The Unexpected Encounter

I am not entirely of your opinion. Continue.

Things were taking an admirable turn. My master had made himself loved by the Sophi almost as much as by his daughter. The hope of obtaining her hand strengthened from one day to the next, when a cursed rival came to poach upon our pleasures.

One finds those kinds of poachers everywhere.

We were almost at the conclusion when the Mogul came in person to ask for the Princess in marriage.

The Mogul! Oh! Oh! Oh! They undoubtedly found him to have a better appearance than your master?

Yes, the Sophi did; but his daughter was a better physiognomist. Thus, while the monarch was taking measures with his ministers for the wedding of the Princess, we were taking measures with her for her abduction.

Your project was discovered, no doubt?

Not at all. To alleviate the scruples of Rezia, the master began by marrying her in secret (one cannot refuse to follow one's husband). Two days, therefore, before the Mogul's wedding, we decamped from Ormus quietly. A ship, which we had secured, awaited us at the seashore. The rendezvous was fatal to us.

That is the usual case in novels.

We arrived there first. After having waited two hours without seeing the Princess appear, we decided to return toward the city to hasten her arrival.

The secret was out. She could not escape, could she?

Indeed she could. But while we were searching for her on one side, she was arriving from another. She dispatched a slave to call us back. He joined us, and we flew back to the shore.