young slaves who enjoyed her confidence. No sooner had she entered
into her apartment, than she tore off her veil, and throwing herself
upon a couch, gave free vent to the grief and rage which agitated her;
shame and sorrow were depicted on her countenance; her eyes already
bedimmed with tears, overflowed afresh; she tore off the flowers that
adorned her head, and allowed her hair to fall about her in confusion.
Her two favourite slaves attempted to console her, but she only said
bitterly, "Leave me, both of you, cease your useless attentions. I
will listen to nothing but my despair; leave me alone to pour forth my
tears and lamentations. Ah! how great will be my confusion to-morrow,
when I shall be forced to acknowledge before the whole council, and
the wisest doctors of China, that I cannot solve the question. Is
that, they will say, the transcendent princess who prides herself
upon knowing every thing, and to whom the solution of the most
difficult enigma presented no difficulty?"
"Alas!" continued she, "they all take an interest in this young
prince. I noticed them grow pale with anxiety when he appeared
embarrassed. I saw their faces beaming with joy when he penetrated the
meaning of my questions. I shall have the bitter mortification of
seeing them again rejoice at my confusion, when I shall have to
confess myself conquered. How great will be their delight when I make
the degrading avowal, and what agony must I endure in making it."
"My princess," said one of her slaves, "instead of afflicting yourself
beforehand, instead of picturing to yourself the shame you fear to
suffer to-morrow, would it not be better to think of some means of
preventing it? Is the question the prince has proposed so difficult,
that you cannot answer it? with the genius and penetration you
possess, can you not accomplish it?"
"No," said Tourandocte, "it is impossible. He asks me to name the
prince who, after suffering a thousand hardships, and being reduced to
beg his bread, is, at this moment, overwhelmed with joy and glory? I
feel assured that he is himself that prince, but not knowing him, I
cannot tell his name."
"Still, madam," rejoined the same slave, "you have promised to name
that prince to-morrow; when you made that promise, you hoped,
doubtless, to be able to fulfil it."
"I had no hope," replied the princess, "and I only demanded time to
die of grief, rather than be obliged to acknowledge my shame, and
marry the prince."
"The resolution is a violent one," said the other favourite slave. "I
know well that no man is worthy of you, but you must allow that this
prince possesses singular merits; his beauty, his noble bearing, and
his ready wit ought to plead in his favour."
"I grant it all," interrupted the princess. "If there is any prince
in the world who is worthy of my regards, it is he. Indeed, I will not
deny it, that I grieved for him, before I put my questions to him; I
sighed when I beheld him, and--what has never happened till to-day--I
almost hoped he would reply to my questions correctly. It is true
that, at the same moment, I blushed at my weakness, but my pride got
the better of me, and the apt answers he made excited my abhorrence
towards him; all the commendations which the doctors bestowed on him
so deeply mortified me, that I then felt, and still feel, the most
bitter hatred against him. O unhappy Tourandocte, lay thee down and
die of vexation and grief, at having found a man, and he a youth, who
has been able to load thee with disgrace, and compel thee to become
his wife."
At these words she redoubled her tears, and in the transport of her
rage spared neither her hair nor her clothes. She raised her hands
more than once towards her cheeks to tear them, and punish them as the
prime authors of the disgrace she had endured; but her slaves, who
were watching her frenzy, prevented her. They tried, however, in vain
to console her; they could not calm the fury of her agitation. Whilst
she was in this fearful state of excitement, the prince of the Nagaeis,
charmed with the result, and overwhelmed with joy, delivered himself
up to the hope of bearing off his bride the next day.
The king, having returned from the council-chamber, sent for Khalaf to
talk over in private the events which had taken place at the divan.
The prince of the Nagaeis hastened to obey the orders of the monarch,
who, after embracing him with great tenderness, said, "Ah! my son,
release me from the anxiety I am suffering. I fear lest my daughter
should be able to answer the question you have proposed. Why have you
risked the danger of losing the object of your love?"
"Let not your majesty be under the least apprehension," replied
Khalaf; "it is impossible that the princess can tell me who the prince
is whose name I have asked, for I am that prince, and no one in your
court knows me."
"This gives me fresh hope," cried the king in a transport of joy; "I
confess I was most anxious about you. Tourandocte is very shrewd; the
subtlety of her wit made me tremble for you; but, thank Heaven, you
dispel my doubts. However great her facility of penetrating the sense
of enigmas, she cannot guess your name. I can no longer accuse you of
temerity; and I see what appeared to me a lack of prudence, is an
ingenious device you have formed to remove every pretext for my
daughter's refusal."
Altoun-Khan, after laughing with Khalaf at the question proposed to
the princess, prepared to enjoy the diversion of the chase. He dressed
himself in a light and close-fitting caftan, and enclosed his beard in
a bag of black satin. He ordered the mandarins to hold themselves in
readiness to accompany him, and commanded a hunting-dress to be given
to the prince of the Nagaeis. They partook of a slight repast, and then
quitted the palace. The mandarins, in open palanquins of ivory inlaid
with gold, headed the procession, each carried by six men; two men
armed with whips of cord marched before each palanquin, and two others
followed with tablets of silver, upon which were written in large
characters all the mandarin's titles. The king and Khalaf, in an open
litter of red sandalwood, carried by twenty military officers, on
whose dresses were embroidered in silver the monarch's monogram
and badges,--the latter consisting of several figures of
animals,--appeared next. After the mandarins, two generals of
Altoun-Khan's army marched on either side of the litter, carrying
large fans or umbrellas to ward off the heat, and three thousand
eunuchs on foot completed the cortege.
When they arrived at the place where the hunters awaited the king with
the falcons, the sport began by flying hawks at quails; this
diversion lasted till sunset, when the king and the prince, and the
persons of their suites, returned to the palace in the same order in
which they had left. They found in the court several pavilions of silk
of different colours, a great number of small tables, beautifully
polished and covered with all sorts of viands ready cut up. As soon as
the king had taken his seat, Khalaf and the mandarins sat down, each
at a little separate table, near which stood another, which served as
a buffet. They all began by drinking several bumpers of rice wine
before touching the viands; they then proceeded to eat without
drinking any more. The banquet ended, the king, Altoun-Khan, led the
prince of the Nagaeis into a large hall, brilliantly illuminated, and
fitted up with seats arranged for seeing some spectacle, and they were
followed by all the mandarins. The king appointed each his place, and
made Khalaf sit near him, upon a large ebony throne, inlaid with gold
tracery.
As soon as the company had taken their places, singers and musicians
entered, who commenced an agreeable concert. Altoun-Khan was delighted
with it. Infatuated with the Chinese music, he asked the son of
Timurtasch, from time to time, what he thought of it, and the young
prince, out of politeness, gave it the highest rank of all the music
in the world. The concert finished, the singers and musicians retired,
to make room for an artificial elephant, which having advanced by
secret springs into the middle of the hall, vomited forth six
vaulters, who began by making some perilous leaps. They were attired
in very thin dresses; they had on only drawers of Indian cloth, caps
of brocade, and light shoes. After they had exhibited their agility
and suppleness by a thousand extraordinary performances, they
re-entered the elephant, which went away as it came. Next, there
appeared players, who performed, impromptu, a piece, the subject of
which the king chose. When all these diversions were finished, and
the night was far advanced, Altoun-Khan and Khalaf rose, to retire to
their apartments, and the mandarins followed their example.
The young prince of the Nagaeis, conducted by eunuchs bearing wax
candles in gold candelabra, was preparing to taste the sweets of
repose as well as his impatience to return to the divan would permit
him, when on entering his chamber, he found a young lady, dressed in a
robe of red brocade with silver flowers, and adorned with rubies and
emeralds; she wore a head-dress of rose-coloured silk, ornamented with
pearls and bound by a very light silver border, which only covered the
top of her head, and allowed her beautiful hair to escape, which hung
down in ringlets, adorned with a few artificial flowers; as to her
figure and face it was impossible to see any more beautiful and
perfect except that of the princess of China.
The son of Timurtasch was much surprised at meeting a lady alone, and
so beautiful, at midnight in his room. He could not have looked upon
her with indifference, had he not seen Tourandocte; but as the lover
of that princess he had no eyes for any other.
As soon as the lady perceived Khalaf, she rose from the sofa where she
was seated, and upon which she had laid her veil, and after making a
low inclination of her head, "Prince," said she, "I doubt not that you
are surprised to find a woman here; for you cannot be ignorant that it
is rigorously forbidden for men and women who inhabit the harem, to
have any communication together; but the importance of the matter that
I have to communicate to you, has made me disregard all danger. I have
had dexterity and good fortune enough to overcome all the obstacles
which opposed my design. I have gained the eunuchs who wait upon you.
It now only remains for me to tell you what brought me here."
Khalaf felt interested; he could not doubt but that the lady who had
taken so perilous a step, had something to communicate worthy his
attention; he begged her to resume her seat on the sofa; they both sat
down; and the lady then continued in these terms:
"My lord, I believe I ought to begin by informing you that I am the
daughter of a khan, one of the tributaries of Altoun-Khan. Some years
ago, my father was bold enough to refuse to pay the usual tribute,
and, relying too much upon his experience in the art of war, as well
as upon the valour of his troops, prepared to defend himself in case
he were attacked. What he expected happened. The king of China
irritated by his audacity, sent the most experienced of his generals
with a powerful army against him. My father, though considerably
weaker in numbers, went out to meet him. After a sanguinary battle,
which was fought on the banks of a river, the Chinese general remained
victorious. My father, pierced with a thousand wounds, died during the
battle, but before his death, he ordered all his wives and children to
be thrown into the river, to preserve them from slavery. Those who
were charged with the generous, though inhuman order, executed it;
they threw me, together with my mother, sisters, and two brothers,
whose tender age had kept them with us, into the river. The Chinese
general arrived at the spot at the very moment when they had cast us
in, and when we were about to finish our miserable existence. This
mournful and horrible sight excited his compassion; he promised a
reward to any of the soldiers who should save any of the vanquished
khan's family. Several Chinese horsemen, in spite of the rapidity of
the stream, dashed in, and urged their horses wherever they saw our
dying bodies floating. They recovered a few, but their assistance was
only of use to me. I still breathed when they brought me to shore. The
general took great pains for my recovery, as though the glory acquired
by my captivity would bestow a fresh lustre on his victory; he brought
me to this city, and presented me to the king, after giving an
account of his mission. Altoun-Khan placed me with his daughter the
princess, who is two or three years younger than I am.
"Although still a child, I could not help reflecting that I had become
a slave, and that I ought to have sentiments conformable to my
situation. I therefore studied the disposition of Tourandocte, and
strove to please her, and I succeeded so well by my compliance with
her wishes and my attentions, that I gained her friendship. From that
time I have shared her confidence with a young person of illustrious
birth, whom the misfortunes of her family have reduced to slavery.
"Pardon, my lord," she continued, "this narrative which does not bear
any relation to the subject that has brought me here. I thought it but
right to apprize you that I am of noble blood, that you might place
more reliance in me; for the important communication I have to make is
such, that an ordinary slave might induce you to give but little
credence to what she had to say; and I know not, that even I, though
the daughter of a khan, shall be able to influence you: would a prince
enamoured of Tourandocte give credit to what I am about to say of
her?"
"Princess," replied the son of Timurtasch, interrupting her, "keep me
no longer in suspense, tell me, I pray you, at once what you have to
say concerning the princess of China."
"My lord," replied the lady, "Tourandocte, the barbarous Tourandocte
has formed a plot to assassinate you!"
At these words Khalaf, falling back on the sofa, lay for a moment in a
state of horror and amazement.
The slave-princess, who had foreseen the astonishment of the young
prince, said,
"I am not surprised that you should thus receive this frightful
announcement, and I was right when I doubted that you would believe
it."
"Merciful Heaven," cried Khalaf, when he recovered from his
stupefaction, "did I hear aright? Is it possible that the princess of
China could be guilty of such an atrocious attempt? How could she
conceive so base a project?"
"Prince," replied the lady, "I will explain to you how she came to
take this horrible resolution. When she left the divan this morning,
where I had been stationed behind her throne, I saw that she was
mortally enraged at what had taken place; she returned into her
apartments writhing under the most bitter feelings of mortification
and fury; she pondered over the question you asked her for a long
time, and not being able to find a suitable answer, she abandoned
herself to despair. While she was in the bath, I spared no means, in
which I was seconded by the other favourite slave, to calm the
violence of her transports; we tried all in our power to inspire her
with sentiments favourable to you; we extolled your person and your
talents; we represented to her, that she ought to determine to bestow
her hand upon you; we pointed out the unseemliness of such immoderate
grief; but she imposed silence upon us, with a torrent of injurious
words. The most agreeable and handsome make no more impression upon
her than the ugliest and most deformed. 'They are all,' said she,
'objects of my contempt, and for whom I shall always entertain the
deepest aversion. As regards him who has presented himself last, I
entertain a greater hatred towards him than towards the others, and if
I cannot rid myself of him by any other means I will have him
assassinated.'
"I opposed this detestable design," continued the slave-princess, "and
laid before her the terrible consequences of such a deed. I
represented to her the injury she would inflict upon herself, the
despair she would occasion the king, and the just horror that future
ages would entertain for her memory.
"The other favourite slave supported with all her eloquence the
arguments I adduced, but all our persuasions were of no avail; we
could not turn her from her purpose. She has entrusted her faithful
eunuchs with orders to take your life to-morrow morning as you leave
your palace to repair to the divan."
"O inhuman princess, perfidious Tourandocte," cried the prince of the
Nagaeis, "is it thus you prepare to crown the affection of the unhappy
son of Timurtasch? Has Khalaf indeed appeared so hateful to you, that
you would rather rid yourself of him by a crime that will dishonour
you, than unite your destiny with his? Great Heaven! how chequered
with strange events is my life! At one moment I seem to enjoy
happiness that the greatest might envy, at another I am plunged into a
whirlpool of misery."
"My lord," said the slave-princess, "if Heaven ordains that you should
suffer misfortunes, it does not will that you should sink beneath
their weight, since it warns you of the dangers that threaten you.
Yes, prince, it is Heaven that has doubtless inspired me with the
thought of saving you, for I come not only to point out the snare laid
for your life, I come also to furnish you with means to escape. By the
assistance of some eunuchs who are devoted to me, I have gained over
the soldiers of the guard, who will facilitate your flight from the
serail. As they will not fail to make a searching investigation, when
they know of your departure, and discover that I am the author of it,
I am resolved to fly with you, and escape from this court, where I
have more than one cause for discontent; my state of bondage makes me
hate it, and you make it still more odious to me.
"Let us waste no time; come, and let to-morrow's sun, when he begins
his course, find us far, far from Pekin.
"In a certain spot in the town," continued she, "horses await us; let
us fly, and reach if possible the territory of the tribe of Berlas."
Khalaf replied, "Beautiful princess, I render you a thousand thanks
for your wish to save me from the danger with which I am encompassed.
Oh! that I could, to prove my gratitude, deliver you from your
slavery, and conduct you in safety to the horde of the khan of Berlas
your relation. With what pleasure would I place you in his hands! I
should thereby repay some of the obligations I lie under to him. But I
ask you, princess, ought I thus to steal away from Altoun-Khan? What
would he think of me? He would believe that I came to his court for
the sole purpose of carrying you off, and at the very time when I
should be flying, only that I might save his daughter from
perpetrating a fearful crime, he would be accusing me of violating the
laws of hospitality. Ah! must I confess it, cruel though the princess
of China be, I could never find in my foolish heart to hate her?
Whatever misfortune may be in store for me, I cannot consent to so
ignominious a flight. I acknowledge that charms like yours would amply
repay your liberator, and that my days with you might pass in the
greatest bliss, but I am not born to be happy, my destiny is to love
Tourandocte; despite the aversion she feels towards me, I should wear
out my days in endless sorrow, were they spent away from her."
"Well then, ingrate, remain," cried the lady passionately,
interrupting him, "and let the spot in which thy happiness is
concentrated be sprinkled with thy blood." Saying these words, she
replaced her veil, and quitted the apartment.
The young prince, after the lady had retired, remained upon the
sofa in a state of bewilderment. "Must I believe," said he, "what I
have just heard? Can she carry her cruelty thus far? Alas! I dare
not doubt it, for the slave-princess's expressions of horror at
Tourandocte's plot were so natural--the risks she ran in coming
herself to warn me of it so great, and the feelings she displayed
so unquestionable,--that all are pledges of the truthfulness of her
words. Ah! cruel daughter of the best of kings, is it thus that you
abuse the gifts with which Heaven has endowed you? O Heaven! how
couldst thou confer on this barbarous princess so much beauty, or
why adorn so inhuman a soul with so many charms?"
Instead of seeking a few hours' sleep, he passed the night, distracted
with the most painful reflections. At length day appeared, the ringing
of the bells and beating of drums was again heard, and shortly after
six mandarins arrived to conduct him to the council-chamber, as on the
preceding day. He traversed the court where the soldiers were arranged
in two files: he expected to meet his death at this spot, and that it
was here the persons who had been appointed to assassinate him were
posted, in order to despatch him as he passed. Far from thinking of
defending himself or putting himself upon his guard, he walked on like
a man prepared to die; he even appeared to chide the delay of his
assassins. He passed through the court, however, without any attack
being made upon him, and reached the first hall of the divan. "Ah!
doubtless it is here," thought he, "that the sanguinary order of the
princess is to be put in execution." He looked around him on all
sides, and thought he saw in every one he surveyed a murderer. He
nevertheless advanced and entered the hall where the council was
sitting, without receiving the deadly stroke which he thought awaited
him.
All the doctors and mandarins were already seated under their
canopies, and Altoun-Khan was momentarily expected. "What can be the
design of the princess?" thought he. "Can she wish to be an
eye-witness of my death, and does she desire to have me assassinated
before the eyes of her father? Can the king be an accomplice in the
deed? What am I to think? Can he have changed his mind, and issued the
order for my death?"
Whilst his thoughts were occupied with these doubts, the door of the
inner palace opened, and the king, accompanied by Tourandocte, entered
the hall. They took their seats upon their thrones, and the prince of
the Nagaeis stood before them, at the same distance as on the day
before.
When the calao saw the king seated, he rose, and demanded of the young
prince whether he remembered having promised to renounce the hand of
the princess if she answered the question which he had proposed.
Khalaf replied that he did, and again declared that in that event, he
would renounce all claim to the honour of being the king's son-in-law.
The calao then addressed Tourandocte, and said, "And you, great
princess, you are aware of the oath that binds you, and of the penalty
to which you are subjected if you do not this day declare the name of
the prince, which you are required to give."
The king, persuaded that she could not reply to the question of
Khalaf, said to her, "My daughter, you have had ample time to consider
the question which was proposed to you; but if you had a whole year to
think of it, I believe that in spite of your sagacity you would be
obliged, at the end of it, to acknowledge that it is something which
even you could not reveal. So, as you cannot guess, yield with good
grace to the love of this young prince, and satisfy the wish I feel
that he should be your husband. He is worthy of being so, and of
reigning with you, after my death, over the people of this mighty
empire."
"My lord," replied Tourandocte, "why do you think that I shall not be
able to reply to the question of this prince? It is not so difficult
as you imagine. I suffered the shame of a defeat yesterday, but to-day
I look forward to the honour of a victory. I will confound this rash
young man who has entertained so mean an opinion of my talents. Let
him put the question, and I will answer it."
"Madam," thereupon said the prince of the Nagaeis, "I ask, what is the
name of that prince who, after suffering a thousand hardships, and
being reduced to beg his bread, finds himself at this moment covered
with glory, and overwhelmed with joy?"
"This prince," replied Tourandocte, "is named Khalaf, and he is the
son of Timurtasch."
When Khalaf heard his name he changed colour, a dark mist seemed to
cover his eyes, and he fell senseless to the ground. The king and all
the mandarins, judging from this that Tourandocte had answered
correctly, and had given the prince's real name, grew pale, and sat in
great consternation.
After Khalaf had recovered from his swoon, through the attentions of
the mandarins and the king himself, who had quitted his throne to come
to his assistance, he thus addressed Tourandocte:
"Beautiful princess, you are mistaken if you think you have given a
fitting answer to my question; the son of Timurtasch is not covered
with glory, and overwhelmed with joy; he is rather covered with shame,
and overwhelmed with grief."