anation of her meaning. She
then recapitulated her vision, what immediately followed, and the history
of her pretended death, adding also a description of the place of
expiation from whence she had fled, and all in a manner that would have
extorted his laughter, had not the thoughts of Vathek been too deeply
engaged. No sooner, however, had she ended, than he again clasped her to
his bosom, and said:

"Light of my eyes! the mystery is unravelled; we both are alive! your
father is a cheat, who, for the sake of dividing, hath deluded us both;
and the Giaour, whose design, as far as I can discover, is that we shall
proceed together, seems scarce a whit better; it shall be some time at
least before he find us in his palace of fire. Your lovely little person
in my estimation is far more precious than all the treasures of the
pre-adamite Sultans, and I wish to possess it at pleasure, and in open
day, for many a moon, before I go to burrow underground like a mole.
Forget this little trifler, Gulchenrouz, and--"

"Ah! my lord!" interposed Nouronihar, "let me entreat that you do him no
evil."

"No, no!" replied Vathek, "I have already bid you forbear to alarm
yourself for him; he has been brought up too much on milk and sugar to
stimulate my jealousy; we will leave him with the dwarfs, who, by the
bye, are my old acquaintances; their company will suit him far better
than yours. As to other matters, I will return no more to your father's;
I want not to have my ears dinned by him and his dotards with the
violation of the rites of hospitality; as if it were less an honour for
you to espouse the sovereign of the world than a girl dressed up like a
boy!"

Nouronihar could find nothing to oppose in a discourse so eloquent; she
only wished the amorous monarch had discovered more ardour for the
carbuncle of Giamschid; but flattered herself it would gradually
increase, and therefore yielded to his will with the most bewitching
submission.

When the Caliph judged it proper, he called for Bababalouk, who was
asleep in the cave of Meimoune, and dreaming that the phantom of
Nouronihar, having mounted him once more on her swing, had just given him
such a jerk, that he one moment soared above the mountains, and the next
sunk into the abyss; starting from his sleep at the voice of his master,
he ran gasping for breath, and had nearly fallen backward at the sight,
as he believed, of the spectre by whom he had so lately been haunted in