out the
fickleness of the sex, the impossibility of inducing them to make up
their minds; they whispered wise saws and sayings from Ferdistan and
others, about the caprice of women, and the instability of their
natures, and the more their legs ached from such perpetual demand upon
their support, the more bitter did they become in their remarks. Poor,
prosing old fools! the beauteous princess had long made up her mind, and
had never swerved from it through the tedious six years during which the
doubts and discussions of those venerable old numskulls had embroiled
the whole nation in the Molean and Anti-molean controversy.

It was about the first hour after noon that the beautiful Babe-bi-bobu,
suddenly rising from her recumbent attitude, clapped her pretty little
hands, the fingers of which were beautifully tipped with henna, and
beckoning to her attendants, retired gracefully from the hall of
audience. The surprise and commotion was great, and what made her
conduct more particular was, that the only son of the chief brahmin who
had first raised the question, and headed the Anti-molist party, was at
the moment of the princess's departure, prostrate before the throne,
with his forehead, indeed, to the ground, but his bosom swelling high
with hope and ambition. Within a bower of orange trees, in the deep
recesses of the royal gardens, to which she had hastened, sat the
panting princess. She selected some flowers from those which were
scattered round her, and despatched them to her favourite musician and
attendant, Acota. Who was there in the whole kingdom of Souffra who
could so sweetly touch the mandolin as Acota? Yet, who was there, not
only in Souffra, but in all the adjacent countries, who struck such
occasional discordant notes as Acota, and that in the ear of the
beautiful princess Babe-bi-bobu, who, far from being displeased,
appeared to approve of his occasional violence, which not only
threatened to crack the strings of the instrument, but the tympanums of
those who were near, who longed to escape, and leave the princess to
enjoy the dissonance alone, little thinking that the discord was raised
that their souls' harmony might be undisturbed by the presence of
others, and that the jarring of the strings was more than repaid to the
princess, by the subsequent music of Acota's voice.

Acota seated himself, at a signal from the princess, and commenced his
playing, if such it could be called, thrumming violently