brought here last night. Be quick and
bring me back his answer."

The vizir bowed to the ground and hastened to leave the room and tower.

"Well," asked the king as soon as he appeared, "and how did you find my
son?"

"Alas, sire," was the reply, "the slave's report is only too true!"

He then gave an exact account of his interview with Camaralzaman and of
the prince's fury when told that it was not possible for any lady to
have entered his room, and of the treatment he himself had received.
The king, much distressed, determined to clear up the matter himself,
and, ordering the vizir to follow him, set out to visit his son.

The prince received his father with profound respect, and the king,
making him sit beside him, asked him several questions, to which
Camaralzaman replied with much good sense. At last the king said: "My
son, pray tell me about the lady who, it is said, was in your room last
night."

"Sire," replied the prince, "pray do not increase my distress in this
matter, but rather make me happy by giving her to me in marriage.
However much I may have objected to matrimony formerly, the sight of
this lovely girl has overcome all my prejudices, and I will gratefully
receive her from your hands."

The king was almost speechless on hearing his son, but after a time
assured him most solemnly that he knew nothing whatever about the lady
in question, and had not connived at her appearance. He then desired
the prince to relate the whole story to him.

Camaralzaman did so at great length, showed the ring, and implored his
father to help to find the bride he so ardently desired.

"After all you tell me," remarked the king, "I can no longer doubt your
word; but how and whence the lady came, or why she should have stayed
so short a time I cannot imagine. The whole affair is indeed
mysterious. Come, my dear son, let us wait together for happier days."

So saying the king took Camaralzaman by the hand and led him back to
the palace, where the prince took to his bed and gave himself up to
despair, and the king shutting himself up with his son entirely
neglected the affairs of state.

The prime minister, who was the only person admitted, felt it his duty
at last to tell the king how much the court and all the people
complained of his seclusion, and how bad it was for the nation. He
urged the sultan to remove with the prince to a lovely little island
close by, whence he could easily attend public audiences,