Storia do Mogor 354.4.8

354.4.8

In the neighbourhood of this lady dwelt a very wealthy Mahomedan trader, married to a lady of good family. This man, on leaving Surat in the pursuit of his business, made over his house to the charge of his consort. The woman committed adultery, and became pregnant. Seeing her fault thus exposed, and expecting on her husband's return to be put to death, she resorted to the above lady, her neighbour, and sought her advice, telling her what had happened. The virtuous lady, in order to protect the honour of the Mahomedan woman, and at the same time to gain for the Faith her offspring, made pretence that she was with child, at the sacrifice of her own reputation and of the esteem in which everyone held her. Everyone spoke evil of her and she became universally abhorred ; nor was there anyone who would help her with alms as they had hitherto done. In the end the Mahomedan was delivered in secret [123], and the Christian lady carried the infant to her house, had it baptized, and brought it up as her son. In this way the Mahomedan continued to be held chaste, since there was no one else who knew the secret.