The vigour of my youth is past and gone,
And it becomes me to resign my station,
To Zál, my gallant son."

Mihráb continued in such extreme agitation, that in his own mind he saw
no means of avoiding the threatened desolation of his country but by
putting his wife and daughter to death. Síndokht however had a better
resource, and suggested the expediency of waiting upon Sám herself, to
induce him to forward her own views and the nuptials between Zál and
Rúdábeh. To this Mihráb assented, and she proceeded, mounted on a richly
caparisoned horse, to Zábul with most magnificent presents, consisting
of three hundred thousand dínars; ten horses with golden, and thirty
with silver, housings; sixty richly attired damsels, carrying golden
trays of jewels and musk, and camphor, and wine, and sugar; forty pieces
of figured cloth; a hundred milch camels, and a hundred others for
burden; two hundred Indian swords, a golden crown and throne, and four
elephants. Sám was amazed and embarrassed by the arrival of this
splendid array. If he accepted the presents, he would incur the anger of
Minúchihr; and if he rejected them, Zál would be disappointed and driven
to despair. He at length accepted them, and concurred in the wishes of
Síndokht respecting the union of the two lovers.

When Zál arrived at the court of Minúchihr, he was received with honor,
and the letter of Sám being read, the king was prevailed upon to consent
to the pacific proposals that were made in favor of Mihráb, and the
nuptials. He too consulted his astrologers, and was informed that the
offspring of Zál and Rúdábeh would be a hero of matchless strength and
valor. Zál, on his return through Kábul, had an interview with Rúdábeh,
who welcomed him in the most rapturous terms:--