Yes，answered she；'and all I ask of thee now is to gird thy loins and strengthen thy will and futter thy best.'Then she clapped her hands and cried out，saying，'O my mother，bring forward those who are with thee.'And behold，in came the old woman accompanied by four lawful witnesses，and carrying a veil of silk.Then she lighted four candles，whilst the witnesses saluted me and sat down；and the girl veiled herself with the veil and deputed one of them to execute the contract on her behalf.So they wrote out the marriage bond and she testified to have received the whole sum settled upon her，both the half in advance and the half in arrears；and that she was indebted to me in the sum of ten thousand dirhams.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that the young merchant continued to Taj al-Muluk：When they wrote out the marriage contract，she testified to having received the whole sum settled upon her，the half in advance and the half in arrears and that she was indebted to me in the sum of ten thousand dirhams.
She paid the witnesses their wage and they withdrew whence they came.Thereupon she arose and cast off her clothes and stood in a chemise of fine silk edged with gold lace，after which she took off her trousers and seized my hand and led me up to the couch，saying，'There is no sin in a lawful put in.'She lay down on the couch outspread upon her back；and，drawing me on to her breast，heaved a sigh and followed it up with a wriggle by way of being coy.Then she pulled up the shift above her breasts，and when I saw her in this pose，I could not withhold myself from thrusting it into her，after I had sucked her lips，whilst she whimpered and shammed shame and wept when no tears came，and then said she，'O my beloved，do it，and do thy best！'Indeed the case reminded me of his saying，who said，'When I drew up her shift from the roof of her coynte，I found it as strait as my mind and my money：
So I drove it half-way，and she sighed a loud sigh Quoth I，'Why this sigh？'：'For the rest of it，honey！'
And she repeated，'O my beloved，let the finish be made for I am thine handmaid.My life on thee，up with it！ give it me，all of it！ that I may take it in my hand and thrust it into my very vitals！'And she ceased not to excite me with sobs and sighs and amorous cries in the intervals of kissing and clasping until amid our murmurs of pleasure we attained the supreme delight and the term we had in sight.We slept together till the morning，when I would have gone out；but lo！ she came up to me，laughing，and said，'So！ So！ thinkest thou that going into the Hammam is the same as going out？[534] Dost thou deem me to be the like of the daughter of Dalilah the Wily One？ Beware of such a thought，for thou art my husband by contract and according to law.If thou be drunken return to thy right mind，and know that the house wherein thou art openeth but one day in every year.Go down and look at the great door.'So I arose and went down and found the door locked and nailed up and returned and told her of the locking and nailing.'O Aziz，'said she，'We have in this house flour，grain，fruits and pomegranates；sugar，meat，sheep，poultry and so forth enough for many years；and the door will not be opened till after the lapse of a whole twelvemonth and well I weet thou shalt not find thyself without this house till then.'
Quoth I 'There is no Majesty，and there is no Might save in Allah，the Glorious，the Great！''And how can this harm thee，'
rejoined she；'seeing thou knowest cock's duty，whereof I told thee？'Then she laughed and I laughed too，and I conformed to what she said and abode with her，doing cock's duty and eating and drinking and futtering for a year of full twelve months，during which time she conceived by me，and I was blessed with a babe by her.On the New Year's day I heard the door opened and behold，men came in with cakes and flour and sugar.Upon this，I would have gone out but my wife said，'Wait till supper tide and go out even as thou camest in.'So I waited till the hour of night prayer and was about to go forth in fear and trembling，when she stopped me，saying，'By Allah，I will not let thee go until thou swear to come back this night before the closing of the door.'I agreed to this，and she swore me a solemn oath on Blade and Book，[535] and the oath of divorce to boot，that I would return to her.Then I left her and going straight to the garden，found the door open as usual；where at I was angry and said to myself，'I have been absent this whole year and come here unawares and find the place open as of wont！I wonder is the damsel still here as before？I needs must enter and see before I go to my mother，more by reason that it is now nightfall.'So I entered the flower garden，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
End of Vol. 2.
