n again, the two women covered her up: "Lie quiet," said
she, who brought her the china cup, "and get a little sleep, if
you can: we will leave you, and hope to find you perfectly
recovered when we return an hour hence."

The sorceress, who came not to act a sick part long, but to
discover prince Ahmed's retreat, being fully satisfied in what
she wanted to know, would willingly have declared that the potion
had then had its effect, so great was her desire to return to the
sultan, to inform him of the success of her commission: but as
she had been told that the potion did not operate immediately,
she was forced to wait the women's return.

The two women came again at the time they had mentioned, and
found the sorceress seated on the sofa; who, when she saw them
open the door of the apartment, cried out, "O the admirable
potion! it has wrought its cure much sooner than you told me it
would, and I have waited with impatience to desire you to conduct
me to your charitable mistress, to thank her for her kindness,
for which I shall always feel obliged; but being thus cured as by
a miracle, I would not lose time, but prosecute my journey."

The two women, who were fairies as well as their mistress, after
they had told the sorceress how glad they were that she was cured
so soon, walked before her, and conducted her through several
apartments, all more superb than that wherein she had lain, into
a large hall, the most richly and magnificently furnished of all
the palace.

Perie Banou was seated in this hall, upon a throne of massive
gold, enriched with diamonds, rubies, and pearls of an
extraordinary size, and attended on each hand by a great number
of beautiful fairies, all richly dressed. At the sight of so much
splendour, the sorceress was not only dazzled, but so struck,
that after she had prostrated herself before the throne, she
could not open her lips to thank the fairy, as she had proposed.
However, Perie Banou saved her the trouble, and said, "Good
woman, I am glad I had an opportunity to oblige you, and that you
are able to pursue your journey. I will not detain you; but
perhaps you may not be displeased to see my palace: follow my
women, and they will shew it you."

The old sorceress, who had not power nor courage to say a word,
prostrated herself a second time, with her head on the carpet
that covered the foot of the throne, took her leave, and was
conducted by the two fairies through the same apartments whic