He read in her words, her looks, and her gestures only the fond impatience of a love long, secret, and denied.
He prostrated himself, and saying, "I will return at nightfall," left her to hurry on his errand.
In the early evening, when the darkness had only just fallen, he drove in a carriage to the palace; he left it at a little distance from the great gold entrance, and taking on his person much of his stolen treasure, he was ushered into the Princess's room; the swinging lamps were lit and shed a faint radiance on all around.
She was by herself, and greeted him in a manner that left nothing to be desired.
Wishing to assure her of the existence of that money and those jewels that he had spoken of, and feeling nervously elated, he drew from the recesses of his turban and sash a handful of great stones, that were as rivers of light; she gave a woman's delighted cry as she took them in her hands.
He smiled, well pleased, and tendered a great ruby of wondrous size and blood-red fire.
"These are but a few of what I have," he said.
"How rich you must be!" she exclaimed, "From whence did all these things come?"
"Ah, Princess, what matter whence they came? Sufficient it is that now they are yours."