and the Le . ¢h. 97

=tO- observe the door and know it again, but all in vain, for, as. was
before observed, it was invisible to her and all other women. Except
in this, she was very well satisfied with her work, and posted away
to the sultan. When she came to the capital, she went by a great
many by-ways to the private door of the palace. The: sultan being
informed of her arrival, sent for her into his apartment, and per-
ceiving a melancholy look on her countenance, he thought she had
not succeeded, and said to her, ‘By your looks I guess that ‘you
have not made the discovery I: expected from you.

“Sir, replied the magician, ‘your majesty must give me eae to
represent that you ought-not to judge by my looks whether. or
‘ng I have acquitted myself well as regards the commands. you
were pleased to honour me with. The melancholy . you observe
proceeds from another cause than the want of success.’

Then the magician related to the Sultan of the Indies the
whole story of all that happened from beginning to end. :

When the magician had ended, she said, ‘What does your
majesty think of these unheard-of riches of the fairy? Perhaps you
will say you rejoice at the good fortune of Prince Ahmed your son.
For my part, sir, 1 beg of your majesty to forgive me if I take the
liberty to say that I think otherwise, and that I shudder when I
consider the misfortunes which may happen to you. And this - is
the cause of the melancholy which you perceived. I. would believe
that Prince Ahmed, by his own good: disposition, is incapable of
undertaking anything against your majesty ; but who can say that
the fairy, by the influence she already has over him, may not inspire
him with a dangerous design of dethroning your majesty, and seizing
the crown of the Indies? This is what yout majesty ought to
consider serious and of the utmost importance.’

- Though the Sultan of the Indies was very sure that Prince
Ahmed’s natural disposition was good, yet he could not help being
uneasy at the remarks of the old sorceress, and _ said, ‘I thank

H