Queen Margiana, on entering her palace, commanded supper to be got ready; and while it was providing, she ordered Assad to be brought into her apartment, where she bade him sit down. Assad would have excused himself: "It becomes not a slave," said he, "to presume to this honour."
"To a slave! "replied the queen: "you were so a moment ago; henceforward you are no more a slave. Sit down near me, and tell me the story of your life; for by what you wrote, and the insolence of that slavemerchant, I guess there is something extraordinary in your history."