My father entered the hut, unbound the lady’s hands, inquired who she was, and how she came thither.  “My lord,” said she, “there are along the sea-coast some families of Saracens, who live under a prince who is my husband; this giant you have killed was one of his principal officers.  The wretch fell desperately in love with me, but took care to conceal his passion, till he could put in execution the design he had formed of forcing me from home.  Fortune oftener favours wicked designs than virtuous resolutions.  The giant one day surprised me and my child in a by-place.  He seized us both, and to disappoint the search he well knew my husband would cause to be made for me, removed from the country inhabited by those Saracens, and brought us into this wood, where he has kept me some days.  Deplorable as my condition is, it is still a great satisfaction to me to think that the giant, though so brutal, never used force to obtain what I always refused to his entreaties.  Not but that he has a hundred times threatened that he would have recourse to the worst of extremities, in case he could not otherwise prevail upon me; and I must confess to you, that awhile ago, when I provoked his anger by my words, I was less concerned for my life than for my honour.

“This, my lord,” said the prince of the Saracens’ wife, “is the faithful account of my misfortunes, and I question not but you will think me worthy of your compassion, and that you will not repent having so generously relieved me.”  “Madam,” answered my father, “be assured your troubles have affected me, and I will do all in my power to make you happy.  To-morrow, as soon as day appears, we will quit this wood, and endeavour to fall into the road which leads to the great city of Deryabar, of which I am sovereign; and if you think fit, you shall be lodged in my palace, till the prince your husband comes to claim you.”

The Saracen lady accepted the offer, and the next day followed the sultan my father, who found all his retinue upon the skirts of the wood, they having spent the night in searching for him, and being very uneasy because they could not find him.  They were no less rejoiced to meet with, than amazed to see him with a lady, whose beauty surprised them.  He told them how he had found her, and the risk he had run in approaching the hut, where he must certainly have lost his life had the giant discovered him.  One of his servants took up the lady behind him, and another carried the child.

Thus they arrived at the palace of my father, who assigned the beautiful Saracen lady an apartment, and caused her child to be carefully educated.  The lady was not insensible of the sultan’s goodness to her, and expressed as much gratitude as he could desire.  She had at first appeared very uneasy and impatient that her husband did not claim her; but by degrees she lost that uneasiness.  The respect my father paid her dispelled her impatience; and I am of opinion she would at last have blamed fortune more for restoring her to her kindred, than she did for removing her from them.