saddle. They then had recourse to their fire-arms. The Christian was slightly wounded, the Turk not scathed. At the second shot his bridle-arm was shattered, his horse became unmanageable, himself thrown upon the ground, when his forfeited head, his horse and armor, were secured as the trophies; but the body, with its rich apparel, neither of which was forfeited, were sent back to the city."

"A fair combat and a gallant one. The third?"

"The Christian might have been content, lady, had he not been a hot-headed fellow and puffed up by success. But he must tempt fortune needlessly. So, obtaining leave from his general, he sent a message into the city, saying that he feared the ladies had not had amusement enough, and that he should be happy to furnish more, provided any one could be found who dared meet him in the lists. He would stake the heads which he had won, and his own, on the issue. Bonny Mulgro, a stout knight, accepted the challenge, but prudently declined, as he had the right to do, the lance; and selected the pistol, the battle-axe, and the sword. In the use of the formidable battle-axe he was particularly skilled. They met accordingly. The pistols were harmless. Then came the battle-axe, to which the Christian was but little accustomed. A tremendous blow disarmed him of his axe, and nearly felled him from his horse. A shout from the walls roused the half-stunned man, so that he recovered himself in time to evade, by dexterous management of a well-trained steed, the furious blows of his adversary. He now drew his sword, and, by God's assistance, ran it through the body of the Turk. Thus ended the tragedy of which your ladyship inquired. It was nough for all parties."

"A heroic Christian, and a valiant.

Methinks the

Bashaw of Bulgaria would not have accepted his challenge. Ha! what thinkest thou?"

"I know nothing of him, but from thine own lips, lady."

"But this gallant knight must have had a name." "Your ladyship did not inquire."

"He was rather young, was he not?”

"Not old."

"Had he not some foreign name, hard to a Turkish lady's tongue, something like Yoo-seef? I have a kind of inner sense which whispers so; and, on my faith, I doubt there was but one Christian there could have done or dared it. Have I not seen him?"

"Most beautiful lady, thou hast drawn this tale from me. I have obeyed to the letter of thy questions, save the last. Its true answer I perceive thou

hast divined."

"Thy reward?"

"A pompous parade, a charger, a military belt of value, and money, from our general.

The rank of

major from the Count. Afterwards, Prince Sigismund, visiting the camp, gave me his picture set in gold, and pledged to me a pension of three hundred ducats, and a patent of nobility."

"And you passed to other conquests after the sack of Regal."

"We did, lady. But Sigismund, seeing his people ruined by this double war, magnanimously preferred for their sakes to yield his princedom to the Emperor, and retired, as a private nobleman, upon a princely pension. His armies then entered the service of the Emperor. We were sent to Wallachia to aid the inhabitants

against their Turkish ruler. We defeated the Turkish army of forty thousand men, and the province came under the rule of the Emperor. They again made head in Moldavia. Meldritch, misinformed of their numbers, advanced with but thirteen thousand men to fight forty-five thousand. By a new and frightful kind of wild-fire, which — laugh as you will, lady- I invented, we scared the Turks and reduced their numbers. by five thousand, without loss to ourselves; retreating, as soon as we discovered the strength of the enemy, to gain the fortified city of Rotterton, within three leagues of which is the field on which I was left for dead."

-

"Give me the particulars. I know nothing of them, except that the Lord Bashaw of Bulgaria was a hero there."

Smith related the details of the slaughter, the issue of which was sketched at the opening of our narrative.

The conversation which we have given above was not continuous, but had been resumed from time to time as opportunity was contrived by the lady, whose romantic interest increased with every day's recital, and with her own observation of her captive's courtly phrase and noble deportment. It is perhaps needless to state, that the grace and manliness of his person, his frankness, modesty, and high-mindedness, had completely taken captive the heart of a secluded, unsophisticated maiden, just waked to a sense of an unknown want, and just stung by the wanton meanness of a soulless wooer. Smith could not shut his eyes to the fact; neither, with all his regard for her happiness, could he shut his eyes to his only hope of freedom.

The

But these conversations did not end here. enamored maiden demanded their repetition, the minute filling up of the outline, the answering of a thousand questions. In short, she made her captive the theme of all their interviews, the hero of every scene which she led him to describe. Yet she was timid and cautious; at an early stage "feigning sickness when she sought the society of her slave, that she might discard other company." Alas, poor Fatima!

There was a jealous and watchful mother on the premises, who knew full well the danger of proximity and free conversation between a simple maiden and a fascinating youth, even if he were a slave and an infidel. The lady Tragabigzanda perceived that she was spied, and took the alarm. For a while she would heroically suspend their intimacy; then, restless and suffering, she would again command his presence. At length, the swelling tide of her passion surmounted even the barrier of virgin bashfulness. Her confession was not made in words at first, but in tears. Smith could not but pity her, whom he really esteemed, and might have loved had she been Christian and English-born. He was grateful for her kindness; blamed, and yet justified himself in his heart; and replied to her sobs with words of real respect and tenderness, showing, but with a gentlemanly delicacy, that he understood her emotions. At length she raised her head, and repeated, in a tone of touching simplicity and confidence, an extempore version, in Italian, of an Arabic song.

"I wished for my beloved; but when I beheld him I was confounded, and possessed neither tongue nor

eye. I hung down my

head in honor and reverence; and would have hidden what I felt, but it would not be concealed."

The English soldier was touched to the very soul by an avowal, so delicate yet ingenuous, of a pure and trustful love, by an apology so true to nature for her want of self-control. He could not conceal his emotion, although he could give no passionate response to hers; for he knew the insurmountable barriers of religion, country, and education. She gave him, however, no time for words. Nerving herself resolutely to the effort, she said, in a firm and decided voice, "Yoo-seef! thou must fly. My mother will sell thee. I shall arrange it. To-morrow, to-morrow. Leave me now, - leave me to deplore my weakness."

"But gentle lady -"

"Nay, leave me!" and, clapping her hands, there was no alternative, as Fatima instantly answered the

summons.

"Thy slave is at thy feet," said the affectionate girl. "Fatima! thou lovest thy mistress?" caressing her gently.

The slave raised her lustrous eyes with a wondering, mournful expression.

"I know it, child; I know it. Praise be to Allah, how good it is to be loved! Women were made for it, girl. But to be mocked by an ape in sword-belt and turban, - pshaw! it passeth woman's meekness." "Tell him to woo some wandering Ghool," my mistress."

* Properly speaking, the Ghool is the female demon of a lower order