the
queen; 'I must find out something of the lady whom no one ever sees. I
daresay it is not a lady at all, but a gang of conspirators who want to
get possession of my throne. To-morrow I shall take my son and my chief
ministers and insist on getting inside.'

* * * * *

Soon after sunrise next day the prince's wife was standing on a little
hill behind the house, when she saw a cloud of dust coming through the
town. A moment afterwards she heard faintly the roll of the drums that
announced the king's presence, and saw a crowd of people approaching the
grove of palms. Her heart beat fast. Could her husband be among them? In
any case they must not discover her there; so just bidding the ring
prepare some food for them, she ran inside, and bound a veil of golden
gauze round her head and face. Then, taking the child's hand, she went
to the door and waited.

In a few minutes the whole procession came up, and she stepped forward
and begged them to come in and rest.

'Willingly,' answered the king; 'go first, and we will follow you.'

They followed her into a long dark room, in which was a table covered
with gold cups and baskets filled with dates and coconuts and all kinds
of ripe yellow fruits, and the king and the prince sat upon cushions and
were served by slaves, while the ministers, among whom she recognised
her own brother, stood behind.

'Ah, I owe all my misery to him,' she said to herself. 'From the first
he has hated me,' but outwardly she showed nothing. And when the king
asked her what news there was in the town she only answered:

'You have ridden far; eat first, and drink, for you must be hungry and
thirsty, and then I will tell you my news.'

'You speak sense,' answered the king, and silence prevailed for some
time longer. Then he said:

'Now, lady, I have finished, and am refreshed, therefore tell me, I pray
you, who you are, and whence you come? But, first, be seated.'

She bowed her head and sat down on a big scarlet cushion, drawing her
little boy, who was asleep in a corner, on to her knee, and began to
tell the story of her life. As her brother listened, he would fain have
left the house and hidden himself in the forest, but it was his duty to
wave the fan of peacock's feathers over the king's head to keep off the
flies, and he knew he would be seized by the royal guards if he tried to
desert his post. He must stay where he was, there was no help for it,
and luck