of the officer, who had the charge of her, allowed to visit her for a
few minutes every day, but it was always in the presence of a third
person. One morning when I came, the poor lady fell upon my neck and
sobbed a long while without speaking; the countenance of the officer was
also melancholy to a degree, and I perceived that a tear occasionally
trickled down his manly cheek.

"Ekaterina," said she, at last, "I have heard my sentence, and am to be
punished to-morrow. O God! forgive them their cruelty and injustice:"
and she sank from my arms upon the floor of the dungeon.

We raised her, and she recovered a little. "Yes, Ekaterina, I am to be
punished to-morrow for a crime of which I am innocent--a punishment--God
have mercy!--worse than death. The knout--the knout--and that attended
with public exposure in the market-place. May God forgive the emperor
his cruelty!"

I had heard of this dreadful punishment, but little thought that women
suffered by it. It was too barbarous.

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"I have not heard of it," said the pacha. "Tell me, old woman, is it
worse than the bastinado?"

"Yes, your highness. It is a whip of enormous power, so that if the
executioner has a private order, he can kill the party on whom it is
inflicted by two or three blows; but your highness will better
comprehend the nature of the punishment when I describe what I
witnessed."

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My dear mistress begged me, as a favour, that I would attend her to the
place of execution, and I consented. Poor creature! she, as well as I,
had but an imperfect idea of what she was to endure. The punishment was
to be inflicted in the great square, and the troops were out, and a
large concourse of people were assembled. She appeared on the raised
platform upon which she was to suffer, in a genteel undress, which
contributed still more to heighten her extreme beauty. The sweetness of
her countenance obtained for her the commiseration of those who were
ordered and accustomed to execute the will of the despotic and cruel
emperor. Young, lively, and admired, sought for, and caressed by every
body, high in rank, and rich in, worldly wealth, she stood, no longer
surrounded by the attentions and homage due to her talents, her beauty,
and her wit, but surrounded only by stern executioners. She looked at
them with aston