daunted, levied a large army and invaded the kingdom of Lolah's father. He defeated his opponent's army, besieged his capital, and demanded his daughter in marriage a second time.
"King," said the father of Lolah, "you have, since you first demanded my daughter, shown your devotion to her by the most heroic deeds. You have ravaged my kingdom, and with the loss of five thousand of your subjects have slain ten thousand of mine. I can no longer refuse."
Whether the old King was moved by the heroism of Lulu, or the necessity of his situation, is a question into which the writer will not enter. Suffice it to say that he yielded with a very good grace, but his daughter with a very bad one. She returned with King Lulu to Big-but-poor with the determination, however, to avoid marriage with him if possible. Ahmed, who was a handsome young fellow and had been raised to great honours by his master, was admitted freely to her society; and she quickly established a flirtation with him.
"Ahmed," she said to him, "I do not love your master, but I do love you. Let us fly together."
"Queen of my desires," said Ahmed, "if King Lulu should recapture us, he would assuredly put me to death."
"You are wonderfully prudent," said Lolah, with scorn, "but a woman's wrath is more to be feared than a man's, and if you do not accede to my wish I will find means to have you impaled."
"Delight of my eyes," replied Ahmed, "I prefer eloping with you."
Next morning Lulu could see neither Ahmed nor Lolah, but he received two letters which fully explained the cause of their absence.
One was from Ahmed, and was as follows:
King Lulu,—I had thought to repay your favours to me with gratitude and devotion; but my fate has determined otherwise.
The other was from Lolah:
