resent, and future. Her escape from death called
forth grateful feelings, and she felt so far secure that the wretch who
had bought her, had an interest in her life, therefore she had no further
fear of assassination. But then she reverted to her bonds; painful indeed
were the reflections, that she who had been nobly born, and nursed in the
lap of luxury, should find herself a slave, and not one friendly voice to
soothe her in her bondage. She resolved however (knowing the privilege of
her country's law) to select for herself a future proprietor.

'Her resolution was soon put to the test; she was summoned to appear
before a fisherman, who had caught a glimpse of her fine figure as she
entered Mocha, and who desired to purchase her to head his house. The poor
girl summoned all her courage to meet this degrading offer with dignity. A
handsome sum was offered by the fisherman, as she appeared before him to
reject the proposal. "Here is your new master, young lady," said the
slave-merchant; "behave well, and he will marry you."

Fatima looked up, with all her native pride upon her brow; "He shall never
be my master!" she replied, with so much firmness, that (astonished as
they were) convinced the bargainers that Fatima was in earnest. The
merchant inquired her objection, us she had betrayed no unwillingness to
be sold to him; she answered firmly, whilst the starting tear was in her
eye, "My objection to that man is our inequality: I am of noble birth. My
willingness to become your slave, was to free me from the hands of those
who first premeditated my murder; and sooner than my liberty should be
sold to the creature I must detest, this dagger", as she drew one from her
vest, "shall free me from this world's vexations".

'This threat settled the argument, for the slave-merchant calculated on
the loss of three hundred dinars he had paid to the Bedouin; and Fatima,
aware of this, without actually intending any violence to herself, felt
justified in deterring the slave-merchant from further importunities.
Several suitors came to see, with a view to purchase the beautiful Arab of
noble birth, but having acted so decidedly in the first instance, the
merchant felt himself obliged to permit her to refuse at will, and she
rejected all who had made their proposal.

'Meer Hadjee Shah, in the fulfilment of his promise to his wife at parting,
to take home a slave for her attendant, happening at that time to be
passing through Mocha, i