Soon afterwards the maidens made their appearance. Their gait denoted at the same time indifference and languor. They seated themselves upon the divans, and the negress offered them meat and drink. They ate, drank, and sang melodiously.

`Then the four men, seeing them giddy with wine, came down from their hiding place with their sabres in their hands, brandishing them over the heads of the maidens. They had first taken care to veil their faces with the upper part of their haïk.

`Who are these men,' cried Zohra, `who are invading our dwelling under cover of the shades of the night? Have you risen out of the ground, or did you descend from the sky? What do you want?'

`Coition!' they answered.

`With whom?' asked Zohra.

`With you, O apple of my eye!' said Abou el Heïdja, advancing.

Zohra: `Who are you?'

`I am Abou el Heïdja.'

Zohra: `But how is it you know me?'

`It is I who met you while out hunting at such and such a place.'

Zohra: `But what brought you hither?'

`The will of God the Highest!'

At this answer Zohra was silent, and set herself to think of a means by which she could rid herself of these intruders.

Now among the virgins that were present there were several whose vulvas were like iron barred, and whom no one had been able to deflower; there was also present a woman called Mouna (she who appeases the passion), who was insatiable as regards coition. Zohra thought to herself, `It is only by a stratagem I can get rid of these men. By means of these women I will set them tasks which they will be unable to accomplish as conditions for my consent.' Then turning to Abou el Heïdja, she said to him, `You will not get possession of me unless you fulfil the conditions which I shall impose upon you.' The four cavaliers at once consented to this without knowing them, and she continued, `But, if you do not fulfil them, will you pledge your word that you will be my prisoners, and place yourselves entirely at my disposition?' `We pledge our words!' they answered.

She made them take their oath that they would be faithful to their word, and then, placing her hand in that of Abou el Heïdja, she said to him, `As regards you, I impose upon you the task of deflowering eighty virgins without ejaculating. Such is my will!' He answered, `I accept.'

She let him then enter a chamber where there were several kinds of beds, and sent to him the eighty virgins in succession. Abou el Heïdja deflowered them all, and so ravished in a single night the maidenhood of eighty young girls without ejaculating the smallest drop of sperm. This extraordinary vigour filled Zohra with astonishment, and likewise all those who were present.

The princess, turning then to the negro Mimoun, asked, `And this one, what is his name?' They said, `Mimoun.' `Your task shall be,' said the princess, pointing to Mouna, `to do this woman's business without resting for fifty consecutive days; you need not ejaculate unless you like; but if the excess of fatigue forces you to stop, you will not have fulfilled your obligations.' They all cried out at the hardness of such a task; but Mimoun protested, and said, `I accept the condition, and shall come out of it with honour!' The fact was