t that dear son," replied the surgeon, "that I wish to speak to
her." "If so," said the slave, "you need but follow us to the palace,
and you shall soon have the opportunity."

Accordingly, as soon as Pirouze was returned to her apartment, the slave
acquainted her that a person unknown had some important information to
communicate to her, and that it related to Prince Codadad. No sooner had
he uttered these words, than Pirouze expressed her impatience to see the
stranger. The slave immediately conducted him into the princess's closet
who ordered all her women to withdraw, except two, from whom she
concealed nothing. As soon as she saw the surgeon, she asked him eagerly
what news he had to tell her of Codadad. "Madam," answered the surgeon,
after having prostrated himself on the ground, "I have a long account to
give you, and such as will surprise you." He then related all the
particulars of what had passed between Codadad and his brothers, which
she listened to with eager attention; but when he came to speak of the
murder, the tender mother fainted away on her sofa, as if she had
herself been stabbed like her son. Her two women soon brought her to
herself and the surgeon continued his relation; and when he had
concluded, Pirouze said to him: "Go back to the princess of Deryabar,
and assure her from me that the sultan shall soon own her for his
daughter-in-law; and as for yourself, your services shall be rewarded as
liberally as they deserve."

When the surgeon was gone, Pirouze remained on the sofa in such a state
of affliction as may easily be imagined; and yielding to her tenderness
at the recollection of Codadad, "O my son!" said she, "I must never then
expect to see you more! Unfortunate Codadad, why did you leave me?"
While she uttered these words, she wept bitterly, and her two
attendants, moved by her grief, mingled their tears with hers.

Whilst they were all three in this manner vying in affliction, the
sultan came into the closet, and seeing them in this condition, asked
Pirouze whether she had received any bad news concerning Codadad. "Alas!
sir," said she, "all is over, my son has lost his life, and to add to my
sorrow, I cannot pay him the funeral rites; for, in all probability,
wild beasts have devoured him." She then told him all she had heard from
the surgeon, and did not fail to enlarge on the inhuman manner in which
Codadad had been murdered by his brothers.

The sultan did not give Pirouze time to