himself to that place, where he found the damsel and was amazed at her, for that he saw her overpassing the description wherewith the camel-driver had described her to him.  So he accosted her and said to her, ’I am King Kisra, greatest of the kings.  Wilt thou not have me to husband?’ Quoth she, ’What wilt thou do with me, O king, and I a woman abandoned in the desert?’ And he answered, saying, ’Needs must this be, and if thou wilt not consent to me, I will take up my sojourn here and devote myself to God’s service and thine and worship Him with thee.’

Then he bade set up for her a tent and another for himself, facing hers, so he might worship God with her, and fell to sending her food; and she said in herself, ’This is a king and it is not lawful for me that I suffer him forsake his subjects and his kingdom for my sake.  So she said to the serving-woman, who used to bring her the food, ’Speak to the king, so he may return to his women, for he hath no need of me and I desire to abide in this place, so I may worship God the Most High therein.’  The slave-girl returned to the king and told him this, whereupon he sent back to her, saying, ’I have no need of the kingship and I also desire to abide here and worship God with thee in this desert.’  When she found this earnestness in him, she consented to his wishes and said, ’O king, I will consent unto thee in that which thou desirest and will be to thee a wife, but on condition that thou bring me Dadbin the king and his Vizier Kardan and his chamberlain[FN#116] and that they be present in thine assembly, so I may speak a word with them in thy presence, to the intent that thou mayest redouble in affection for me.’  Quoth Kisra, ’And what is thine occasion unto this?’ So she related to him her story from first to last, how she was the wife of Dadbin the king and how the latter’s vizier had miscalled her honour.

When King Kisra heard this, he redoubled in loveliking for her and affection and said to her, ‘Do what thou wilt.’  So he let bring a litter and carrying her therein to his dwelling-place, married her and entreated her with the utmost honour.  Then he sent a great army to King Dadbin and fetching him and his vizier and the chamberlain, caused bring them before him, unknowing what he purposed with them.  Moreover, he caused set up for Arwa a pavilion in the courtyard of his palace and she entered therein and let down the curtain before herself.  When the servants had set their seats and they had seated themselves, Arwa raised a corner of the curtain and said, ’O Kardan, rise to thy feet, for it befitteth not that thou sit in the like of this assembly, before this mighty King Kisra.’  When the vizier heard these words, his heart quaked and his joints were loosened and of his fear, he rose to his feet.  Then said she to him, ’By the virtue of Him who hath made thee stand in this place of standing [up to judgment], and thou abject and humiliated, I conjure thee speak the truth and say what prompted thee to lie against me and cause me go forth from my house and from the hand of my husband and made thee practise thus against a man,[FN#117] a true believer, and slay him.  This is no place wherein leasing availeth nor may prevarication be therein.’