hand-women and every one in the palace will know that he hath taken my maidenhead in the way of shame; and if I return to my father, with what face shall I meet him or with what face shall I have recourse to him? How well quoth the poet, 'Say, what shall solace one who hath nor home nor stable stead * Nor cup-companion, nor a cup, nor place to house his head?'" Marjanah answered her, "It is thine to command; I will obey;" and Abrizah said, "I desire at once to leave this place secretly, so that none shall know of me but thou; and return to my father and my mother, for when flesh stinketh, there is naught for it but its own folk and Allah shall do with me e'en as He will." "O Princess," Marjanah replied, "what thou wouldest do is well." Then she made matters ready and kept her secret and waited for some days till the King went out to chase and hunt, and his son Sharrkan betook himself to certain of the fortresses to sojourn there awhile. Then said she to Marjanah, "I wish to set out this night, but how shall I do against my destiny? For already I feel the pangs of labour and child-birth, and if I abide other four or five days, I shall be brought to bed here, and I shall be unable to travel to my country. But this is what was written on my forehead." Then she considered awhile, and said to Marjanah, "Look us out a man who will go with us and serve us by the way, for I have no strength to bear arms." "By Allah, O my lady," replied Marjanah, "I know none but a black slave called Al- Ghazbán,[FN#222] who is one of the slaves of King Omar bin al- Nu'uman; he is a valiant wight, and he keepeth guard at our palace-gate. The King appointed him to attend us, and indeed we have overwhelmed him with our favours; so, lookye, I will go out and speak with him of this matter, and promise him some monies and tell him that, if he have a mind to tarry with us, I will marry him to whom he will. He told me before to-day that he had been a highwayman; so if he consent to us we shall win our wish and reach to our own land." She rejoined, "Call him, that I may talk with him;" whereupon Marjanah fared forth and said to the slave, 'O Ghazban, Allah prosper thee, so thou fall in with what my lady saith to thee!" Then she took him by the hand and brought him to the Princess, whose hands he kissed, but as she beheld him, her heart took fright at him. "However," she said to herself, "of a truth, Need giveth the law;" and she approached to speak with him, yet her heart started away from him. Presently she said, "O Ghazban, say me, wilt thou help me against the perfidies of Fortune and conceal my secret if I discover it to thee?" When the slave saw her, his heart was taken by storm and he fell in love with her forthright and could not but reply; "O my mistress, whatsoever thou biddest me do, I will not depart therefrom." Quoth she, "I would have thee take me at this hour and take this my handmaid and saddle us two camels and two of the King's horses and set on each horse a