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 36 Seventee Bai's birthday was fixed for the day also of her marriage with the Rajah's daughter. For this great event immense preparations were made. All over the plain outside the city walls, tents made of cloth of gold were pitched in a great square, twelve miles long and twelve miles broad, for the accommodation of the neighbouring Rajahs, and in the centre was a larger tent than all the rest, covered with jewels, and shining like a great golden temple, in which they were to assemble.

Then Seventee Bai said to Parbuttee Bai, 'On my birthday I will restore you to your husband.' But Parbuttee Bai was vexed, and said, 'I cannot bear the thought of him: it is such a terrible thing to think of our once handsome husband as none other than that miserable Fakeer.'

Seventee Bai smiled. 'In truth,' she said, 'I think you will find him again altered, and for the better. You cannot think what a change rest and care have made in him; but he does not know who we are, and as you value my happiness, tell no one now that I am not the Rajah.' 'Indeed I will not, dearest sister,' answered Parbuttee Bai. 'I should in truth be loath to vex you, after all you have done for me; for owing to you here have we lived happily for twelve years like sisters, and I do not think as clever a woman as you was ever before born in this world.'

Amongst other guests invited to the wedding were Siu Rajah and his wife, and the Wuzeer, Seventee Bai's father, and her mother. Seventee Bai arranged thrones for them all, made of gold, and emeralds, and diamonds, and rubies, and ivory. And she ordered that in the seat of honour on her left-hand side should be placed the Wuzeer her father, and next to him her mother, and next to them Siu Rajah and his wife, and after them all the other Rajahs and Ranees, according to their rank; and all the Rajahs and Ranees wondered much that the place of honour should have been given to the stranger Wuzeer. Then Seventee Bai took her most costly Rajah dress, and ordered that Logedas Rajah should be clothed in it, and escorted to the tent; and she took off the man's clothes which she had worn, and dressed herself in a saree. When she was dressed in it she looked a more lovely woman than she had before looked a handsome man. And she went to the tent leading Parbuttee Bai, while with her came Hera Bai and Tara Bai of more than mortal beauty, and the three other Princesses clothed in the most costly robes. Then, before all the Rajah's and Ranees, Seventee Bai knelt down at Logedas Rajah's feet, and said to him, 'I am your true wife. O husband, have you