254 ALI BABA AND

boldest acts ever meditated, and had just deter-
mined, when Abdoollah came for the dessert of
fruit, which she carried up, and, as soon as Ab-
doollah had taken the meat away, set it upon the
table; after that, she placed three glasses by Ali
Baba, and going out, took Abdoollah with her
to sup, and to give Ali Baba the more liberty
of conversation with his guest.

Khaujeh Houssain, or rather the captain of
the robbers, thought he had now a favourable
opportunity of being revenged on Ali Baba. “I
will,” said he to himself, ‘‘make the father and
son both drunk: the son, whose life I intend to
spare, will not be able to prevent my stabbing his
father to the heart; and while the slaves are at
supper, or asleep in the kitchen, I can make my
escape over the gardens as before.”

Instead of going to supper, Morgiana, who
had penetrated the intentions of the counterfeit
Khaujeh Houssain, would not give him time to
put his villainous design into execution, but
dressed herself neatly with a suitable head-dress
like a dancer, girded her waist with a silver-gilt
girdle, to which there hung a poniard with a
hilt and guard of the same metal, and put a
handsome mask on her face. When she had
thus disguised herself, she said to Abdoollah,