afflicted," answered the Princess of Cassimir, "doubt
vanishes when you are present; but wonder not at my incredulity, since
my whole life has been a false illusion. O Allah, wherefore hast Thou
made the weakest the most subject to deceit?"

"To call in question the wisdom of Allah," answered the genius Macoma,
"is to act like the child of folly: go, then, thou mirror of justice
and understanding, and span with thy mighty arms the numberless
heavens of the Faithful; weigh in thy just balance the wisdom of thy
Maker, and the fitness of His creation; and, joined with the evil race
from whom I have preserved thee, rail at that goodness thou canst not
comprehend."

"Spare me, just genius," answered the Princess of Cassimir; "spare the
weakness of my disordered head. I confess my folly; but weak is the
offspring of weakness."

"True," replied the genius; "but although you are weak, ought you
therefore to be presumptuous? Knowest thou not that the Sultan Misnar
suffered with you because he despaired? And now would Hapacuson return
thee to thy former slumbers, did not Allah, who has beheld thy former
sufferings, in pity forgive the vain thoughts of mortality."

"Blessed is His goodness," answered the Princess, "and blessed are His
servants, who delight in succouring and instructing the weak and
distressed."

"To be sorry for our errors," said the genius, "is to bring down the
pardon of Heaven; and Hemjunah, though so long overpowered by the
malicious, is nevertheless one of the loveliest of her sex.

"Sultan of India," continued Macoma, turning to Misnar, "I leave the
Princess of Cassimir to your care, in full assurance that the delicacy
of her sentiments will not be offended by your royal and noble
treatment of her. But let an ambassador be immediately dispatched from
your Court to inform her aged and pious father of the safety of his
daughter."

"The dictates of Macoma," answered the Sultan, bowing before her, "are
the dictates of virtue and humanity, and her will shall be religiously
obeyed."

At these words the genius vanished, and the Sultan bade part of his
guards return to Delhi to the chief of his eunuchs, and order him to
prepare a palanquin and proper attendants to convey the Princess of
Cassimir to the royal palace.

While these preparations were making, the Sultan and his Vizier
endeavoured to soothe and entertain the Princess of Cassimir; and
though Horam was desirous of hearing her adventures, yet the