u are going to be married----"

"What matters my marriage?" I answered. "It cannot in any way affect
Kondje-Gul's happiness! She knows that I love her, and that she will
always retain the first place in my affections."

Madame Murrah shook her head for a minute in an undecided manner. The
argument which I had employed was a most simple one.

At last she said: "Your wife will be an infidel; and, according to your
laws, she will be entitled to demand my daughter's dismissal."

Dumb-founded at hearing her raise such objections, when I had fancied
that I only needed to express my commands, I gazed at her in complete
astonishment.

"But my wife will never know Kondje-Gul!" I exclaimed. "She will live in
her own home, and Kondje-Gul will live here, so that nothing will be
changed so far as we are concerned."

Upon this reasoning of mine, which I thought would seem decisive to her,
the Circassian reflected for a moment as if embarrassed as to how she
should answer me. But suddenly, just when I thought she was convinced,
she said:

"All that you have said would be very true, if we were in Turkey; but
you know better than I do that in your country, your religion does not
permit you to have more than one wife."

"But," I exclaimed, more astounded than ever at her language, "do you
suppose, then, that Kondje-Gul could ever doubt my honour or my
fidelity?"

"My daughter is a child, and believes everything," she continued. "But,
for my own part, I have consulted a lawyer, and have been informed that
according to your law she has become as free as a Frenchwoman, and has
lost all her rights as _cadine_ which she would have enjoyed in our
country. Moreover I am informed that you can abandon her without her
being able to claim any compensation from you."

I was struck dumb by this bold language and the expression with which it
was accompanied. This was no longer the apathetic Oriental woman whose
obedience I thought I commanded like a master. I had before me another
woman whose expression was thoughtful and decided--I understood it all.

"While informing you that your daughter is free," I said, changing my
own tone of voice, "this lawyer no doubt informed you also, that you
could marry her to Count Kiusko?"

"Oh, I knew that before!" she replied, smiling.

"So you have been deceiving me these two months past, by leaving me to
believe that you had answered him with a refusal?"

"It was certainly necessary to prevent you