ptivity, as his extreme youth, and bravery of
demeanour, had greatly pleased her.

Cuthbert replied that nothing but freedom could satisfy his longings;
that he was comfortable and not overworked, but that he pined to be back
again with his friends.

The old woman brought him on the following night a message to the
effect that his mistress would willingly grant him his liberty, but as
he was sent to her husband by the sultan, it would be impossible to
free him openly.

"From what she said," the old woman continued, "if you could see some
plan of making your escape, she would in no way throw difficulties in
your path; but it must not be known that the harem in any way connived at
your escape, for my lord's wrath would be terrible, and he is not a man
to be trifled with."

Looking round at the high walls that surrounded the garden, Cuthbert said
that he could think of no plan whatever for escaping from such a place;
that he had often thought it over, but that it appeared to him to be
hopeless. Even should he manage to scale these walls, he would only find
himself in the town beyond, and his escape from that would be altogether
hopeless. "Only," he said, "if I were transported to some country palace
of the governor could I ever hope to make my escape." The next night the
messenger brought him the news that his mistress was disposed to favour
his escape in the way he had pointed out, and that she would in two or
three days ask the governor for permission to pay a visit to their palace
beyond the walls, and that with her she would take a number of
gardeners--among them Cuthbert--to beautify the place. Cuthbert returned
the most lively and hearty thanks to his patroness for her kind
intentions, and hope began to rise rapidly in his heart.

It is probable, however, that the black guards of the harem heard
something of the intentions of their mistress, and that they feared the
anger of the governor should Cuthbert make his escape, and should it be
discovered that this was the result of her connivance. Either through
this or through some other source the governor obtained an inkling that
the white slave sent by the sultan was receiving unusual kindness from
the ladies of the harem.

Two nights after Cuthbert had begun to entertain bright hopes of his
liberty, the door of the cell was softly opened. He was seized by four
slaves, gagged, tied hand and foot, covered with a thick burnous, and
carried out from his cell. By the