As soon as they were alone, the Princess Badoura told the Princess
Haiatalnefous the secret, and begged her to keep it, which she
promised faithfully to do.
'Princess,' said Haiatalnefous, 'your fortune is indeed strange,
that a marriage, so happy as yours was, should be shortened by so
unaccountable an accident. Pray heaven you may meet with your
husband again soon, and be sure that I will religiously keep the
secret committed to me. It will be to me the greatest pleasure in
the world to be the only person in the great kingdom of the Isle of
Ebony who knows what and who you are, while you go on governing the
people as happily as you have begun. I only ask of you at present
to be your friend.' Then the two princesses tenderly embraced each
other, and after a thousand expressions of mutual friendship lay
down to rest.
While these things were taking place in the court of the Isle of
Ebony, Prince Camaralzaman stayed in the city of idolaters with the
gardener, who had offered him his house till the ship sailed.
One morning when the prince was up early, and, as he used to do,
was preparing to work in the garden, the gardener prevented him,
saying, 'This day is a great festival among the idolaters, and
because they abstain from all work themselves, so as to spend the
time in their assemblies and public rejoicings, they will not let
the Mussulmans work.
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