Although Lasaraleen had said she was dying to hear Aravis‘s story， she showed no sign of really wanting to hear it at all. She was， in fact， much better at talking than at listening. She insisted on Aravis having a long andluxurious bath （Calormene baths are famous） and then dressing her up in the finest clothes before she would let her explain anything. The fuss she made about choosing the dresses nearly drove Aravis mad. She remembered now that Lasaraleen had always been like that， interested in clothes and parties and gossip. Aravis had always been more interested in bows and arrows and horses and dogs and swimming. You will guess that each thought the other silly. But when at last they were both seated after a meal （it was chiefly of the whipped cream and jelly and fruit and ice sort） in a beautiful pillared room （which Aravis would have liked better if Lasaraleen’s spoiled pet monkey hadn‘t been climbing about it all the time） Lasaraleen at last asked her why she was running away from home.
When Aravis had finished telling her story， Lasaraleen said， “But， darling， why don’t you marry Ahoshta Tarkaan？
