be thy garment! ... thy lips that have drunken sweet wine shall be
steeped in bitterness!--vainly shalt thou make thyself fair and
call aloud on thy legion of lovers, . . they shall be as dead men,
deaf to thine entreaties, and none shall answer thee,--no, not
one! None shall hide thee from shame or offer thee comfort,--in
the midst of thy lascivious delights shalt thou suddenly perish!
... and my soul shall be avenged on thy sins, thou unvirgined
Virgin!--thou Queen-Courtesan!"

Scarcely had he uttered the last word, when the King with a
furious oath sprang upon him, grasped him by the throat, and
thrusting him fiercely down on the steps of the dais, placed one
foot on his prostrate body. Then drawing his gigantic sword he
lifted it on high, . . the blight blade glittered in air...an
audible gasp of terror broke from the throng of spectators, . .
another second and Khosrul's life would have paid the forfeit for
his temerity...when crash! ... a sudden and tremendous clap of
thunder shook the hall, and every lamp was extinguished!
Impenetrable darkness reigned, . . thick, close, suffocating
darkness, . . the thunder rolled away in sullen, vibrating echoes,
and there was a short, impressive silence. Then piercing through
the profound gloom came the clamorous cries and shrieks of
frightened women, . . the horrible, selfish scrambling, pushing and
struggling of a bewildered, panic-stricken crowd, . . the helpless,
nerveless, unreasoning distraction that human beings exhibit when
striving together for escape from some imminent deadly peril,--and
though the King's stentorian voice could be heard above all the
tumult loudly commanding order, his alternate threats and
persuasions were of no avail to calm the frenzy of fear into which
the whole court was thrown. Groans and sobs, . . wild entreaties to