entertainment, that the Lady had taken Care to render more agreeable by her Talk, which charm'd the Alfakih, they heard a Noife in the Houfe: Arouya feem'd alarm'd, as if

fhe

fhe had not known what it was. Dalla, faid' fhe to the old Slave, with a restlefs Air, go, fee what can be the Meaning of the Noise we hear. Dalla went out of the Chamber, and returned in a Moment after, faying to her Mistress, with a great deal of Concern and Alteration; Ah! Madam, we are undone! your Brother is arrived from Cairo; he is already with your Husband, who is coming hither to bring him to you this Minute. O fatal Arrival, cry'd the Wife of Banau, affecting a great deal of Chagrin! O cruel Disappointment! that he fhould come now to interrupt my Pleasure! Befides, I fhall be furpriz'd with my Lover, and ther

fhall pass for an unfaithful Wife, the firft Time I was going to act against my Duty. What fhall I do? How fhall I prevent the Difgrace I am afraid. of? You feem much perplex'd, faid the old Slave,. let Seigneur Danifchemende be lock'd in one of the: three Chefts, which your Husband caufed to be made for Goods to be fent to Bagdad in; they are in the Clofet, and we have got the Keys.

Dalla's Advice was approved; the Doctor flipt: into the Closet, and put himfelf in one of the three Chefts, which Arouya lock'd double, faying to Danifchemenda, O my dear Alfakih, be not impatient; as foon as my Brother and my Husband are retired, I'll come to you again, and we will pafs the reft of the Night together the more agreeably, in that our Pleafures have been interrupted.

The Promife which Arouya made to the Doctor,. to come and relieve him from his Prifon, and the Hope fhe gave him of making him amends for the weary Minutes he fhould, país in the Cheft, ftopt him from complaining of an Adventure that might have had yet more difagreeable Confequences. Inftead of fufpecting the Sincerity of the Lady, and of imagining that the Condition he was. in, might be a Snare that was laid for him, he rather believ❜d that the lov'd him, and chofe rather to abandon himself

to

to the flattering Illufions, that are the Food of Lòvers, who vainly promise themselves, that they shall obtain the Accomplishment of their Defires.

Arouya left him in her Closet, and return'd to her Chamber, faying with a low Voice to her Slave; There is one of them fallen into my Nets, we shall fee if the others can escape me. We shall know that prefently, anfwer'd Dalla; for it is almoft Eleven o' Clock, and. I fear not but the Cady will come to his Rendezvous. The old Slave was in the right, to think that the Judge would be as punctual as the Doctor; for, in fhort, he was, heard knocking at the Door, before the Hour appointed. Dalla ran to open it, and seeing it was. a Man, she asked his Name: I am, said he, the Cady. Speak low, anfwer'd the Slave, you may wake my Mafter Banou. My Mistress, who hath a great Love for you, or der'd me to introduce you into her Apartment; the Trouble, if you pleafe, to follow me; I'll carry you to her. The Judge, at thefe Words, found his Flame increase, and follow'd Dalla, who conducted him to her Mistress.

take

my Queen! cry'd he, coming to the fair Arouya, I at laft fee you: In what Impatience have I waited for this Moment! It is given me, added he, throwing himself at her Feet, it is then permitted me to conceive the moft charming Hopes! Oh! there is. Happiness comparable to mine! Arouya, raifing up the Cady, defired him to fit down upon the Sofa, and. faid to him; Sir, I am very glad. that you have the leaft Regard for me, fince you are the only Perfon in the World, for whom F have the most, or rather the first Person, whom I ever fell in Love with. That old Slave can tell you, that fince the laft Conversation I had with you, I have done nothing but languifh, I never gave over talking of you, and my Paffion will not: let me take a Moment's Rest..

When