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put her away, neither will I take a suit of clothes nor aught else.” If the Cadi say to thee, “Then pay down the dowry,” do thou reply, “I am straitened at this present;” whereupon he and the Assessors will deal friendly with thee and allow thee time to pay.’ Whilst they were talking, the Cadi’s officer knocked at the door; so Alaeddin went down and the man said to him, ‘The Cadi cites thee to answer thy father-in-law’s summons.’ Alaeddin gave him five dinars and said to him, ‘O serjeant, by what code am I bound to marry at night and divorce next morning?’ ‘By none of ours,’ answered the serjeant; ‘and if thou be ignorant of the law, I will act as thine advocate.’ Then they went to the court and the Cadi said to Alaeddin, ‘Why dost thou not divorce the woman and take what falls to thee by the contract?’ With this he went up to the Cadi and kissing his hand, put in it fifty dinars and said, ‘O our lord the Cadi, by what code is it right that I should marry at night and divorce in the morning in my own despite?’ ‘Divorce on compulsion,’ replied the Cadi, ‘is sanctioned by no school of the Muslims.’ Then said the lady’s father, ‘If thou wilt not divorce, pay me the ten thousand dinars, her dowry.’ Quoth Alaeddin, ‘Give me three days’ time.’ But the Cadi said, ‘Three days is not enough; he shall give thee ten.’ So they agreed to this and bound him to pay the dowry or divorce after ten days. Then he left them and taking meat and rice and butter and what else of food he needed, returned to his wife and told her what had passed; whereupon she said, ‘Between night and day, wonders may happen: and God bless him who saith:
Be mild what time thou’rt ta’en with anger and despite And patient, if there fall misfortune on thy head.
Indeed, the nights are quick and great with child by time And of all wond’rous things are hourly brought to bed.’
Then she rose and made ready food and brought the
