known the injunctions of the will; the news of which at last flew to the adjacent kingdoms, and from them to all the corners of the round world, and none were ignorant.  In the kingdom of Souffra, from which the choice was to be made, all the youth of caste were in a state of fermentation, because they had a chance of obtaining the honour; and all those of lower caste were in a state of fermentation, to think they had no chance of obtaining such an honour; and all the women of high caste, or low caste, or no caste, were all in a state of fermentation, because—­because——­

* * * * *

“Because they always are so,” interrupted the pacha.  “Proceed, Menouni.”

“I thank your sublime highness for having relieved me in my case of difficulty; for who can give reasons for the conduct of women?”

* * * * *

It is sufficient to say, that the whole country was in a state of fermentation, arising from hope, despair, jealousy, envy, curiosity, surmising, wondering, doubting, believing, disbelieving, hearing, narrating, chattering, interrupting, and many other causes, too tedious to mention.  At the first intelligence every Souffrarian youth new-strung his mandolin, and thought himself sure to be the happy man.  Hope was triumphant through the land, roses advanced to double their price:  the attar was adulterated to meet the exorbitant demand; and nightingales were almost worshipped; but this could not last.  Doubt succeeded to the empire of hope, when reflection pointed out to them, that out of three millions of very eligible youths, only one could be made happy.  But when the counsellors are so many, the decision is but slow; and so numerous were the meetings, the canvassings, the debates, the discussions, the harangues, and the variety of objections raised by the grandees of the country, that at the age of eighteen, the beauteous bird of paradise, still unmated, warbled her virgin strain in the loneliness of the royal groves.

* * * * *

“But why,” interrupted the pacha, “why did they not marry her, when there were three millions of young men ready to take her?  I can’t understand the cause of six years’ delay.”

* * * * *

The reason, most sublime, was, that the grandees of Souffra were not endowed with your resplendent wisdom, or the beautiful Babe-bi-bobu had not so long languished for a husband.  All this delay was produced by doubt, which the poets truly declare to be the father of delay.  It was a doubt which arose in the mind of one of the Brahmins, who, when a doubt arose in his mind, would mumble it over and over, but never masticate, swallow, or digest it; and thus was the preservation of the royal line endangered.  For years had the aspirants for regal dignity, and more than regal beauty, hovered round the court, each with his mandolin on his arm, and a huge packet of love-sonnets borne behind him by a slave, and yet all was doubt; and the beautiful Princess Babe-bi-bobu remained unmarried.