sh, Armenian, or Cophtic Nation, of whom there
were many here, affecting great magnificence in their Habits and Living?

Full Ten Minutes had the Lady so gazed upon me, I staring stupidly at
her, and the Negress continuing to enjoin me to silence by putting her
finger to her Lips. Then clapping her little hands together (I mean
that the Lady did, for the Black Woman's were sad Paws), in tumbles from
a little door at the side of the Divan a Negro Urchin about eight years
of age, very richly clad, who at her command brings Pipes and Coffee;
and, signs being made to me, I sat down on a couple of Pillows on the
Ground, smoked a Chibook, emptied a Cup, not much bigger than an
egg-shell, of Coffee,--very Bitter and Nauseous here, for they give you
the Dregs as well as the Liquor,--all the while staring at the Lady as
though my Eyeballs would have started out of my Head. And by this time
the Sun had quite gone down, and as there is but little Twilight in
these parts, the Shade of Evening fell like a great black Pall over the
Room; so the little Black Urchin came tumbling in again with a couple of
Lamps, which he set down before the Divan. These cast a very soft and
rosy Light, passing through folds of Pink Silk; and as soon as my eyes
grew accustomed to 'em, I could see that the Lady had raised her Veil,
that she was looking upon me with a pair of Dark, Roguish, Twinkling
Orbs, and that I was sitting in the presence of my kind Protectress,
Lilias.

"What think you of this for an Opera Habit, goodman Cerberus?" cried
she. "Is this not much better than the Ballet of Orpheus? And, goodness!
what strange Accoutrement have you, too, got into?"

When my first ecstasies of Joy and Amazement were over, I explained to
my Dear Patroness the Reasons (none of my own choosing) for appearing in
such a Garb as I then wore; telling her how I had been Galley-Slave, and
was now Cymbal Player, to the Unbelieving Dey of Algiers; and with great
Humility did I ask after her Honoured Parent, and seek to know by what
uncommon Accident she, the erst Ballet Dancer in the King's Opera-House
at Paris, had come to be the tenant of this Outlandish House, and
arrayed in this Heathen Habit. She answered me with that Candour and
Simplicity which I ever found characteristic of her. Old Mr. Lovell was
still alive, and in Paris; and this is how his Daughter had become
separated from him. A very brilliant Engagement, as First Dancer,
indeed, had been offered to