eign pleasure and my
destiny?"

"It is well said, and so must I if the caliph sends me a Capitan Badji,
which Allah forbid. There is but one God and Mahomet is his Prophet."

"Amen," replied Mustapha. "Will your highness drink of the water of the
Giaour?"

"Yes, truly; for what says the poet? `We are merry to-day and to-morrow
we die.'"

"Min Allah; God forbid! That old woman has lived a long while, why
shouldn't we?"

"I don't know; but she has had the bowstring and is not yet dead. We
may not be so fortunate."

"May we never have it at all; then shall we escape, O pacha."

"True, Mustapha; so give me the bottle."

VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER SIX.

The next evening the old woman made her appearance without raising any
difficulty as on the previous day, and took her seat before the pacha,
and thus continued:--

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As I stated to your highness last evening when I broke off my narrative,
I was in the highest favour with the sultan, who made me his confidant.
He had often mentioned to me the distinguished services of a young
seraskier, whom he had lately appointed capitar pacha, to combat in the
north against a barbarous nation called Sclavonians, or Russians. My
curiosity was raised to see this rustam of a warrior, for his exploits
and unvaried success were constantly the theme of the sultan's
encomiums. A Georgian slave who had been the favourite previous to my
arrival, and who had never forgiven my supplanting her, had been sent to
him by the sultan as a compliment; and this rare distinction had been
conferred upon him on the day when I requested leave to remain behind
the screen in the hall of the divan, that I might behold this celebrated
and distinguished person. He was indeed a splendid figure, and his face
was equally perfect. He formed, in outward appearance, all that I could
imagine of a hero. As I looked at him from behind the screen, he turned
his head from me, and I beheld to my surprise the red stain on his neck,
which told me at once that I had found my long-lost brother. Delighted
at the rencontre, I retired as soon as the audience was over, and the
sultan came to my apartment. I told him the discovery which I had made.
The sultan appeared pleased at the information; and the next day
sending for my brother he asked him a few questions relative to his
lineage and former life, which corroborated my story, and loadin