smoke from his mouth.

"Excellency," he commenced, "I am it very humble mountaineer of the
Caucasus, but until these few months past have been as happy as
heart could wish. True, we have often been called upon to confront
the Cossack, but that is a duty and a pleasure, and the tide of
battle once over, we have returned with renewed joy to our cottage
homes. Our hearths are rude and homely, but our wants are few, and
our hearts are warm among our native hills.

"Suddenly, a hawk swooped down upon our mountain side, and bore away
the sweetest and most innocent dove that nestled there, making
desolate many hearts, and causing an aged mother and father to weep
tears of bitter anguish. I loved that being, excellency, so well
that my whole soul was hers, and she too in turn loved me. Broken
hearted and most miserable I have wandered hither to seek her, for
hither I found that she had been brought, and perhaps even now is
the unhappy slave of some heartless one, and is pining for the home
she has been torn from. If you would bless me, excellency, ay, bless
yourself by a noble deed, then aid me to find her in this great
capital."

The monarch listened with unfeigned interest, he, had a strong dash
of romance in his disposition, besides which he could feel for the
disconsolate lover now, since his own heart bad been so awakened to
itself.

"Your story interests me," said the Sultan, still regarding him
intently.

"It is very simple, excellency, but alas! it is also very true," was
the reply.

"What name do you bear?"

"Aphiz Adegah, excellency!"

"And what was her name of whom you have spoken?"

"Her name was Komel."

At the same moment that he answered thus, Lalla turned by chance
from her engravings, towards them, when her eyes resting upon those
of Aphiz, she rose, staggered a few steps towards him, and uttered a
scream so shrill and piercing that even the imperturbable Turk
sprang to his feet in amazement, while Aphiz cried:

"It is she, it is my lost Komel!"

CHAPTER VII.

THE SULTAN'S PRISONER.

The Sultan was as capable of revenge as he was of love or gratitude,
and this, Aphiz was destined to learn to his sorrow; for no sooner
did the monarch comprehend the scene we have just described, after
having heard the story of Aphiz related, than he immediately
summoned the guard, and the young Circassian found himself borne
away to a place of confinement within the seraglio gardens, where he
was lef