en he
perceived the fatal mistake, which he did not till some moments
afterwards, uttered a loud cry, and attempted to burst from his guards.
Roused by the cry, the sultan looked up, and perceived what had taken
place. In a moment he darted from his throne, and was kneeling by me
with frantic exclamations. The mutes hastily tore away the bowstring,
but I was, to all appearance, dead.

"Yes, sultan, well you may rave," exclaimed my brother; "for you have
good cause. You have destroyed one who, as she declared with her last
breath, was most faithful and most true. I acknowledge the conspiracy. I
told her my intentions, and she thought that she had succeeded in
preventing me, for I promised by _the three_ to abandon my design. She
has been faithful both to you and to me, for she believed that, although
accused, I had atoned for my fault by repentance."

The sultan looked earnestly at my brother, but made no answer. He
embraced me, at one moment bursting into tears, in the next calling for
assistance. I was removed to my apartments, and after some time, the
physicians succeeded in restoring me to life; but I was for many days
confused and dizzy in the brain, during which time every attention and
care was lavished on me. One evening I felt sufficiently recovered to
speak, and I demanded of my attendants what had taken place. They
informed me that the mutes, who had mistaken the signal, had been
impaled, and that the Janissaries had risen and demanded my brother,
whose execution had been deferred by the sultan; but that on the
commotion taking place, by order of the grand vizier,--my brother had
been executed, and his head thrown out to the rebellious troops, who had
been dispersed, and had since been brought to subjection, and some
hundreds of the ringleaders had been executed. I turned away at this
intelligence, for I loved my noble but misguided brother. The movement
occasioned excruciating pain, which arose from the deep wound made by
the bowstring in my neck.

The next morning I rose, that I might contemplate my person in the
mirror, and I at once perceived the alteration which had taken place.
There was a certain degree of distortion of features which I thought
would never be removed. I felt, that although the sultan might respect
me, I could not expect the same influence and undivided attention as
before. With a heavy heart I threw myself on the couch, and planned for
the future. I reflected upon the uncertain tenur