“And who doubts it!” added Marmolin.
“How happy is the Selictar,” continued Fadaes.
“I give you Fadaes,” interrupted the Selictar, “for the best provided gallant of the court. To my knowledge he has the Vizier’s wife, the two prettiest actresses of the opera, and an adorable Grisette, whom he keeps in his private lodge.”
“And I,” replied Fadaes, “would give up the Vizier’s wife, the two actresses and the Grisette, for one glance from a certain woman, with whom the Selictar is very well, and who has not the least suspicion that the world knows it;” and then stepping up to Leocris, says, “your blushes are ravishing.—”
“Hannetillon was a long time wavering,” says Marmolin, “between Melissa and Fatima, two charming women. One day he was for Melissa the fair, the next for Fatima the nut-brown.”
“The poor man,” continues Fadaes, “was strangely embarassed: why did he not take them both?”
“So he did,” says Alciphenor.
Our Petits-Maîtres were, as you see, in a right cue not to stop here, when Zobeida, Cynara, Zulica, Melissa, Fatima and Zirphila sent in their names. This ill-timed circumstance disconcerted them for a moment; but they soon recover’d from their ruffle, and fell on other women, whom their detraction had hitherto spared, only because they had not time to tear them to pieces.
Mirzoza, quite out of patience at their discourses, said: “Gentlemen, considering the merit and probity in particular, which must needs be allowed ye, it cannot be doubted but that you have enjoyed all the good fortunes of which you boast. I must own nevertheless, that I would be very glad to hear the Toys of these ladies on this head; and that I would most heartily thank Brama, if he would deign to render justice to truth by their mouths.”
“That is to say,” replies Hannetillon, “that madam would desire to hear the same things twice over: well, to oblige her, we’ll repeat them.”
But Mangogul set about applying his ring in order of seniority: he began by Madame la Seneschale, whose Toy cough’d three times, and with a trembling and broken voice said: “To the great Seneschal I am indebted for the first fruits of my pleasures: but I had not been his property above six months, when a young Bramin gave my mistress to understand, that a woman can do no injury to her husband, while she thinks on him. I relished the moral, and thenceforward thought I might with a safe conscience admit a senator, then a privy counsellor, then a pontiff, then one or two masters of Requests, then a musician—”
“And Marmolin?” says Fadaes.
“Marmolin,” replies the Toy, “I know him not, unless it be that young coxcomb, whom my lady ordered to be kick’d out of her house, for some insolence, the particulars of which I have forgot.”
Cynara’s Toy took up the discourse, and said: “Do you interrogate me concerning Alciphenor, Fadaes, and Grifgrif? I have indeed been pretty well served; but this is the first time that I ever heard these folks named. However, I shall get some account of them from Amalek the Emir, Telenor the Financier, or the Vizier Abdiram, who know the whole world, and are my good friends.”
“Cynara’s Toy is discreet,” says Hannetillon: “it mentions not Zarafis, Ahiram, the old Trebister, and the young Mahmoud, who is not made to be forgotten; nor does it accuse the least Bramin, though it has been running through the monasteries these twelve years.”
“I have received some visits in my life,” says Melissa’s Toy, “but not one from Grifgrif or Fortimbek, and much less still from Hannetillon.”
“My little heart of a Toy,” replied Grifgrif, “you are mistaken. You may disclaim Fortimbek and me, but as to Hannetillon, he is better with you than you allow. He has told me a word or two on the subject, and he is a spark of the greatest veracity in Congo, a better man than any of those whom you have known, and is still capable of establishing the reputation of a Toy.”
“The reputation of an impostor can no more escape him than his friend Fadaes,” says Fatima’s Toy with a sob. “What have I done to these monsters to dishonour me? The son of the Abyssinian Emperor came to Erguebzed’s court: I pleased him; he pursued me; but he would have fail’d of success, and I should have continued faithful to my husband whom I loved; had not the traitor Velvet-Paw and his base accomplice Fadaes corrupted my women, and introduced the young prince into my bath.”
The Toys of Zirphila and Zulica, who had the same cause to defend, spoke both at the same time, but with such rapidity, that it was extremely difficult to render each of them its due.
“Favors!” cried one—
“To Velvet-Paw!” says the other—
“Something may be said for Zinzim—”
“Cerbelon—”
“Bemengel—”
“Agarias—”
“The French slave Riqueli—”
“The young Ethiopian Thezaca—”
“But as for the insipid Velvet-Paw—”
“The insolent Fadaes—”
“I swear by Brama—”
“I call the great Pagoda and the Genius Cucufa to witness—”
“I know them not—”
“I never had the least dealings with them.”
Zirphila and Zulica would have run on, God knows how far, if Mangogul had not turn’d off his ring: but as this magic ring ceased acting on them, their Toys closed their lips, and a profound silence succeeded the noise they made. Then the Sultan rose up, and darting furious looks on our young blockheads, said: “You have taken the liberty to defame women whom you never had the honour of coming near, and who hardly know your names. Who has made ye insolent enough to lie in my presence? Tremble, wretches.” At these words he grasped his scimitar: but the screams of the affrighted ladies stop’d his hand. “I was going,” says Mangogul, “to give ye the death which you have merited: but the ladies, whom you have injured, have a right to determine your fate: it shall depend on them, either to crush ye, or to let ye live. Speak, ladies, what are your
