own person, and sat clown
and said to me, 'O you of evil destiny, relate now your story, that
I may know who you are,' I told him my name and place of residence,
and whatever various misfortunes had befallen me, I related to the end.

"When the young man had heard all my history, he wept, and addressing
himself to me, he said, 'O youth, hear now my story. I am the daughter
of the _raja_ of the land of _Zerbad_, [307] and that young man who is
confined in the prison of Solomon, his name is _Bahramand_; he is the
son of my father's prime minister. One day the _Maharaj_ [my father]
ordered that all the _rajas_ and _kunwars_ [308] should assemble on the
plain, which lay under the lattices [of the seraglio] to shoot arrows,
and play at _chaugan_, [309] so that the horsemanship and dexterity of
every individual might be displayed. I was seated near the _rani_ [310]
my mother, behind one of the lattices of the highest story, and the
female servants and slaves were in waiting around; there I was looking
at the sport. The minister's son was the handsomest [man] among them;
and having caracoled his horse, he performed his exercises with much
address. He appeared very agreeable [in my eyes], and my heart became
enamoured of him. I kept this circumstance concealed for a long while.

"'At last, when I became quite restless, I mentioned it to my
hand-maid, and gave her many presents [to gain her assistance]. She
contrived, by some means or other, to introduce the youth in secrecy
into my apartment; he then began to love me likewise. Many days passed
in these love interviews. In short, the sentinels saw him one midnight
going armed into my apartment, and seized him, and informed the _raja_
of the circumstance. The _raja_ ordered him to be put to death; through
the solicitations of all the officers of state, his life was pardoned,
but he was ordered to be thrown into the prison of Solomon; and the
other young man, who is a fellow-prisoner with him, is his brother, and
was with him the night [he was seized]. Both were put into the well,
and it is now three years since they were confined, but no one has yet
found out why the youth entered the _raja's_ palace. God has preserved
my character [from public exposure], and in return for his goodness,
I conceived it my duty to continue to supply the two prisoners with
bread and water. Since their confinement I go there every eight days,
and let them down eight days' provisions at once.

"'Las