lars, and covered with purple figured velvet
fringed with gold. In the middle of this gorgeous apartment was a large
table, shaped like a crescent, and spread with all kinds of preserved
fruits, confectionery, cakes, and delicious beverages of a non-alcoholic
nature.

The room was crowded with beauteous women when the presence of Ibrahim
was announced by a slave. There were the fair-complexioned daughters of
Georgia--the cold, reserved, but lovely Circassians--the warm and
impassioned Persians--the voluptuous Wallachians--the timid Tartars--the
dusky Indians--the talkative Turkish ladies--beauties, too, of Italy,
Spain, and Portugal--indeed, specimens of female perfection from many,
many nations. Their various styles of beauty, and their characteristic
national dresses, formed a scene truly delightful to gaze upon: but the
grand vizier noticed none of the countenances so anxiously turned toward
him to mark on which his eyes would settle in preference; and the ladies
noiselessly withdrew, leaving their master alone with the slave in the
anteroom.

Ibrahim threw himself on a sofa, and gave some hasty instructions to the
slave, who immediately retired. In about a quarter of an hour he came
back, conducting into the anteroom a lady veiled from head to foot. The
slave then withdrew altogether; and Ibrahim approached the lady, saying,
"Calanthe--beauteous Calanthe! welcome to my palace."

She removed her veil; and Ibrahim fixed his eager eyes upon the
countenance thus disclosed to him; but he was immediately struck by the
marvelous resemblance existing between his page Constantine, and the
charming Calanthe. It will be remembered that when he called, in a mean
disguise, at the abode of Demetrius, he saw Calanthe for the first time,
and only for a short period; and though he was even then struck by her
beauty, yet the impression it made was but momentary: and he had so far
forgotten Calanthe as never to behold in Constantine the least
resemblance to any one whom he had seen before.

But now that Calanthe's countenance burst upon him in all the glory of
its superb Greek beauty, that resemblance struck him with all the force
of a new idea; and he was about to express his astonishment that so
wondrous a likeness should subsist between brother and sister, when the
maiden sunk at his feet, exclaiming, "Pardon me, great vizier; but
Constantine and Calanthe are one and the same thing."

"Methought the brother pleaded with marvel