air and rosy-cheeked Circassian race, exposed to the curious eve of
the throng only so far as delicacy would sanction, yet leaving
enough visible to develope charms that fired the spirits of the
Turkish crowd; and the bids ran high on this sale of humanity, until
at last a beautiful creature, with a form of ravishing loveliness,
large and lustrous eyes, and every belonging that might go to make
up a Venus, was led forth to the auctioneer's stand. She was young
and surpassingly handsome, while her hearing evinced a degree of
modesty that challenged their highest admiration.

Of course the bidding was spirited and liberal for such a specimen
of her race; but suddenly the auctioneer paused, and declared that
he had forgotten to mention one matter which might, perhaps, be to
some purchasers even a favorable consideration, which was, that the
slave was deaf and dumb! The effects of this announcement were of
course various; on some it did have a favorable effect, inasmuch as
it seemed to add fresh interest to the undoubted charms she evinced,
but other shrank back disappointed that a creature of so much
loveliness should be even partially bereft of her faculties.

"Are you deaf and dumb?" asked an old Turk, approaching the
Circassian where she stood, as though he wished to satisfy himself
as to the truth of what the salesman had announced.

The slave lifted her eyes at his approach, and only shook her head
in signification that she could not speak, as she saw his lips move
in the utterance of some words, which she supposed addressed to her.
The splendid beauty of her eyes, and the general expression of her
countenance, seemed to act like magic on the Musselman, who, turning
to the auctioneer, bid five hundred piasters, a hundred advance on
the first offer.

At this moment a person wearing the uniform of the Turkish navy,
made his way towards the stand from the centre of the bazaar, where
he had for some minutes been intently regarding the scene, and bid

"Six hundred piasters."

"Seven," said the previous bidder.

"Eight," continued the naval officer.

"Eight fifty," responded the old Turk.

"Nine hundred," said the officer, with a promptness that attracted
the attention of the crowd.

"One thousand piasters," said his competitor, as he continued to
regard her exquisite and beautiful mould, and her features, so like
a picture, in their regular and artistic lines of beauty. It was
very plain that the old Turk felt