第37章 THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES OF BAGHDAD.(12)
But fly for thy life and return whence thou camest.'So I ascended the stairbutin the excess of my fear I forgot my sandals and hatchet. When I had mounted two stepsI turned to lookand beholdthe ground clove in sunder and out came an Afrit of hideous aspectwho said to the lady'What is this commotion with which thou disturbest me？ What misfortune has befallen thee？'Nothing has befallen me，'answered she'except that I was heavy at heart and drank a little wine to hearten myself. Then I rose to do an occasionbut my head became heavy and I fell against the alcove.'Thou liestO harlot！'said he，and looked right and lefttill he caught sight of the axe and the sandals and said'These are some man's gear. Who has been with thee？'Quoth she'I never set eyes on them till this moment；they must have clung to thee as thou camest hither.'But he said'This talk is absurd and will not impose on meO strumpet！'Then he stripped her naked and stretching her on the groundtied her hands and feet to four stakes and proceeded to torture her to make her confess. I could not bear to hear her weeping；so I ascended the stairquaking for fear. When I reached the topI replaced the trap-door and covered it over with earth；and I thought of the lady and her beauty and what had befallen her through my folly and repented me sore of what I had done. Then I bethought me of my father and his kingdom and how I had become a woodcutterand howafter my life had been awhile sereneit had again become troubledand I wept and repeated the following verse：
What time the cruelties of Fate o'erwhelm thee with distress，Think that one day must bring thee easeanother day duresse.
Then I went on till I reached the house of my friendwhom I found awaiting meas he were on coals of fire on my account.
When he saw mehe rejoiced and said'O my brotherwhere didst thou pass the night？ My heart has been full of anxiety on thine accountfearing for thee from the wild beasts or other peril：
but praised be God for thy safety！'I thanked him for his solicitudeand retiring to my chamberfell a-musing on what had passed and reproached myself grievously for my meddlesomeness in kicking the alcove. Presently the tailor came in to me and said，'O my sonthere is without an old mana foreignerwho seeks thee. He has thine axe and sandals and came to the woodcutters and said to them'I went out at the hour of the call to morning prayer and happened on these and know not whose they are： direct me to their owner.'They knew thine axe and sent him to thee；and he is now sitting in my shop. So do thou go out to him and thank him and take thy gear.'When I heard thismy colour changed and I was sick for terror but before I could thinkthe floor clove asunder and up came the strangerand loit was the Afrit！Now he had tortured the lady in the most barbarous mannerwithout being able to make her confess：so he took the axe and sandals，saying'As sure as I am Jerjis of the lineage of IblisI will bring back the owner of this axe and these sandals！'So he went to the woodcutters with the tale aforesaidand they directed him to me. He snatched me up without parley and flew high into the airbut presently descended and plunged into the ground with me，and I the while unconscious. Then he came up with me in the underground palacewhere I saw the lady stretched out naked，with the blood running from her sides. At this sightmy eyes ran over with tears；but the Afrit unbound her and veiling hersaid to her'O wantonis not this thy lover？'She looked at me and said'I know not this mannor have I ever seen him till now.'
Quoth he'Wilt thou not confess after all this torture？'And she answered'I never saw him in my lifeand God forbid that I should lie against him and thou kill him.'Then，'said he'if thou know him nottake this sword and cut off his head.'She took the sword and came and stood at my head；and I made signs to her with my eyebrows whilst the tears ran down my cheeks. She understood me and signed to me with her eyes as who should say，'Thou hast brought all this upon us.'And I answered herin the same fashionthat it was a time for forgiveness；and the tongue of the case spoke the words of the poet：
My looks interpret for my tongue and tell of what I feel： And all the love appears that I within my heart conceal.
When as we meet and down our cheeks our tears are running fast，I'm dumband yet my speaking eyes my thought of thee reveal.
She signs to me；and II know the things her glances say：I with my fingers signand she conceives the mute appeal.
Our eyebrows of themselves suffice unto our intercourse：We're mute；but passion none the less speaks in the looks we steal.
Then she threw down the sword and said'How shall I strike off the head of one whom I know not and who has done me no hurt？ My religion will not allow of this.'Quoth the Afrit'It is grievous to thee to kill thy lover. Because he hath lain a night with theethou endurest this torture and wilt not confess upon him. It is only like that pities like.'Then he turned to me and said'O mortaldost thou not know this woman？'Who is she？'
answered I. 'I never saw her till now.'Then，'said he 'take this sword and strike off her head and I will believe that thou knowest her not and will let thee go and do thee no hurt.'Quoth I'It is well；'and taking the swordwent up to her briskly and raised my hand. But she signed to me with her eyebrowsas who should say'What hurt have I done thee？ Is it thus thou requitest me？'I understood what she would say and replied in the same manner'I will ransom thee with my life.'And the tongue of the case repeated the following verses：
How many a lover with his eyelids speaks And doth his thought unto his mistress tell He flashes signals to her with his eyesAnd she at once is ware of what befell.
How swift the looks that pass betwixt the twain！How fair，indeedand how delectable！
One with his eyelids writes what he would say： The other with her eyes the writ doth spell.