had been robbed.

In the meantime, the other women had communicated to the Georgian slave
all that had occurred, and she was frantic at the information. Fearful
of her, I kept my door fast until the arrival of Abdallah, who sent to
inquire whether I would receive him. He was admitted, and again
expressed his indignation at the conduct of my rival, offering, as a
proof of his attachment, to abandon her to my resentment. I had no time
for reply before the door was burst open, the Georgian flew in and aimed
her dagger at my heart. Abdallah had sufficient time to ward the blow,
and as the weapon passed through his left arm, with his right hand he
dashed her on the floor. Pale with rage and pain he called his people.
"She threatened you, Zara, with the bastinado and the bowstring. She has
sealed her own doom."

By his orders her slippers were torn off, and she received fifty blows
of the bastinado; then, as she screamed with pain, and held up her hands
for mercy, the mutes were summoned, and the bowstring was applied. My
revenge was more than satiated, and I covered up my eyes that I might
not be a witness to the dreadful spectacle. When I removed my hands, I
found Abdallah only in the apartment, and my rival lying a blackened
corpse upon the floor.

For three years I remained in the harem of Abdallah, and, if not happy,
was resigned to my fate. He was devotedly attached to me, and, if I
could not return his love, I was not deficient in gratitude. At last a
second war broke out between the Turks and Russians, and Abdallah was
ordered to put himself at the head of his troops, and drive the invaders
back to their regions of frost and snow. As was the custom with Turkish
commanders, all his harem accompanied him, and after travelling about
from one territory to another, sometimes in pursuit of, and at others
retreating before the enemy's forces, we were shut up in the fortress of
Ismael, with orders to defend it to the last.

I shall not weary your highness with a detail of what occurred. I shall
only say, that after the town had been nearly reduced to ashes, by the
shells and shot, which had set fire to it at least one hundred times, it
was taken by storm, with immense slaughter. We sat in our apartments,
listening with terror to the alternate shouting and shrieking--the noise
of the bursting of the shells, the whizzing of the balls, the cries of
the wounded, and the terrific roaring of the flames, which were now
consuming