he wet perfumes still lay on their undried and flowing hair, and nimble
female slaves were busied in carefully wiping away, with little bags
made of soft camels' hair, the slightest outward trace of the moisture
which penetrated deep into the pores of the skin.

Silken coverlets were spread over their weary, beautiful limbs, and a
troop of eunuchs took good care that the dreamy repose of the entire
body should not be disturbed by quarrelsome or petulant individuals.
Their efforts, however, were seldom so successful as to-day, when every
one knew that a disturbance of the peace would be punished by exclusion
from the banquet. They had probably been lying a full hour in
this dreamy silence, when the sound of a gong produced another
transformation.

The reposing figures sprang from their cushions, a troop of female
slaves pressed into the hall, the beauties were annointed and perfumed,
their luxuriant hair ingeniously braided, plaited, and adorned with
precious stones. Costly ornaments and silken and woolen robes in all the
colors of the rainbow were brought in, shoes stiff with rich embroidery
of pearls and jewels were tied on to their tender feet, and golden
girdles fastened round their waists.

[Some kings gave their wives the revenues of entire cities as
"girdle-money" (pin-money).]

By the time Boges came in, the greater number of the women were already
fully adorned in their costly jewelry, which would have represented
probably, when taken together, the riches of a large kingdom.

He was greeted by a shrill cry of joy from many voices. Twenty of the
women joined hands and danced round their smiling keeper, singing
a simple song which had been composed in the harem in praise of his
virtues. On this day it was customary for the king to grant each of his
wives one reasonable petition. So when the ring of dancers had loosed
hands, a troop of petitioners rushed in upon Boges, kissing his hands,
stroking his cheeks, whispering in his ear all kinds of requests, and
trying by flattery to gain his intercession with the king. The woman's
tyrant smiled at it all, stopped his ears and pushed them all back
with jests and laughter, promising Amytis the Median that Esther the
Phoenician should be punished, and Esther the same of Amytis,--that
Parmys should have a handsomer set of jewels than Parisatys, and
Parisatys a more costly one than Parmys, but finding it impossible
to get rid of these importunate petitioners, he b