these testimonies of
love?" He was going to awake her, but suddenly refrained. "Is not
this she," said he, "that the sultan my father would have had me
marry? He was in the wrong not to let me see her sooner. I should
not have offended him by my disobedience and passionate language
to him in public, and he would have spared himself the confusion
which I have occasioned him."

The prince began to repent sincerely of the fault he had
committed, and was once more on the point of awaking the princess
of China. "It may be," said he, "that the sultan my father has a
mind to surprise me; and has sent this young lady to try if I had
really that aversion to marriage which I pretended. Who knows but
he has brought her himself, and is hidden behind the hangings, to
observe me, and make me ashamed of my dissimulation? The second
fault would be greater than the first. At all events, I will
content myself with this ring, as a remembrance of her."

He then gently drew off a ring which the princess had on her
finger, and immediately replaced it with one of his own. After
this he fell into a more profound sleep than before, through the
enchantment of the genies.

Danhasch now transformed himself into a flea in his turn, and bit
the princess so rudely on the lip, that she awoke, started up,
and on opening her eyes, was not a little surprised to see a man
lying by her side. From surprise she proceeded to admiration, and
from admiration to a transport of joy, at beholding so beautiful
and lovely a youth.

"What!" cried she, "is it you the king my father has designed me
for a husband? Would that I had known it, for then I should not
have displeased him, nor been deprived of a husband whom I cannot
forbear loving. Wake then, awake!"

So saying, she took the prince by the arm, and shook him so
violently, that he would have awaked, had not Maimoune increased
his sleep by her enchantment. She shook him several times, and
finding he did not awake, exclaimed, "What is come to thee? what
jealous rival, envying thy happiness and mine, has had recourse
to magic to throw thee into this unconquerable drowsiness when
thou shouldst be most awake?" Tired at length with her fruitless
endeavours to awaken the prince; "Since," said she, "I find it is
not in my power to awake thee, I will no longer disturb thy
repose, but wait our next meeting." After having kissed his
cheek, she lay down and fell asleep by enchantment.

Maimoune now cried out to D