160 & . The Loss of

i.

 

soon as the council broke up, the new king was proclaimed
through the city, rejoicings were appointed for several days,
and couriers despatched all over the kingdom to see the same
ceremonies observed with the same demonstrations of joy.

As soon as they were alone, the Princess Badoura told the
Princess Haiatalnefous the secret, and begged her to keep it, which
she promised faithfully to do.

‘Princess, said Haiatalnefous, ‘your fortune is indeed strange,
that a marriage, so happy as yours was, should be shortened by
so unaccountable an accident. Pray heaven you may meet with your
husband again soon, and be sure that I will religiously keep
the secret committed tome. It will be to me the greatest pleasure ;
in the world to be the only person in the great kingdom of the Isle.
of Ebony who knows what and who you are, while you go on
_ governing the people as happily as you have begun. I only ask
of you at present to be your friend’ Then the two princesses
tenderly embraced each other, and after a thousand expressions
of mutual friendship lay down to rest.

While these things were taking place in the court of the Isle of
Ebony, Prince Camaralzaman stayed in the city of idolaters with the
gardener, who had offered him his house till the ship sailed.

One morning when the prince was up early, and, as he used to do,
was preparing to work in the garden, the gardener prevented him,
saying, ‘This day is a-great festival among the idolaters, and because
they abstain from all work themselves, so as to spend the time in :
their assemblies and public rejoicings, they will not let the Mussul-
mans work. Their shows are worth seeing. You will have nothing to
do to-day: I leave youhere. As the time approaches in which the
ship is accustomed to sail for the Isle of Ebony, I will go and see
some of my friends, and secure you a passage in it’ The gardener
‘put on his best clothes, and went out.

When Prince Camaralzaman was alone, instead of going out to