4 gh nae _ The King of Persia

 

command us: but we have never been able to draw a word from
‘her. We cannot tell whether her silence proceeds from pride, sorrow,
‘stupidity, or dumbness; and this is all we can inform your majesty,

The King of Persia was more astonished at hearing this than
he was before: however, believing the slave might have some reason
for sorrow, he endeavoured to divert and amuse her, but all in
vain. For a whole year she never afforded him the pleasure of
a single word.

At length, one day there were great rejoicings in the capital,
because to the king and his silent slave-queen there was born a
son and heir to the kingdom. Once more the king endeavoured
to get a word from his wife. ‘My queen,’ he said, ‘I cannot divine
what your thoughts are; but, for my own part, nothing would be
wanting to complete my happiness and crown my joy but that you
should speak to me one single word, for something within me
tells me you are not dumb: and I beseech, I conjure you, to break
through this long silence, and speak but one word to me; and
after that I care not how soon I die.’ !

At this discourse the fair slave, who, according to her usual
custom, had hearkened to the king with downcast eyes, and had
given him cause to believe not only that she was dumb, but that she
had never laughed in her life, began to smile a little. The King of
Persia perceived it with a surprise that made him break forth into an
exclamation of joy ; and no longer doubting but that she was going
to speak, he waited for that happy moment with an Secrnss and
attention that cannot easily be expressed. -

At last the fair slave, breaking her long-kept silence, thus ad-
dressed herself to the king: ‘Sire, said she, ‘I have so many things
to say to your majesty, that, having once broken silence, I know not
where to begin. However, in the first place, I think myself in duty
bound to thank you for all the favours and honours you have been
pleased to confer upon me, and to implore. Heaven to. bless and