he, in a
melancholy tone, "I have just saved your life, and this writing
is my death! I do not comprehend all the mystery; but it
convinces me I am the most unfortunate of men. Pardon, madam, the
liberty I take, but it was impossible for me to see you without
giving you my heart. You are not ignorant yourself, that it was
not in my power to refuse it you, and that makes my presumption
excusable. I proposed to myself to touch your heart by my
respectful behaviour, my care, my assiduity, my submission, my
constancy; and no sooner have I formed the flattering design,
than I am robbed of all my hopes. I cannot long survive so great
a misfortune. But, be that as it will, I shall have the
satisfaction of dying entirely yours. Proceed, madam, I conjure
you, and give me full information of my unhappy fate."

He could not utter those words without letting fall some tears.
The lady was moved; but was so far from being displeased at the
declaration he made, that she felt secret joy; for her heart
began to yield. However, she concealed her feelings, and as if
she had not regarded what Ganem had said. "I should have been
very cautious," answered she, "of shewing you my veil, had I
thought it would have given you so much uneasiness; but I do not
perceive that what I have to say to you can make your condition
so deplorable as you imagine."

"You must understand," proceeded she, "in order to acquaint you
with my story, that my name is Fetnah (which signifies
disturbance), which was given me at my birth, because it was
judged that the sight of me would one day occasion many
calamities. Of this you cannot be ignorant, since there is nobody
in Bagdad but knows that the caliph, my sovereign lord and yours,
has a favourite so called.

"I was carried into his palace in my tenderest years, and I have
been brought up with all the care that is usually taken with such
persons of my sex as are destined to reside there. I made no
little progress in all they took the pains to teach me; and that,
with some share of beauty, gained me the affection of the caliph,
who allotted me a particular apartment adjoining to his own. That
prince was not satisfied with such a mark of distinction; he
appointed twenty women to wait on me, and as many eunuchs; and
ever since he has made me such considerable presents, that I saw
myself richer than any queen in the world. You may judge by what
I have said, that Zobeide, the caliph's wife and kinswoman, could
n