ests toward me, emboldens
me to mention these sorrows in your presence."

"Would that I could really console thee, Demetrius," answered Ibrahim,
with well-affected sincerity; "for thou hast shown thyself a sincere
friend to my poor sister Flora. And now that we are alone together,
Demetrius, for almost the first time since this hastily undertaken
voyage began, let us recapitulate in detail all the occurrences which
have led me to enter upon the present expedition the real nature of
which you alone know, save my imperial master. And, moreover, let us
continue to discourse in Italian; for thou canst speak that language
more fluently than I can express myself in thy native Greek; besides, it
rejoices my heart," he added with a sigh, "to converse in a tongue so
dear as that of the land which gave me birth. And, if Donna Nisida only
knew that in the representative of the mighty Solyman she had beholden
the brother of her late menial, Flora, how surprised would she be!"

"And it were not prudent that she should learn that fact, my lord!"
observed Demetrius, "for more reasons than one; since from sundry hints
which the Signora Francatelli, your lordship's worthy aunt, dropped to
me, it is easy to believe that the Donna Nisida was averse to the
attachment which her brother Francisco had formed, and that her ladyship
indeed was the means of consigning your highness' sister to the convent
of the Carmelites."

"Albeit I shall not treat Count Francisco's sister the less worthily,
now that she is in my power," said Ibrahim Pasha; "indeed, her matchless
beauty would command my forbearance, were I inclined to be vindictive.
Moreover, deaf and dumb as she is, she could not obtain the least
insight into my plans; and therefore she is unable to thwart them."

The reader may suppose that not one single word of all this conversation
was lost upon Nisida, who had indeed learnt, with the most unbounded
wonderment, that the high and mighty grand vizier of the Ottoman
Empire--a man enjoying an almost sovereign rank, and who bore a title
which placed him on a level with the greatest princes of Christendom,
was the brother of the detested Flora Francatelli! During a short pause
which ensued in the dialogue between Ibrahim Pasha and his Greek
confidant, Nisida stole gently up to the door in the partitions between
the two saloons, so fearful was she of losing a single word of a
discourse that so deeply interested and nearly concerned her.

"B