This was
not the first time that such a spectacle had been seen in the harem.
Everyone of the damsels brought thither generally commenced with a
fainting-fit. The slave-girls immediately came running up to her, rubbed
her body with fragrant unguents, applied penetrating essences to her
face, let icy-cold water trickle down upon her bosom--and all was
useless! The damsel did not awaken, and lay there like a corpse till the
following morning--in fact, she never stirred from the spot where they
laid her down. Next day the Padishah again summoned her to his presence.
He spoke to her in the most tender manner. He gave her all manner of
beautiful gifts, glittering raiment, necklaces, bracelets, and diamond
aigrettes. The slave-girls, too, censed her all around with stupefying
perfumes, bathed her in warm baths fragrant with ambergris and
spikenard, and gave her fiery potions to drink. But it was all in vain.
At the name of the Blessed Virgin, the blood ceased to flow to her
heart, she fell down, died away, and every resource of ingenuity failed
to arouse her. The same thing happened on the third day likewise. Then
the Sultana Asseki's wrath was kindled greatly against her. She declared
that this was no doing of Allah's as they might suppose. No, it was the
damsel's own evil temper which made her pretend to be dead, and she
immediately commanded that the damsel should be tortured. First of all
they extended her stark naked on the icy-cold marble pavement--not a
sign of life, not a shiver did she give.
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