12 he , The ‘King of Persia

then posture of our affairs. If you had not approved of his proposal,
you ought not to have been so much alarmed; and, give me leave to

tell you, you took the thing in a quite different light from what you
. ought to have done. But no more of this; we and you ought now
to bury it for ever in oblivion: give us an account of all that has
happened to you since wé saw you last, and of your present situation;
but especially let us know if you are satisfied,’ .

Queen Gulnare immediately threw herself at her mother’s feet ;
and after rising and kissing hér hand, ‘I own,’ said she, ‘I have been
guilty of a very great fault, and I am indébted to your goodness for
the pardon which you are pleased to grant me.’ She then related
the whole of what had befallen her since she quitted the sea. _

As soon as she had acquainted them with her having been sold
to the King of Persia, in whose palace she was at present; ‘Sister,
said the king her brother, ‘you now have it in your power to free
yourself, Rise, and return with us into my kingdom, that I have
reconquered from the proud usurper who had made himself master
of it? ‘

The King of Persia, who heard these words from the recess where
he was concealed, was in the utmost alarm. ‘Ah!’ said he to him-
self, ‘I am ruined; and if my queen, my Gulnare, hearkens to this
advice, and leaves me, I shall surely die’ But Queen Gulnare soon
put him out of his fears. ; aes

‘Brother, said she, smiling, ‘I can scarce forbear being angry
with: you for advising me to break the engagement I have made with
the most puissant and most renowned monarch in the world. I do |
not speak here of an engagement between a slave and her master ;
it would be easy to ‘return the ten thousand pieces of gold. that I cost
him ; but I speak now of a contract-between a wife and a husband;
and a. wife who has not the least reason to complain. He is a
religious, wise; and temperate king. I am_ his wife, and he ‘has
declared me Queen of Persia, to share with him in. his councils.