“Fell mine little Shoul,” answered the Swiss, “fat you ail? Me tought mee done you kood services enof, dat you no be angry at nowing mee.” But his goddess, without answering him, slipt nimbly through his hands, and was lost in the crowd.
But even such of the Toys as did not aspire to so great honours, did not fail of lighting on pleasure: and they all took the road back to Banza, thoroughly satisfied with their journey.
As the company was withdrawing, Mangogul overheard two of his principal officers at high words. “She is my mistress,” says one, “I have kept her these twelve months, and you are the first who has taken it into his head to tread on my heels. Why do you make me uneasy? Nasses, my friend, apply elsewhere; you will find a hundred lovely women, who will think themselves too happy to possess you.”
“I love Amina,” replied Nasses. “I see none but her, who takes my fancy. She has given me hopes, and you will give me leave to pursue them.”
“Hopes!” replied Alibeg.
“Yes, hopes—”
“Zounds, that is not—”
“I tell you, Sir, that it is, and I expect satisfaction this moment for the lie you give me.” Down they went immediately into the court yard; their scimitars were already drawn, and they were on the point of ending their dispute in a tragical manner, when the Sultan stop’d them, and forbid them to fight, before they had consulted their Helena.
They obeyed, and went to Amina’s house, and Mangogul close after them. “The ball has quite spent me,” said she: “my eyes are dropping out of my head. You are very cruel folks, to come the moment I was ready to get into bed: but both of ye look very oddly. May I be informed what brings ye hither?”
“A trifle,” replied Alibeg. “This gentleman boasts, and even loftily,” added he, showing his friend, “that you give him hopes. Madam, how stands this matter?”—Amina was opening her mouth, but the Sultan turning his ring that very instant, she closed it, and her Toy answered for her.
“In my opinion Nasses is mistaken: no, it is not he that madam chooses. Has he not a lusty footman who is a better man? Oh! how foolish these men are in imagining that dignities, honours, titles, names, words void of meaning, impose on Toys. Everyone has his own philosophy, and ours consists in distinguishing personal merit, true merit, from that which is but imaginary. With Monsieur de Claville’s leave, he knows less of that subject than we; which I will prove.
“You are both acquainted,” continued the Toy, “with the marchioness Bibicosa. You know her amours with Cleandor, as also her disgrace, and the high devotion she professes at this day. Amina is a good friend; she has constantly kept up her former intimacy with Bibicosa, and has not ceased frequenting her house, where all sorts of Bramins are met with. On a certain day one of these pressed my mistress to speak to Bibicosa in his favor. ‘Pray, what would you have me ask of her?’ replied Amina. ‘She is a drowned woman, who can do nothing for herself. To be sure, she will be much obliged to you for treating her still as a person of consequence. Believe me, my friend, prince Cleandor and Mangogul will never do anything for her, and you may freeze in the antechambers.’
“ ‘But, madam,’ replied the Bramin, ‘the affair is but a trifle, which entirely depends on the marchioness: and this it is. She has built a little chapel in her house, doubtless for the Sala, which supposes an Iman: and ’tis this place which I ask.’
“ ‘What say you?’ says Amina. ‘An Iman: you don’t consider: the marchioness wants only a Marabou, whom she will call from time to time, when it rains, or when she chooses to have the Sala, before she goes to bed: but an Iman lodged, clothed, dieted in her house, with a salary, does not suit Bibicosa. I know her affairs. The poor woman has not six thousand Zecchins a year, and you expect her to give two thousand of it to an Iman. Surely this is a strange fancy.’
“ ‘By Brama,’ replied the holy man, ‘I am sorry for it: for if I had once got to be her Iman, I should soon become more necessary to her; and when one is got thus far, it rains gold and pensions. Howsoever I may appear to you, I am of Monomotapa, and do my duty extremely well.’
“ ‘Upon second thoughts,’ answered Amina, with panting interruptions, ‘your affair is not perhaps impossible. Pity it is, that the merit you speak of is not known.’
“ ‘One runs no risk in doing good offices to persons of my country,’ replied the Monomotapan, ‘pray behold.’—He forthwith gave Amina a complete proof of such surprising merit, that from that moment you lost in her eyes half the value she put on you. Well! long live the Monomotapans.”
Alibeg and Nasses made long faces, and look’d on each other without uttering a word: but when they had recovered from their astonishment, they mutually embraced; and casting disdainful looks on Amina, they ran prostrate themselves at the Sultan’s feet, and thank him for having undeceived them with regard to this woman, and preserved their lives and reciprocal friendship. They arrived just as Mangogul, return’d to the favorite, was relating Amina’s history to her. It made Mirzoza laugh, but did not augment
