the necessary
instructions to the female slaves to welcome her."

Constantine received the key, made a low obeisance, and withdrew,
leaving the grand vizier to feast his voluptuous imagination with
delicious thoughts of the beauteous Calanthe.

CHAPTER LIII.

THE SULTANA VALIDA--THE THREE BLACK SLAVES.

In the meantime the Princess Aischa, the now neglected wife of the grand
vizier, had repaired to the imperial seraglio to obtain an interview
with her brother, Solyman the Magnificent. The sultan, as the reader has
already learnt, was deeply attached to Aischa. Their mother, the
sultana, or empress mother, who was still alive, occupied apartments in
the seraglio. Her children entertained the greatest respect for her: and
her influence over the sultan, who possessed an excellent heart, though
his sway was not altogether unstained by cruelties, was known to be
great.

It was therefore to her mother and her brother that the beautiful Aischa
proceeded; and when she was alone with them in the Valida's apartment,
and removed her veil, they immediately noticed that she had been
weeping. Upon being questioned relative to the cause of her sorrow, she
burst into an agony of tears, and was for some time unable to reply. At
length, half regretting that she had taken the present step, Aischa
slowly revealed her various causes of complaint against the grand
vizier.

"By Allah!" exclaimed the sultan, "the ungrateful Ibrahim shall not thus
spurn and neglect the costly gift which I, his master, condescended to
bestow upon him! What! when the Shah of Persia, the Khan of the Tartars,
and the Prince of Karamania all sought thine hand, and dispatched
embassadors laden with rich gifts to our court to demand thee in
marriage, did I not send them back with cold words of denial to their
sovereigns? And was it to bestow thee, my sister, on this ungrateful
boy, who was so late naught save a dog of a Christian, ready to eat the
dirt under our imperial feet,--was it to bestow thee on such an one as
he, that I refused the offers of the Persian Shah! By the tomb of the
prophet! this indignity shall cease!"

"Restrain your wrath, my son," said the Sultana Valida. "Ibrahim must
not be openly disgraced: the effects of his punishment would redound on
our beloved Aischa. No--rather intrust this affair to me; and fear not
that I shall fail in compelling this haughty pasha to return to the arms
of his wife--ay, and implore her pardon for his