When I saw that my discourse, instead of bringing her to her duty, served only to increase her rage, I gave over and retired. She continued every day to visit her gallant, and for two whole years gave herself up to excessive grief. I went a second time to the Palace of Tears, while she was there. I hid myself again, and heard her speak thus to her gallant: It is now three years since you spoke one word to me; you return no answer to the expressions of love I give you by my discourse and groans. Is it from insensibility, or contempt? O, tomb! hast thou abated that excessive love he had for me? Hast thou shut those eyes that showed me so much love, and were all my joy? No, no, I believe nothing of it. Tell me rather, by what miracle thou becamest the depository of the rarest treasure that ever was in the world. I must confess, my lord, I was enraged at these words; for, in short, this gallant so much doted upon, this adored mortal, was not such a one as you would imagine him to have been. He was a black Indian, a native of that country. I say, I was so enraged at that discourse, that I discovered myself all of a sudden, and addressing the tomb in my turn: O, tomb! cried I, why dost not thou swallow up that monster in nature, or rather, why dost not thou swallow up the gallant and his mistress? I had scarce finished these words, when the queen, who sat by the black, rose up like a fury. Cruel man! said she, thou art the cause of my grief; do not you think that I know it? I have dissembled it but too long; it is thy barbarous hand which hath brought the object of my love into this lamentable condition; and you are so hard-hearted as to come and insult a despairing lover. Yes, said I, in a rage, it was I who chastised that monster, according to his desert; I ought to have treated thee in the same manner; I repent now that I did not do it; thou hast abused my goodness too long. As I spoke these words, I drew out my scimitar, and lifted up my hand to punish her; but she, steadfastly beholding me, said, with a jeering smile, Moderate thy anger. At the same time, she pronounced words I did not understand; and afterwards added, By virtue of my enchantments, I command thee immediately to become half marble and half man. Immediately, my lord, I became such as you see me already, a dead man among the living, and a living man among the dead. Here Scheherazade, perceiving day, broke off her story. Upon which Dinarzade says, Dear sister, I am extremely obliged to the sultan: it is to his goodness I owe the extraordinary pleasure I have in your stories. My sister, replies the sultaness, if the sultan will be so good as to suffer me to live till to-morrow, I shall tell you a thing that will afford as much satisfaction as any thing you have yet heard. Though Schahriar had not resolved to defer the death of Scheherazade a month longer, he could not have ordered her to be put to death that day. TWENTY-FIFTH NIGHT.