al-Zaman and know not what is become of him; nor can I escape from this scrape save by holding my peace and consenting and abiding here, till Allah bring about what is to be.”  So she raised her head and made submission to King Armanus, saying, “Hearkening and obedience!”; whereat he rejoiced and bade the herald make proclamation throughout the Ebony Islands to hold high festival and decorate the houses.  Then he assembled his Chamberlains and Nabobs, and Emirs and Wazirs and his officers of state and the Kazis of the city; and, formally abdicating his Sultanate, endowed Budur therewith and invested her in all the vestments of royalty.  The Emirs and Grandees went in to her and did her homage, nothing doubting but that she was a young man, and all who looked on her bepissed their bag-trousers, for the excess of her beauty and loveliness.  Then, after the Lady Budur had been made Sultan and the drums had been beaten in announcement of the glad event, and she had been ceremoniously enthroned, King Armanus proceeded to equip his daughter Hayat al-Nufus for marriage, and in a few days, they brought the Lady Budur in to her, when they seemed as it were two moons risen at one time or two suns in conjunction.  So they entered the bridal-chamber and the doors were shut and the curtains let down upon them, after the attendants had lighted the wax-candles and spread for them the carpet-bed.  When Budur found herself alone with the Princess Hayat al-Nufus, she called to mind her beloved Kamar al-Zaman and grief was sore upon her.  So she wept for his absence, and estrangement and she began repeating,

“O ye who fled and left my heart in pain low li’en, *
     No breath of life if found within this frame of mine: 
I have an eye which e’er complains of wake, but lo! *
     Tears occupy it would that wake content these eyne! 
After ye marched forth the lover ’bode behind; *
     Question of him what pains your absence could design! 
But for the foods of tears mine eyelids rail and rain, *
     My fires would flame on high and every land calcine. 
To Allah make I moan of loved ones lost for aye, *
     Who for my pine and pain no more shall pain and pine: 
I never wronged them save that over love I nurst:  *
     But Love departs us lovers into blest and curst.”

And when she had finished her repeating, the Lady Budur sat down beside the Princess Hayat al-Nufus and kissed her on the mouth; after which rising abruptly, she made the minor ablution and betook herself to her devotions; nor did she leave praying till Hayat al-Nufus fell asleep, when she slips into bed and lay with her back to her till morning.  And when day had broke the King and Queen came in to their daughter and asked her how she did. whereupon she told them what she had seen, and repeated to them the verses she had heard.  Thus far concerning Hayat al-Nufus and her father; but as regards Queen Budur she went forth and seated herself upon the royal throne and