One was conscious that his tales--even the most extravagant--were true in some mysterious, intrinsic way.

This time he chose to speak to us of guilt and innocence, of good and evil works, and their effect on man's salvation.

He aired the theory, which roused approving murmurs in the listening circle, that to have a good intention was the chief desideratum for every son of Adam on his journey through the world, no matter though his works might turn out bad or unsuccessful.
'To lie with good intention is better than to tell the truth with bad intention,' he declared.
'To lie is the salt of a man; the shame is to him who believes,' put in Rashid, my servant, who was great at proverbs.
Suleyman paid no heed to the interruption.
'A sin committed thoughtlessly,' said he, 'is light compared with one which thou hast hatched and planned.' 'Nay, O beloved, a sin is a sin, appointed so by the Most High; and the duty of a man is to avoid it.

The hurt to man's salvation is the same, however he approach it,' said an old man in the audience.

'If I cut my hand, is the wound less, is it not rather likely to be more--for being thoughtless ?' There was a murmur of applause as all eyes turned on this objector, whose likeness could not be distinguished in the gloaming.
I spoke in approbation of the view expressed, and the old man, emboldened, laughed: 'To lie is bad, to kill is bad, to steal is bad.