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"The boat had now floated past the necropolis of Eyoub, and was passing amidst a crowd of vessels from every quarter under heaven; here were tall ships, laden with the skins of animals, and the highly prized tall from Archangel; barks carrying maidens who had been torn from the bosom of their families, to become the prize of the highest bidder in the market of Stamboul. Oh, what a host of ideas they conjured up in the mind of the young Frank! He was scarcely prevented by his attendant from rushing to their rescue. As they passed on, they were received by a mariner, who was puffing his chibouque in the stern of one of the slave-ships, with the usual salutation of Pik alikum,'-is your humour good? to which the answer was Guzel!'-good. Here were vessels from his own land, with their formidable tiers of guns, and England's flag lazily floating, like a coloured meteor, in the spice-laden breeze. The stranger wrapped his boat-cloak around him, and remained abstracted till they reached the place of disembarkation. There were here about four hundred Turks sitting smoking their pipes, with small cups of coffee placed near them; not a word was interchanged; they inhaled in silence the aroma of their chibouques, occasional expressions, such as Allah Allah! Allah akbar!'—there is but one God, and Mohammed is his prophet-escaped from their lips; but, as these religious convictions implied no heterodoxy on the part of the utterers, they were received without remark. When his attendant had removed his baggage, he stood for some little time in an abstracted mood, considering the strange scene which was spread out before him. From this he was aroused by the appearance of a Tâtar mounted on a coal-black Arabian steed, who advanced like the spirit of the storm careering on the simoom, into the middle of the throng. He pulled from beneath his vest a parchment, sealed with the imperial seal, and presented it to five persons in succession. The first individual ejaculated kismet,'-the second' Allah akbar,'— the third 'felech,'-the fourth be chesm,'-the fifth hum-boog.' In succession they knocked the ashes out of the small red bowls of their chibouques; in succession they kissed the imperial seal; in succession they untied their cravats; round the necks of the five, successively, did the Tâtar fasten the fatal bowstring; and then, drawing his light scimitar, in succession he divided the blackened heads of the five from their quivering corses; wiped his sword upon the robe of one of them; put the heads into his saddle-bags, and rode away. "The young Englishman remained aghast, and inquired anxiously of the by-smokers what was the meaning of this outrage.— Aijaib!'-wonderful! replied one.-'He bilirim,'-what can I say? responded a second. Mustapha is gone, Saïda too; their faces were blackened in the sight of His Highness. Kibaubs and pillaux they will eat no more. I have said it! So saying, he resumed his occupation with the constitutional apathy of a Turk. The mangled corpses of the wretched men remained still on the ground; from them oozed out the trickling gore in thick gouts upon the discoloured strand, while they lay unnoticed and unwept till the senseless clay should be resolved into the elements of which it was compounded. Horror! horror!

"The young Frank with a sickening spirit left the gaily-vested throng, which showed like a petrified parterre in the trembling light of the pale full moon, and advanced into the heart of the city to seek

accommodation for the night. It is not amidst the solitudes of Nature solitudes miscalled, where the safsaf and the mimosa mirror their beauties in the polished gleam of the silver fount, whose breast is ruffled once and again by the light leap of the golden fish, rejoi cing, like happy spirits, in their own beauty; where the wild bee makes its home; where the nightingale trills out her floods of deep and impassioned melody to her own dear bulbul; where all things rejoice in their own loveliness. It is not there, I say, that the heart longs for sympathy with an unquenchable yearning, although it may wish for an accordant ear to be attuned with it to the music of the scene; but it is in the marble palace, in the crowded street, in the thronged market-place, that the solitary stranger feels that he is alone- quite alone!

"Groups of gay revellers passed him occasionally; occasionally he paused to behold the performances of the almé, or dancing-girls; but no one interchanged words with him: at length he addressed himself to a dervish, who was seated upon a heated stove, and was employing his leisure hours in divesting himself of his toe-nails, hoping thereby to arouse the charity of the faithful.

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Holy father,' said he, 'I am a stranger just arrived in the city of Stamboul, and would fain find accommodation for the night.'

"Mashallah!' said the dervish, in the name of the Prophet Hurroo! By the black stone at Mecca, young shakal-siz-young nobeard; avrat der-it is a woman!'

"Nay, father,' said the Frank, who felt an involuntary respect for the religious observances of this strange being, I am a man even as thou art, and would beg the favour of thy direction in this strange city, to some place where I can obtain quarters to lodge myself and my attendant.'

"Ahi, pekahi-very well; bakalum—we shall see; sit by me, young sir, and I will tell thee.' With these words he made room for him on the stove.

"Father," said the youth, longer stay; but with the wan way.'

evening is wearing on; I may no moon speed on my lonely, lonely

Hist! kutstick-be gone! You are a giaour, an infidel; your words are nought, and your face is blackened in my sight. Leave Suleiman of the thousand corns to his fate.'

"He left accordingly the ascetic to his meditations, not a little wondering at his religious fanaticism, which exceeded all he had ever heard or read of. On turning round at a little distance, he beheld the sage, who had now accomplished his task, take a lighted coal from under him, and proceed to light his pipe. The night was wearing on, and feeling the necessity of finding some resting-place, he dismissed his attendant down one of the streets leading from the great square, whilst he proceeded himself down another, agreeing that they should meet there in an hour's time. He wended, accordingly, on his way down the deserted street in quest of adventure, determined to make as light as possible of the fate which he had brought upon himself. The first persons he met with were a band of gay gallants employed in wrenching the belpûls, or knockers, off the doors of the sober citizens. These worthies were evidently inebriated, and fresh from the opium-shop, where they had been quaffing something stronger than sherbet.

an idiot.

"Korkma-fear not: Goet. Sadik, you are a divanè Oghour oha-Heaven speed you. Mashallah! in the name of the Prophet-may the kavashlir - the city police-the sons of burnt fathers, be roasted in Jehanum. I laugh at them; I spit upon their beards! Alhemdullilah-praise be to Allah!-here is another. Hist, Allah Kerim, I have it. But what is yonder figure? It is a woman veiled in her yashmac! Come on, sons of burnt mothers, come on!' "The whole troop accordingly advanced towards the unfortunate female, who in vain attempted to escape.

"Guzum!—my eyes!' said one, is your humour good? Art thou not the daughter of a Peri, born of a sunbeam? '

"Khosh geldin-you are welcome,' said a second. Janum-my soul-dark-eyed art thou as the gazelle, graceful as the fawn!', "Gen ektiar der-you are the lord,' said the woman; let me find favour before my lord. Hinder not my path, or else badluk tomy toze, I shall suffer the bastinado on my return to my lord's haram !

"Yavash, yavash

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softly, softly. What dirt is this that thou wouldest give me to eat? Am I a cow, and the mother of cows? This is much. Thou goest no further to-night: I have said it.' "Ho!' said the woman, raising her voice, in the name of Allah, help! help!'

"Ne var?-what is this?'

"It was but the work of a moment with the young stranger to rush into the midst of them. He seized a scimitar from the side of one, and quick as thought three lay bleeding at his feet. The rest, after a feeble resistance, took to flight. The woman had sunk, almost lifeless with affright, to the ground. From her swoon she was recovered by the care of the young Frank.

"This is much. Let my lord fly, or he is lost.'

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"Nay, maiden, I am not used to fly,' said he, as he lifted his eagle glance up to heaven. 'Moreover, had I the will, I know not where to go; for I am a stranger in Stamboul, and have scarce landed an hour upon the shore.'

"Mashallah! Come, then, quickly with me, or the kavashlar will be upon us, and you will be cut down without inquiry.'

"The stranger had beheld one summary instance of Turkish justice, which, despite his chivalric notions, gave him an uncomfortable feeling about the neck, and so followed her without farther remark. He accordingly endeavoured to keep close after her, as she sped swiftly through dark streets and by-ways, catching occasional glances of the Bosphorus, as it lay peacefully between the myriad lamps of the blessed city, sleeping as an infant watched by the doting eyes of its fond parent. She paused at last beneath the stately portal of a magnificent mansion, motioning him to follow.

"Tchabouk, tchabouk !—quick, quick! Follow me.'

"He entered accordingly, and found himself in almost total darkness, which was only partly dispelled by the uncertain light of a flickering lamp, an emblem of a true believer struggling with affliction.

"Khosh geldin!

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you are welcome!' said she. We are now safe from without; but greater perils wait us from within, unless my lord will be guided by his servant.'

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Ay, maiden, even as you will; but let me gaze, if but for a moment, upon the beauteous face of her whom I have saved.'

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Disappointment awaits you, stranger. I am but a slave. The blood of my fathers flows richly in my veins. I was born beneath the meridian sun.' So saying, she raised her yashmac, and disclosed to him the features of a negress.

"Hum!" said he, somewhat coldly.

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Nay, kipyar tempar-be not angry; you shall have no cause to regret your exertions in my behalf. In this palace is immured, like an imprisoned singing bird, like a rose of Shadustan plucked from its native stalk, the beauteous wife of an aga. My lord shall behold her, and to behold her is to love; but you must divest yourself of these garments, and put on the dress which the maidens of the haram are ever wont to wear, lest you should feed the fishes of the Bosphorus.'

"Ha! Love, saidst thou? No-this withered heart can never love again; but to the fishes of the Bosphorus I would not, willingly at least, become a prey. But I like not this change of dress. I am a man, as my fathers were, and would not put on a woman's weeds. Moreover, when didst thou ever look upon a maiden with hair upon her cheeks and lips? Answer me this.'

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Nay, gurum-my eyes-what are these? They are bosh-nothing-the growth, let me see, of three weeks at farthest.'

"Woman, my arm shall protect my life as it best may; but my whiskers are irrevocable.'

"Janum-my soul-behold thy features in this anah—this mirror. See if ever fairer maid than thou wilt appear has listened to her praises beneath the umbrageous myrtle and the delicate safsaf. Nay, I promise thee thou shalt soon become the queen of the haram.' "Ah! you flatter me, woman,' said the dark-eyed youth, taking a glance at his features in the small mirror. Well, well, for once be it as you will.'

"The crafty negress quickly took advantage of his 'consent, and before long his cheeks were as smooth as the polished ivory of Zem

zem.

The

Belli,

"Now, quickly bind this calemkier-this painted handkerchief— round thy brow. Ajaib! - wonderful! The sun and moon have left the sky, and now peer forth from under that calemkier. Bismillah! bulbul of the world! let me tinge that stately brow with the aromatic henna. Allah is great. These trowsers-nay, my lord -Shekiur Allah!-Heaven be praised!-they are on. A slight rent -Y' Allah!—we are undone ! paiva der- they are animals. petticoat will conceal the mischief. Bakalum-we shall see. belli! - yes, yes! Now this jacket, its hue was caught from the azure sky-the cymar seems but dusky upon the bosom of my lord, although white as the snow of Mistop. Oghour oha! — Heaven speed you! These slippers, and it is done. What a houri is this! Lovely indeed did the feigned maiden appear, graceful as the willow, gentle as the moon of the evening sky. Not even the eyes of the guardian of the haram, the son of Sheitan, defiled! - could pierce that disguise. I will massauldjhee -a story-teller from the islands. head be it. But does my lord know of any tale lady's ear?'

may his grave be say that thou art a Bashustan — on my such as may suit a

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Ay, woman; in my youth I have read a work called the Arabian Nights, a book which contains many a tale of Haroun Alreschid and his Wezeer.'

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Allah buyek der - Allah is great,' said the attendant; it is well. We will call thee Shimsa-Gillyflower. Let us lose no time. Follow me, and take this zebek in thy hand.'

"She opened a small door, and, bidding him follow in her footsteps, passed swiftly through a long corridor, and tapped against the door of an apartment.

"Kaumin-enter,' said a gruff voice. I will blacken her mother's face;'

" Who is this at this hour?

"Salam aleikum-God save you !-my mother's face was black as the ebony of Tehran, even as mine is.'

"Ouf, ouf-peace, peace! haremzadeh-ill-born. What dost thou want?-the bastinado ?—and who is this?'

"It is a mussauldjhee from the isles, whom our mistress, Popeti, sent me for. Bah-see-I have brought her.'

""Curses on you! do you dare to pour out words before me? Is not my foot upon your head? But now pass on.'

"Taking him at his word, they left the apartment by another door; and traversing a small passage, the slave lifted a dark curtain, and they entered."

Now, good people, in the present traverse between Olinthus Jenkinson and Christopher North, you shall tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Were not his words the words of Sheitan, and his thoughts the thoughts of the Evil One? Speak. "Under which, King Bezonian, speak, or die!"

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