Camaralzaman satisfied his curiosity, and when he had finished his story, in which he disguised nothing, he asked, in his turn, by what means he might get back to the dominions of the king, his father; “For,” added he, “were I to attempt to rejoin the princess, how should I find her, after eleven days, that I have been separated from her by so extraordinary an adventure. How do I know even that she still exists?” At this sorrowful reflection he could not avoid bursting into tears.
In answer to what the prince had asked, the gardener told him, that the city he was then in, was a whole year’s journey distant from those countries where mussulmen lived, and which were governed by princes of their religion; but that by sea he might reach the isle of Ebony in a much shorter time; and that from thence it would be more easy to pass to the Islands of the Children of Khaledan: that every year a merchant ship sailed to the Isle of Ebony, and that he might avail himself of that opportunity to return from thence to the Islands of the Children of Khaledan. “If you had arrived some days sooner,” continued he, “you might have embarked in that which sailed this year. But if you will wait till that of next year sails, and like to live with me, I offer you my house, such as it is, with all my heart.”
Prince Camaralzaman esteemed himself very fortunate in having thus met with an asylum, in a place where he neither knew any one, nor had any interest to form acquaintances. He accepted the offer, and remained with the gardener; and while he waited the departure of a merchant vessel for the Isle of Ebony, he employed himself in working in the garden during the day; and the nights, when nothing prevented his thoughts from fixing on his dear princess Badoura, he passed in sighs, tears, and lamentations. We will leave him in this place to return to the princess Badoura, whom we left sleeping in her tent.
This princess slept for some time, and on waking was surprised that prince Camaralzaman was not with her. She called her women, and asked them if they knew where he was. Whilst they were assuring her that they had seen him go into the tent, but had not observed his quitting it, she perceived, on taking up her girdle, that the little bag was open, and that the talisman was no longer in it. She did not doubt that the prince had taken it out to examine it, and that he would bring it back. She expected him till night with the greatest impatience, and could not comprehend what could oblige him to be absent from her so long. When she perceived that night was come on, and that it was already quite dark, and yet he did not return, she gave herself up to the deepest affliction. She uttered a thousand curses, both on the talisman and on him who made it; and if respect had not restrained her tongue, she would even have indulged in imprecations against the queen, her mother, for having made her so fatal a present. Although she was distracted at this event, so much the more afflicting, as she could form no conception why the talisman should be the cause of the prince’s departure, she did not lose her presence of mind, but, on the contrary, formed a courageous design, not common with people of her sex.
None, but the princess and her women, knew of Camaralzaman’s disappearance; for at that time his people had all retired, and were sleeping in their tents. As she feared they might betray her if his absence came to their knowledge, she endeavoured to subdue her grief, and commanded her women not to say or do any thing that might create the slightest suspicion. She then changed her dress for one of Camaralzaman’s, whom she resembled so strongly, that his people supposed it to be him on the following morning, when she made her appearance, and commanded them to pack up the baggage, and proceed on their journey. When all was ready, she made one of her women take her place in the litter, and she herself mounted her horse, and they set off.
After a journey of several months by land, as well as by sea, the princess, who had continued the disguise of prince Camaralzaman, in order to reach the Islands of the Children of Khaledan, arrived at the capital of the Isle of Ebony, the reigning king of which was named Armanos. As those of her people, who disembarked the first to seek a lodging for her, had published in the town, that the vessel which was just arrived bore prince Camaralzaman, who was returning from a long voyage, and whom bad weather had obliged to make for this port, the intelligence soon reached the palace of the king.
King Armanos, accompanied by the greatest part of his court, immediately set out to receive the princess, and met her just as she had left the vessel, and was going to the lodging that was engaged for her. He received her as the son of a king who was his friend and ally, with whom he had always lived on terms of amity, and conducted her to his palace, where he lodged her and her whole suit, notwithstanding her earnest entreaties to be permitted to have a lodging to herself. He conferred upon her all the honors imaginable, besides regaling her for three days with extraordinary magnificence.
When the three days were expired, king Armanos finding that the princess, whom he still supposed to be prince Camaralzaman, talked of re-embarking, and continuing her voyage, and being quite charmed with a prince who appeared to him so handsome and well-made, and possessed of so much wit and knowledge, spoke to her in private. “Prince,” said he, “at the advanced age to which you see I am arrived, with little hope of living much longer, I endure the mortification of not having a son, to whom I can bequeath my kingdom. Heaven has bestowed on me one only daughter, who is possessed of such beauty as cannot be matched but with a prince of such high birth and such mental as well as personal accomplishments as distinguish you. Instead, therefore, of preparing to return to your own country, accept her from my hands, together with my crown, which I from this moment resign in your favor, and remain with us. It is now time for me to repose, after having borne the weight of it for so many years; I cannot do it with more satisfaction to myself, than at a period when I am likely to see my state governed by so worthy a successor.”
This generous offer of the king of the Island of Ebony, to give his only daughter in marriage to the princess Badoura, who, being a woman, could not accept her, and of giving up to her all his dominions, occasioned her a degree of embarrassment which she little expected. After having told the king that she was Camaralzaman, and having supported the character with so much plausibility, she thought it would be unworthy of a princess of her rank to undeceive him, and to declare, that instead of being the prince himself, she was only his wife. But if she refused him, she had just reason to fear, from the extreme desire he had evinced for the completion of the marriage, that he might change his friendship and good-will towards her into enmity and hatred, and might even attempt her life. Besides which, she could not be certain that she should find Camaralzaman at the court of king Schahzaman, his father.
These considerations, together with that of acquiring a kingdom for the prince, her husband, in case she should ever rejoin him, determined Badoura to accept the proposals of king Armanos. Having, therefore, remained for some minutes without speaking, she thus replied, her face being at the same time overspread with blushes, which the king attributed to her modesty, “Sire, I am under infinite obligations to your majesty, for the good opinion you have conceived of my person, and for the honor you do me, by conferring on me so great a favor, which I am by no means deserving of, yet dare not refuse. But, Sire,” added she, “I cannot accept so great an alliance, except on condition, that your majesty will assist me with your counsels; and that I undertake nothing that you shall not previously have approved of.”