The Circassian Slave | Page 4

she seemed to be less happy
than those of her countrywomen generally who come to Constantinople.
This might be owing to the affliction under which she labored as to
being dumb, but it was evident that Sultan Mahomet thought otherwise
as he gazed silently at her.
"She came not of her own free will from her native vales, Mustapha,"
said his master.
"No one knows, excellency, though her people generally come most
cheerfully to our harems."
"There is no means of understanding her save by signs?" asked the
Sultan.

"None, excellency."
"Take her to the harem, Mustapha," said his master, after a few
moments of thoughtful silence, "take her to the harem, and give strict
charge that she be well cared for."
"Excellency, yes," said the old Turk, with a profound reverence after
the manner of the East, "your wish is your slave's law," he continued,
as he turned away.
"And look you, good Mustapha," said the Sultan, recalling him once
more, "say it is our will that she be made as happy as may be."
"Excellency, yes," again repeated the old man with a salaam, and then
turning to the Circassian, he signed to her to follow him.
As the slave retired she could not but look back at the Sultan, who had
greeted her with such kind consideration, and as she did so she met his
dark, piercing eye bent upon her in gentle pity. She almost sighed to
leave the presence of one who had showed her the first kindness, the
first token of thoughtful consideration for her situation since she left
her own home, far away beyond the sea. But Mustapha beckoned her
forward, and she hastened to obey his summons, wondering as she
went what was to be her fate; whether that was to be her future home,
and what position she was to hold there. Musing thus, she followed the
Turk towards the sacred precincts of the harem.
The monarch left alone, save the thoughtless boy, who lay upon the
rich divan, coiled up like an animal gone to sleep, seemed to be
troubled in his mind. Stern and imperious by nature, it was not usual
for him to evince such feeling as had exercised him towards the dumb
slave, and it was plain that his heart was moved by feelings that were
novel there. Touching a silver gong that hung pendent from the wall,
just within reach of his arm, a Nubian slave opened the hangings of the
apartment, and appeared as though he had come out of the wall.
The slave knew well his master's summons, and preparing for him the
bowl of his pipe, and lighting it, coiled the silken tube to his hand, and

on his knee presented the amber mouthpiece.
Thus occupied, the Sultan was soon lost in the dreamy narcotic of the
tobacco.
CHAPTER II.
THE SULTAN'S HAREM.

The harem into which the dumb Circassian girl was conducted by the
woman to whom the old Turk delivered his message, was a place of
such luxuriant splendor as to puzzle her, and she stood like one amazed
for some moments.--The costly and grateful lounges, the heavy and
downy carpets, the rich velvet and silken hangings about the walls, the
picturesque and lovely groups of female slaves that laughed and toyed
with each other, mingling in pleasant games, the rich though scanty
dress of these favorites of the Sultan, all were confusing and dazzling to
her untutored eye, and when, after a few moments' minutes, a dozen of
these lovely girls crowded about her with curious eyes to know who
was the new comer that was to be their companion, the poor girl shrunk
back half abashed, for she could not speak to them.
They too were puzzled that she made no reply to them, and stood there
in wonder.
It was only for a moment, however, when the beautiful stranger pointed
to her mouth and ears significantly, and gently shook her head with a
sadness of expression that was electrical, for each one instantly
understood her meaning, and pitied her. Some little feeling of envy
might have been ready to burst forth in the breasts of those about her,
but gentle pity loves to linger by beauty's side, and so they all loved
and condoled with the fair stranger. One took her hand and led her to a
cushion in the centre of the little circle that had just been formed,
another unloosed the wealth of beautiful hair that astonished them by
its dark richness and profusion as it fell about her fair neck. She who
had unloosed the new comer's hair, now fell to braiding it in solid

masses and plaiting it about her head.
A second one taking a rare bracelet of pearls off her own fair arms,
placed