375 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

he went to the apartment of the princess, to which she had
already retired.

“JY thought as well as you did,” the princess said, “ that our
palace was the most superb, the most beautiful, and the most
ornamented of any in the whole world. I will tell you, however,
what has come into my head, after having thoroughly examined
the saloon with twenty-four windows. Do you not think with
me, that if the egg of a roc were suspended from the centre
of the dome, that we should have nothing to wish for?” “It is
enough, princess,” replied Aladdin, “that you think the want of
a roc’s egg is a defect. You shall find by the diligence with
which I am going to repair it, that there is nothing I will not do
through my love for you.”

Aladdin instantly left the princess, and went up to the saloon
with twenty-four windows; and then taking the lamp, which
he now always carried about with him, since the danger he had
experienced from the neglect of that precaution, out of his
bosom, he rubbed it. The genius immediately appeared before
him. “Genius,” said Aladdin, “there wants to be the egg ofa
roc suspended from the centre of this dome in order to make it
perfect ; I command you, in the name of the lamp which I
hold, to get this defect rectified.”

Aladdin had scarcely pronounced these words, before the
genius uttered so loud and dreadful'a scream, that the very
room shook, and Aladdin trembled so violently he was ready to
fall, “What! wretch,” exclaimed the genius, in a voice that
would have made the most courageous man tremble, “is it not
enough that I and my companions have done everything thou
hast chosen to command, but that thou repayest our services by
an ingratitude that is unequalled, and commandest me to bring
thee my master, and hang him up in the midst of this vaulted
dome? Thou art deserving, for this crime, of being instantly
torn to atoms, with thy wife and palace with thee. But thou art
fortunate that the request did not originate with thee, and that
the command is not in any way thine. Learn who is the true
author. It is no other than the brother of thy enemy, the
African magician, whom thou hast destroyed as he deserved.
He is in thy palace, disguised under the appearance of Fatima,
the holy woman, whom he has murdered ; and it is he who has
suggested the idea to thy wife, to make the horrible and de-