The confident, after having heard the jeweller with great satisfaction, begged him to pardon her the ill opinion she had conceived of him, out of the zeal she had for her mistress.  I am extremely glad, added she, that Schemselnihar and the prince have found you, who are a man fit to supply Ebn Thaher’s place, and I shall not fail to signify to my mistress the good-will you bear her.  After the confident had testified to the jeweller her joy to see him so well disposed to serve Schemselnihar and the prince of Persia, the jeweller took the letter out of his bosom, and restored it to her, saying, Go, carry it quickly to the prince of Persia, and come back this way, that I may see the answer.  Forget not to give him an account of our conversation.

The confident took the letter, and carried it to the prince, who answered it immediately.  She returned to the jeweller’s house to show him the answer, which was this: 

The Prince of Persia’s Answer to Schemselniliar.

Your precious letter had a great effect upon me, but not so great as I could wish.  You endeavour to comfort me for the loss of Ebn Thaher; but, alas! sensible as I am of this, it is the least of my troubles!  You know my malady, and that your presence only can cure me.  When will the time come that I shall enjoy it without fear of being ever deprived of it?  O how long does it seem to me!  But shall we rather flatter ourselves that we may see one another?  You command me to preserve myself; I will obey, since I have renounced my own will to follow yours.  Adieu.

After the jeweller had read this letter, he gave it again to the confident, who said, when she was going away, I will tell my mistress to put the same confidence in you that she did in Ebn Thaher, and you shall hear of me to-morrow.  Accordingly, next day she returned with a pleasant countenance.  Your very look, said he to her, informs me that you have brought Schemselnihar to what you wished.  That is true, said the confident, sand you shall hear how I effected it.  Yesterday, continued she, I found Schemselnihar expecting me with impatience; I gave her the prince of Persia’s letter, which she read with tears in her eyes; and when she had done, I observed she had abandoned herself to her usual sorrow.  Madam, said I, it is doubtless Ebn Thaher’s removal that troubles you; but suffer me to conjure you, in the name of God, not to concern yourself any further about that matter.  We have found another who offers to oblige you with as much zeal, and, what is yet more important, with greater courage.  Then I mentioned you, continued the slave, and acquainted her with the motive which made you go to the prince of Persia’s house.  In short, I assured her that you would inviolably keep the secret betwixt her and the prince of Persia, and that you was* resolved to favour their amours with all your might.  She seemed to me much relieved by my discourse.  Ah! what obligations, said she, are the prince of Persia and I under to that honest man you speak of?  I must see him, that I may hear from his own mouth what you tell me, and thank him for such an unheard-of piece of generosity towards persons with whom he is no way obliged to concern himself.  A sight of him will please me; and I will not omit any thing to confirm him in those good sentiments.  Do not fail to bring him to-morrow.  Therefore, pray, sir, go with me lo the palace.