her and if thou aid me not by asking her in marriage and I fail to wed her ’twill make my wits go clean bewildered.”  Thereupon the King’s daughter returned to the damsel and drawing near her said, “O my lady and light of my eyes, indeed my father hath seen thee in thy deshabille and he hath hung[FN#190] all his hopes upon thee, so do not thou contrary my words nor the counsel I am about to offer thee.”  “And what may that be, O my lady?” asked she, and the other answered, “My wish is to marry thee to my sire and thou be to him wife and he be to thee man.”  But when the maiden heard these words she wept with bitter weeping till she sobbed aloud and cried, “Time hath mastered us and decreed separation:  I know nothing of my mother and sisters and father, an they be dead or on life, and whether they were drowned or came to ground; then how should I enjoy a bridal fete when they may be in mortal sadness and sorrow?” But the other ceased not to soothe her and array fair words against her and show her fondly friendship till her soul consented to wedlock.  Presently the other brought out to her what habit befitted the occasion still comforting her heart with pleasant converse,[FN#191] after which she carried the tidings to her sire.  So he sent forthright to summon his Lords of the reign and Grandees of the realm and the knot was tied between them twain; and, going in unto her that night, he found her a hoard wherefrom the spell had freshly been dispelled; and of his longing for her and his desire to her he abode with her two se’nnights never going forth from her or by night or by day.  Hereat the dignitaries of his empire were sore vexed for that their Sultan ceased to appear at the Divan and deal commandment between man and man, and his daughter went in and acquainted him therewith.  He asked her how long he had absented himself and she answered saying, “Knowest thou how long thou hast tarried in the Palace?” whereto he replied, “Nay.”  “Fourteen whole days,” cried she, whereupon he exclaimed, “By Allah, O my daughter, I thought to myself that I had spent with her two days and no more.”  And his daughter wondered to hear his words.  Such was the case of the cadette Princess; but as regards the King, the father of the damsel, when he forgathered with the mother of his three daughters and she told him of the shipwreck and the loss of her children he determined to travel in search of the three damsels, he and the Wazir habited as Darwayshes.—­And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say.  Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three Hundred and Eightieth Night,