by the four black mutes,
with his face enveloped in a shawl.

"This, then," said the chief Brahmin, "is the favoured youth, Acota.
Remove the shawl, and lead him to the princess."

The mutes obeyed, and to the horror of Babe-bi-bobu, there stood Acota,
as she thought, with a face so scarred and burnt, that his features were
not distinguishable. She started from her throne, uttered one wild
shriek, which was said to have been heard by the whole ten square miles
of population, and fainted in the arms of her attendants.

"We know his dress, most noble grandees," continued the chief Brahmin,
"but how can we recognise in that object, the youth without scar or
blemish? It is the will of Heaven," continued the chief Brahmin, piously
and reverently bending low. And all the other grandees replied in the
same pious manner, "It is the will of Heaven." "I say," continued the
chief Brahmin, "that this must have been occasioned by the princess not
having chosen as ordained by the will of her father, but having
impiously left to chance what was to have been decided by free will. Is
not the hand, the finger of Providence made manifest?" continued he,
appealing to the grandees. And they all bowed low, and declared that the
hand and finger of Providence were manifest; while the mutes, who knew
that it was their hands and fingers which had done the deed, chuckled as
well as they could with the remnants of their tongues. "And now,"
continued the chief Brahmin, "we must obey the will of the late king,
which expressly states, that if any accident should happen after the
choice of the princess had been made, that I, the chief of our holy
religion, should select her husband. By virtue, then, of my power, I
call thee forth, my son, Mezrimbi, to take his place. Bow down to
Mezrimbi, the future king of Souffraria."

Acota, muffled up to the eyes, and dressed in the garments of Mezrimbi,
stepped forth, and the chief Brahmin, and all present, in pursuance to
his order, prostrated themselves before Acota, with their foreheads in
the dust. Acota took that opportunity of removing the shawl, and, when
they rose up, stood by the throne, resplendent in his beauty and his
pride. At the sight of him, the chief Brahmin raised a cry, which was
heard, not only further than the shriek of the beautiful Princess
Babe-bi-bobu, but had the effect of recalling her to life and
recollection. All joined in the cry of astonishment when they beheld
Acota in the gar