one of Allah’s creatures into the garth, because of its communication with the Princess’s palace. I will let thee know two days beforehand of the day fixed for her coming forth, when do thou repair to the garden, as of thy wont, and make shift to night there. When the King’s daughter cometh be thou hidden in some place or other”;——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say. When it was the Seven Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night, She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old woman charged the King’s son, saying, “I will let thee know two days beforehand of the King’s daughter going down to the garden: do thou hide thee in some place or other; and, when thou espiest her, come forth and show thyself to her. When she seeth thee, she will fall in love with thee; for thou art fair to look upon and love covereth all things. So keep thine eyes cool and clear[FN#278] and be of good cheer, O my son, for needs must I bring about union between thee and her.” The young Prince kissed her hand and thanked her and gave her three pieces of Alexandrian silk and three of satin of various colours, and with each piece, linen for shifts and stuff for trousers and a kerchief for the turband and fine white cotton cloth of Ba’albak for the linings, so as to make her six complete suits, each handsomer than its sister. Moreover, he gave her a purse containing six hundred gold pieces and said to her, “This is for the tailoring.” She took the whole and said to him, “O my son, art thou not pleased to acquaint me with thine abiding-place and I also will show thee the way to my lodging?” “Yes,” answered he and sent a Mameluke with her to note her home and show her his own house. Then he rose and bidding his slaves shut the shop, went back to the Wazir, to whom he related all that had passed between him and the old woman, from first to last. Quoth the Minister, “O my son, should the Princess Hayat al-Nufus come out and look upon thee and thou find no favour with her what wilt thou do?” Quoth Ardashir, “There will be nothing left but to pass from words to deeds and risk my life with her; for I will snatch her up from amongst her attendants and set her behind me on a swift horse and make for the wildest of the wold. If I escape, I shall have won my wish and if I perish, I shall be at rest from this hateful life.” Rejoined the Minister, “O my son, dost thou think to do this thing and live? How shall we make our escape, seeing that our country is far distant, and how wilt thou deal thus with a King of the Kings of the Age, who hath under his hand an hundred thousand horse, nor can we be sure but that he will despatch some of his troops to cut off our way? Verily, there is no good in this project which no wise man would attempt.” Asked Ardashir, “And how then shall we do, O Wazir of good counsel? For unless I win her I am a dead man without a chance.” The Minister answered, “Wait till to-morrow when we