She was dressed in her finest garments, and exhaled the choicest perfumes, and assuredly whoever had thus seen her would have been troubled in his mind. And thus, when he was admitted into her presence, he was fascinated by her charms, and plunged into admiration of her marvellous beauty.

This woman, however, appeared to be preoccupied on account of her husband, and allowed it to be seen that she was afraid of his coming back from one minute to another. It must be mentioned that this husband was very proud, very jealous, and very violent, and would not have hesitated to shed the blood of anyone whom he would have found prowling about his house. What would he have done, and, with much more reason, to the man whom he might have found inside!

While the lady and he who flattered himself that he should possess her were amusing themselves in the medjélés, a knock at the house-door filled the lover with fear and trouble, particularly when the lady cried, `This is my husband, who is returning.' All in a tremble, she hid him in the closet, which was in the room, shut the door upon him, and left the key in the medjélés; then she opened the house-door.

Her husband, for it was he, saw, on entering, the wine and all the preparations that had been made. Surprised, he asked what this meant. `It means what you see,' she answered. `But for whom is all this?' he asked.

`It is for my lover whom I have here.'

`And where is he?'

`In this closet,' she said, pointing with her finger to the place where the sufferer was confined.

At these words the husband started. He rose and went to the closet, but found it locked. `Where is the key?' he said. She answered, `Here!' throwing it to him. But as he was putting it into the lock she burst out laughing uproariously. He turned towards her, and said, `What are you laughing at?' `I laugh,' she answered, `at the weakness of your judgment, and your want of reason and reflection. Oh, you man without sense. do you think that if I had in reality a lover, and had admitted him into this room, I should have told you that he was here and where he was hidden? That is certainly not likely. I had no other thought than to offer you a collation on your return, and wanted only to have a joke with you in doing as I did. If I had had a lover I should certainly not have made you my confidant.'

The husband left the key in the lock of the closet without having turned it, returned to the table, and said, `True! I rose; but I have not the slightest doubt about the sincerity of your words.' Then they ate and drank together, and made love.

The man in the closet had to stop there until the husband went out. Then the lady went to set him free, and found him quite undone and in a bad state. When he came out, after having escaped an imminent peril, she said to him, `Well, you wiseacre, who know so well the stratagems of women, of all those you know, is there one to equal this?' He made answer, `I am now convinced that your stratagems are countless.'

Appreciate after this the deceits of women, and what they are capable of.

Story of the Lover Who Was Surprised by the Unexpected Arrival of the Husband