egah to be dead, she would after awhile recover
from the shock, and gradually forgetting him, receive his own regard
instead of that of the young mountaineer, as he would have her do
voluntarily; for he felt, as much as he coveted her favor, that he
could never claim her for a wife unless it was with her own consent
and free will. If he had not love her, he would have felt
differently, and would have commanded that favor which now would
lose its charms unless 'twas wooed and won.

But we shall see how mistaken the monarch was in his selfish
calculations.

Reasoning upon the grounds that we have named, the Sultan had
ordered Aphiz to be drowned in the Bosphorus, as we have seen, and
the deed was performed by the regular executioners of government.
The Sultan was supreme, and his orders were obeyed without question;
this being the case, Aphiz's fate caused no remark even among the
gossips.

The few days that had transpired since Komel had regained her speech
and hearing, had of course taught her more in relation to her actual
situation and the character of those about her than she had been
able to gather by silent observation during her entire previous
confinement in the harem of the palace.

She was aware that the Sultan was impetuous and self-willed, but she
could hardly bring her mind to believe that he would actually put in
practice such a piece of villany as should cost Aphiz his life.
Knowing as much as she did of his imperious and stern habits, she
did not believe him capable of such cold-blooded baseness. But no
sooner had the officers, sent to execute his sentence against the
innocent mountaineer, returned and announced the task as performed,
than Komel was summoned to the presence of the the Sultan.

"I have sent for you, Komel," said the monarch, while he regarded
her intently as he spoke, "to tell you that Aphiz is dead."

"Dead, excellency; do you say dead?"

"Yes."

"You do but jest with me, excellency," she said, trying in her
tremor to smile.

"I rarely jest with any one and surely should not have sent for you
were I in that mood. He has gone to make food for the fishes at the
bottom of the Bosphorus."

"Has his life been taken by your orders, excellency?" she asked,
with a pallid cheek and blanched lips.

"You have said," answered the Sultan.

"Ah! excellency, I am but a weak girl and can ill abide a jest.
Aphiz can have done nothing to receive your displeasure, and surely
you would not