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As soon as I was left alone for a few moments I either worked or went to see the monkeys, whose company pleased me a great deal better than that of their royal master. One evening, however, on coming back from a walk, I found Haribada outside the gate of my palace.
At night, however, when I was alone, I sent for Haribada, and after several misleading questions I said to him: "Do you know what has become of little Châli, whom the rajah gave me?" He immediately assumed a sad and troubled look, and said, in evident embarrassment: "We had better not speak of her." "Why? She was a dear little woman." "She turned out badly, Sir." "What Châli?
I felt the most terrible grief that I ever experienced, and I made a sign to Haribada to go away, so that he might not see my tears; and I spent the night on the gallery that looked on to the lake, on the gallery where I had so often held the poor child on my knees.
At length the prince's ardor abated and, at my urgent request, he left me a little leisure for work, and contented himself by loading me with costly presents. He sent me jewels, magnificent stuffs, and well-broken animals of all sorts, which Haribada presented to me with apparently as grave respect as if I had been the sun himself although he heartily despised me at the bottom of his heart.
The rooms were lighted by windows with dentelated arches, looking on to the gardens. On the marble floor were designs of graceful bouquets in onyx, lapis-lazuli, and agate. I had scarcely had time to finish my toilet when Haribada, a court dignitary who was specially charged to communicate between the prince and me, announced his sovereign's visit.
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