evening,
he told her to relate to him the occasion of the serious and almost
fatal fainting fit into which she had fallen.

"Sire," said the young lady, with tears in her eyes, "all my trouble,
and the fact that I am now here, arises from the vile conduct of a
relative, from whom I had every reason to expect very different
treatment.

"My father was a wealthy merchant, living at Teheran, and I his only
daughter. He gave me the name of Abadeh, and spared no expense to
render his house and garden--where I lived until I was sixteen years of
age--as bright and charming as it is possible for any young girl to
desire.

"Nothing I wished for was denied me; and when one day, while on my way
to the bath, I saw Suliman, the nephew of the Emir Bargash ibn Beynin
of Bagdad, who was visiting Teheran, and could neither rest nor he
happy because I was continually thinking of him, my dear father no
sooner had learned the cause of my disquiet than he arranged a marriage
between us, giving Suliman such a handsome dower with me as made him
think himself a very fortunate young man."

Haroun Alraschid, who was a very polite man among ladies, here
interposed the remark that Suliman had much cause to consider himself
fortunate, irrespective of the dower.

Abadeh, blushing at the Caliph's compliment, continued--

"For a whole year we lived very happily together, when, on the death of
my dear father, my husband, no longer having any inducement to remain
in Persia, determined to return to his native country.

"After a journey marked by no noteworthy incident, we arrived at length
in Bagdad. Hiring a house next to that occupied by my husband's uncle,
the Emir Bargash ibn Beynin, we have resided there now nearly a year,
in the greatest contentment and happiness, and constantly visited by
the Emir, who has always professed to be extremely pleased with our
society.

"Yesterday evening, however, he sent one of his female slaves to bid me
come at once to his house, as Suliman was suddenly taken ill.

"I was just dressed to receive my dear husband, whose return I every
moment expected. I hurried down therefore from my chamber just as I
was, forgetting even in my excitement to throw my yashmak over me, and
crossing the narrow yard between our houses, I entered the Emir's
garden.

"He met me in the midst of the garden, and in answer to my eager
inquiry for my husband, he said: 'You cannot see him, it is too late;
he is dead.'

"'Imposs