would fain take the half of it; but this shall never be, for that
my mind hath been changed against him, since I heard him solicit
thee; wherefore I purpose to play him a trick and enjoy all the
money; and do not thou cross me.' ' It is well,' answered she,
and he said to her, '[To-morrow] at day-peep I will feign myself
dead and do thou cry out and tear thy hair, whereupon the folk
will flock to me. Then lay me out and bury me, and when the folk
are gone away [from the burial-place], do thou dig down to me and
take me; and have no fear for me, for I can abide two days in the
tomb [without hurt].' And she answered, 'Do what thou wilt.'

So, when it was the foredawn hour, she tied his beard and
spreading a veil over him, cried out, whereupon the people of the
quarter flocked to her, men and women. Presently, up came El
Merouzi, for the division of the money, and hearing the crying
[of the mourners], said, 'What is to do?" Quoth they, 'Thy
brother is dead;' and he said in himself, 'The accursed fellow
putteth a cheat on me, so he may get all the money for himself,
but I will do with him what shall soon bring him to life again.'
Then he rent the bosom of his gown and uncovered his head,
weeping and saying, 'Alas, my brother! Alas, my chief! Alas, my
lord!' And he went in to the men, who rose and condoled with him.
Then he accosted Er Razi's wife and said to her, 'How came his
death about?' 'I know not,' answered she, 'except that, when I
arose in the morning, I found him dead.' Moreover, he questioned
her of the money and good that was with her, but she said, 'I
have no knowledge of this and no tidings.'

So he sat down at the sharper's head, and said to him, 'Know, O
Razi, that I will not leave thee till after ten days and their