To divert herself she made them tell her of Boolp, and they told her a thousand anecdotes of the broker, and verses of him, and the constancy of his amorous condition, and his greediness.  And Bhanavar was beguiled of her impatience till it was evening, and the Prince returned to her.  So they embraced, and she greeted him as usual, waiting what he would say, searching his countenance for a token of wonderment; but the youth knew not that aught was added to her beauty, for he looked nowhere save in her eyes.  Bhanavar was nigh weeping with vexation, and pushed him from her, and chid him with lack of love and weariness of her; and the eye of the Prince rose to her brow to read it, and he saw the Jewel.  Almeryl clapped his hands, crying, ’Wondrous!  And this thy surprise for me, my fond one? beloved of mine!’ Then he gazed on her a space, and said, ’Knowest thou, thou art terrible in thy beauty, Bhanavar, and hast the face of lightning under that Jewel of the Serpent?’

She kissed him, whispering, ’Not lightning to thee!  Yet lovest thou Bhanavar?’

He replied, ’Surely so; and all save Bhanavar in this world is the darkness of oblivion to me.’

When it was the next morning, Almeryl rose to go forth again.  Ere he had passed the curtain of the chamber Bhanavar caught him by the arm, and she was trembling violently.  Her visage was a wild inquiry:  ’Thou goest?—­ and again?  There is something hidden from me!’

Almeryl took her to his heart, and caressed her with fond flatteries, saying, ’Ask but what is beating under these two pomegranates, and thou learnest all of me.’

But she stamped her foot, crying, ’No! no!  I will hear it!  There’s a mystery.’

So he said, ’Well, then, it is this only; small matter enough.  I have a business with the captain of the vessel that brought us hither, and I must see him ere he setteth sail; no other than that, thou jealous, watchful star!  Pierce me with thine eyes; it is no other than that.’

She levelled her lids at him till her lustrous black eyelashes were as arrows, and mimicked him softly, ‘No other than that?’

And he replied, ‘Even so.’

Then she clung to him like a hungry creature, repeating, ‘Even so,’ and let him go.  Alone, she summoned a slave, a black, and bade him fetch to her without delay Ukleet the porter, and the porter was presently ushered in to her, protesting service and devotion.  So, she questioned him of Almeryl, and the Prince’s business abroad, what he knew of it.  Ukleet commenced reciting verses on the ills of jealousy, but Bhanavar checked him with an eye that Ukleet had seen never before in woman or in man, and he gaped at her helplessly, as one that has swallowed a bone.  She laughed, crying, ‘Learn, O thou fellow, to answer my like by the letter.’

Now, what she heard from Ukleet when he had recovered his wits, was that the Prince had a business with none save the lenders of money.  So she spake to Ukleet in a kindly tone, ‘Thou art mine, to serve me?’