alone than he shut himself up in his
apartment, and gave way to his sorrow. But as he sat thus grieving at
the open window, looking out upon the beautiful garden of the palace,
he suddenly saw the sultana, the beloved wife of his brother, meet a
man in the garden with whom she held an affectionate conversation.
Upon witnessing this interview, Schah-zenan determined that he would
no longer give way to such inconsolable grief for a misfortune which
came to other husbands as well as to himself. He ordered supper to be
brought, and ate with a better appetite than he had before done since
leaving Samarcand. He even enjoyed the fine concert performed while he
sat at table.

Schah-riar returned from the hunt at the close of the second day, and
was delighted at the change which he soon found had taken place in his
brother. He urged him to explain the cause of his former depression
and of his present joy. The King of Tartary, feeling it his duty to
obey his suzerain lord, related the story of his wife's misconduct,
and of the severe punishment which he had visited on her. Schah-riar
expressed his full approval of his brother's conduct.

"I own," he said, "had I been in your place I should have been less
easily satisfied. I should not have been contented to take away the
life of one woman, but should have sacrificed a thousand to my
resentment. Your fate, surely, is most singular. Since, however, it
has pleased God to afford you consolation, which, I am sure, is as
well founded as was your grief, inform me, I beg, of that also."

Schah-zenan was very reluctant to relate what he had seen, but at last
yielded to the urgent commands and entreaties of his brother, and told
him of the faithlessness of his own queen.

At this unexpected news, the rage and grief of Schah-riar knew no
bounds. He far exceeded his brother in his invectives and indignation.
Not only did he sentence to death his unhappy sultana but bound
himself by a solemn vow that, immediately on the departure of the king
his brother, he would marry a new wife every night, and command her to
be strangled in the morning. Schah-zenan soon after had a solemn
audience of leave, and returned to his own kingdom, laden with the
most magnificent presents.

When Schah-zenan was gone the sultan began to carry out his unhappy
oath. Every night he married the daughter of some one of his subjects,
and the next morning she was ordered out and put to death. It was the
duty of the g