第107章 STORY OF THE HUNCHBACK(29)

Presently there came up a beautiful ladyon her way to the Friday prayersriding on a mule with a saddle of gold and attended by a number of servants and filling the air with the scent of muskas she passed along. When she saw the broken glass and my brother weepingshe was moved to pity for him；so she asked what ailed him and was told that he had a basket full of glassby the sale of which he thought to make his livingbut it was brokenand this was the cause of his distress. So she called one of her attendants and said to him'Give this poor man what is with thee.'And he gave my brother a purse in which he found five hundred dinarswhereupon he was like to die for excess of joy and called down blessings on her. Then he returned to his housea rich man；and as he sat consideringsome one knocked at the door. So he rose and opened and saw an old woman whom he knew not. 'O my son，'said she'the time of prayer is at handand I have not yet made the ablution；so I beg thee to let me do so in thy house.'I hear and obey，'replied heand bade her come in.

So she entered and he brought her an ewerwherewith to washand sat downbeside himself for joy in the dinars When she had made an end of her ablutionsshe came up to where he sat and prayed a two-bow prayerafter which she offered up a goodly prayer my brotherwho thanked her and putting his hand to the bag of moneygave her two dinarssaying in himself'This is an alms from me.'Glory to God！'exclaimed she. 'Why dost thou look on onewho loves theeas if she were a beggar？ Put up thy money！I have no need of it；or if thou want it notreturn it to her who gave it theewhen thy glass was broken.'O my mother，'asked he'how shall I do to come at her？'O my son，'replied she，'she hath an inclination for theebut she is the wife of a wealthy man of the city；so take all thy money with thee and follow methat I may guide thee to thy desire： and when thou art in company with herspare neither fair words nor persuasionand thou shalt enjoy her beauty and her wealth to thy heart's content.'So my brother took all his money and rose and followed the old womanhardly believing in his good fortune. She led him on till they came to the door of a great houseat which she knockedand a Greek slave-girl came out and opened to them. Then the old woman took my brother and brought him into a great saloonspread with magnificent carpets and hung with curtains，where he sat downwith his money before him and his turban on his knee. Presently in came a young lady richly dressednever saw eyes handsomer than she；whereupon my brother rose to his feetbut she smiled upon him and welcoming himsigned to him to be seated. Then she bade shut the door and taking my brother by the handled him to a private chamberfurnished with various kinds of brocaded silk. Here he sat down and she seated herself by his side and toyed with him awhile；after which she rose and saying'Do not stir till I come back，'went away. After awhile，in came a great black slavewith a drawn sword in his handwho said to him'Woe to thee！who brought thee hither and what dost thou want？'My brother could make no answerbeing tongue-tied for fear；so the black seized him and stripping him of his clothesbeat him with the flat of his sword till he swooned away. Then the pestilent black concluded that he was deadand my brother heard him say'Where is the salt-wench？'Whereupon in came a slave-girlwith a great dish of saltand the black strewed salt upon my brother's wounds；but he did not stirlest he should know that he was alive and finish him. Then the salt-girl went away and the black cried out'Where is the cellaress？'With this in came the old womanand taking my brother by the feetdragged him to an underground vaultwhere she threw him down upon a heap of dead bodies. There he remained two whole daysbut God made the salt the means of saving his lifefor it stayed the flow of blood. Presentlyhe found himself strong enough to move；so he rose and opening the trap-doorcrept out fearfully；and God protected himso that he went on in the darkness and hid himself in the vestibule till the morningwhen he saw the cursed old woman sally forth in quest of other prey. So he went out after herwithout her knowledgeand made for his own housewhere he dressed his wounds and tended himself till he was whole. Meanwhile he kept a watch upon the old woman and saw her accost one man after another and carry them to the house. Howeverhe said nothing；but as soon as he regained health and strengthhe took a piece of stuff and made it into a bagwhich he filled with broken glass and tied to his middle.

Then he disguised himself in the habit of a foreignerthat none might know himand hid a sword under his clothes. Then he went out and presently falling in with the old womanaccosted her and said to herwith a foreign accent'O dameI am a strangerbut this day arrived hereand know no one. Hast thou a pair of scales wherein I may weigh nine hundred dinars？ I will give thee somewhat of the money for thy pains.'I have a sona moneychanger，'replied she'who has all kinds of scales；so come with me to himbefore he goes outand he will weigh thy gold for thee.'And he said'Lead the way.'So she led him to the house and knocked at the door；and the young lady herself came out and opened it；whereupon the old woman smiled in her face，saying'I bring thee fat meat to-day.'Then the damsel took him by the hand and carrying him to the same chamber as beforesat with him awhilethen rose and went outbidding him stir not till she came back. Ere long in came the villainous blackwith his sword drawnand said to my brother'RiseO accursed one！'