NILALTS FROM AN LASTERN QUIVIR. J11

“Sove for my eyes, my face was closely

velled, and, sauntering amid the crowd of

beautiful women, my cyves fell upon the apartment wherem, from the papyrus, 1 knew that my adored one was confined. T opened the door carclessly and, imitating a woman's tone, bade her come forth and follow me into the presence of her lord. She recognisei me 1 a moment, and [altered forth some words of surprise at my daring, which the rest of the women thought were expressions of fear at the fate which might be hers. We reached the lower floor and, passing through the guest chamber, were soon m the court adjacent. No one attempted to bar our wav, for my plan was entirely unsuspected, and before 1t was dis- covered we were happily beyond pursuit !

“With my love- ly bride, Hestra, 1 journcyed down the peaceful waters of the Nile, and viewed with de- lighted cyes the green fields of waving cormn and the grey ridges of llme - stonce

rock l | S

adorned himy with the apparch which hefitted me alone as a primce - the ind, When at last T amrived at Ghuzni, and he was removed from the position which he had wronglully assumed, there arosce in his hreast A fechng of jealousy, and henccforth he sought m many ways to bring sorrow to me or even to encompass me with death, NKnowmg that I was sprung from the tribe of the Barukzar, he sought te turn awainst me the enmity of the more powerful Saduza, and 1 order to accomplish his purposc he spread rumours abroad which were brought to me from time to time by the more faithful of my slaves. “When such reports reached my cars I vowed vengeance against him, vet in the presence of Hestra my anger £7 would dic away, and so 1 left n o him to say what he would, knowing that his words were alse. Despite his crook- ed talk he often entered the palace and listened while I recounted one of my adventures

when journeying to ligvpt, and then Hestra, my

beloved, following the maxim ol the great Prophet, busied herself the while with her distaff, — stopping | occasionally to - | alance at me with

that at times - L her starlight eyes. extended to the “ Now hearken, river’'s brink, that T may tell ve Down the wind- the full depths of a il]g river Wwe “DOWN THE WINDING RIVER WE FLOATED,” man's (‘]U[)]i(‘it_\'. loated, until [t chanced that

before us lay the cataract where the waters tumbled amid snowy foam, and the red felspar crystals glittered a warmer huce beneath the sun shining in the cloudless blue sky above. Then we ventured to return, and passing through Sinai; crosscd mto Arabia, whenee by slow degrees 1 brought home the peerless Hestra to the palace from which T had sct forth long before.

“So long had my abscnee been that the one to whom the charge of my palace had been 1ntrusted thought I had perished in lands afar, and so he occupicd my place anld

he fell il and when men inquired of him whercefore, he summoned them to the couch on which he Tay and whispered that Hestra, miy princess, had the gift of the evil cye, and that his sickness was caused by her! Nay, he cven dared to cay that T, Prince Darak, was held fast bencath her subtle spells, and that dire evil would surely fall upon the city if she were suffered to live! When the termble report was brought to me I stood aghast at the depths of the man's bascness, and resolved that no whisper of the rumour should reach the cars of the princess. When i the streets of Ghuzni T chanced to