When he had gone the King stared at me and asked,

"But why did I disturb you from your sleep, Egyptian? Oh! I remember.
This dwarf says that he has seen the fairest woman in the whole world,
and the most learned, some lady of Egypt, but that he does not know
her name, that you alone know her name. I disturbed you that you might
tell it to me but if you have forgotten it, you can go back to your
bed and rest there till it returns to you. There are plenty of boats
in the river, Egyptian."

"The fairest and most learned woman in the world?" I said astonished.
"Who can that be, unless he means the lady Amada?" and I paused,
wishing I had bitten out my tongue before I spoke, for I smelt a trap.

"Yes, Master," said Bes in a clear voice. "That was the name, the lady
Amada."

"Who is this lady Amada?" asked the King, seeming to grow suddenly
sober. "And what is she like?"

"I can tell you that, O King," said Bes. "She is like a willow shaken
in the wind for slenderness and grace. She has eyes like those of a
buck at gaze; she has lips like rosebuds; she has hair black as the
night and soft as silk, the odour of which floats round her like that
of flowers. She has a voice that whispers like the evening wind, and
yet is rich as honey. Oh! she is beautiful as a goddess and when men
see her their hearts melt like wax in the sun and for a long while
they can look upon no other woman, not till the next day indeed if
they meet her in the evening," and Bes smacked his thick lips and
gazed upwards.