The king of Persia was more astonished at hearing this than he was before: however, believing the slave might have some reason for her sorrow, he was willing to endeavour to divert it, and make her merry. Accordingly, he made a very splendid ball, to which all the fine ladies of the court came, and those who were skilful in playing upon musical instruments showed their parts, while others sang or danced, or did both together: in short, they played at a great many sorts of games, which mightily diverted the king. The fair slave was the only person that took no pleasure in those diversions: she never stirred out of her place, but with her eyes still fixed on the ground, without taking any notice of the entertainment, behaved herself with so much indifferency that all the ladies were no less surprised at it than the king. After the ball was done, every one retired to her apartment; and the king, who was left alone with the fair slave, lay with her that night. The next morning, the king of Persia arose more pleased than he had been with all the women he had ever seen, and more enamoured with the fair slave than he was before. Indeed, he soon made it appear, by resolving henceforth to keep constant to her; and he performed his resolution. On the very same day he dismissed all his other women, giving every one of them their jewels and other valuable things, besides a considerable fortune, with free leave to marry whom they thought fit, and only kept the matrons, and a few other old women, to wait upon and attend the fair slave. However, for a whole year together, she never afforded him the pleasure of one single word; yet the king took abundance of pains to please her, and, with all complaisance imaginable, to give her the most signal proofs of his violent passion.