Show 'Mi£ YfcEe aix t i x t' ?:fr"n‘jax::: 1 MIMAM ALROY A TALE Ul’ BY B D’LSKAELI M 1 I C While they were moving on th‘!?o 'suddenly arose the souud of trumpets the sbund grew nearer and nearer louder and 'louder : soon was heard the tramp of an approaching troop llonian drew A procession appeared adAlroy asidevancing from a dark grove of cypress Four hundred men led as many white bloodhounds with collars of gold and rubies Then came one hundred men each with a hooded hawk Then six horsdmen in rich dresses After them a mounted on a steed single horseman marked 'on its forehead with a star The rider was middle aged handsome aud dignified He was plainly dressed but the stalf of his limiting spear was and the blade of entire! v of diamonds He was followed by a company gold of Nubian eunuchs with their scarlet aud the dresses and ivory battle-axe- s procession clused “ The caliph” whispered Honiau when tlieV passed placing at ther same time his finger on his lip to prevent any This was the first intimation inquiry that had reached Alroy of what he had that he was a visitor already suspected 'to the palace of the commander of the faithful The companions turned down a wild and winding walk which- after some time brought them to a small aud gentle sloping lawn surrounded by cedar trees mf great size Upon the lawn was a kiosk a long and building “covered with blinds and further screened by an overhanging roof The kiosk was built of white and green marble and Usceuded by ft “flight of steps the hhigth of the building alternately df white and greet! marble find nearly covered with SVise trees Hbnian ascended these steps alone and entered the kiosk After a few minutes lie looked Amt from the blinds and beckoned to Alroy David advanced but Houian fearful of some indiscretion met him and said to him in a low whisper betwen his teeth “remember you are deaf a mute and a eunuch” Alroy could scarcely refrain from smiling and the prince of the captivity and the physician of the caliph entered the kiosk1 together' Two women Veiled aud two eunuchs of the guard revived them in an antechamber And then they passed into a room which hm nearly the whole length of the kiosk Opening on one side to the gardens and On the other supported by an ivory wall with niches painted iu green fresco and in each niche a rose tree Bitch niche also was covered with an almost invisible golden gate which couliulid a nightingale and made him constant to the rose At the foot of each niche was he loved a fountain but instead of water each basin was replenished with the purest The roof of the kiosk was quicksilver inlaid with tortoise of mother-of-peaa mosaic of rare shell the pavement marbles and precious stones representing the most delicious fruits and the Over this pave-Inejurist beautifiil flowers a Gedrghitt page flung at intervals At the end of Refreshing perfumes this elegant chamber was a divan of light green silk etnbruidered with pearls and covered with cushiUns of white satin and gold Upou one of these cushions in the middle of the divrou ‘at a bdy her o’ Dir — a LiTEiuitr MAti-AzikE- - —— — x xx fixed in abstraction upon a volume of Persian poesy reclining on her knees one hand playing with a rosary of pearls and emeralds and the other holding a long gold chair v liioh imprisoned a white gaelle The latly looked up as Honian and his entered She was very companion Her long young an youthful As Alroy light brown hair drawn Off a high white forehead covered With blue veins fell braided with pearls over each othei Her eyes we're very large and deeply blue IleriuDo small but high and aquiline The fairness of her taco was and When she looked up and dazzling greeted llonian her lustrous cheeks broke in-t- dimples which was more from their contrast with the general expression of her countenance which was haughty and derisive The lady was dressed in a robe of crimson silk girded round her waist by a green shawl from which peeped forth the diamond hilt of a very small poniard Her round white anils looked infinitely small as they occasionally flashed forth from their large loose hanging sleeves One was covered with jewels and the right arm was quite bare llonian advanced and bending kissed the lady’s pretiered hand Alroy fell into the backgfbund ‘They told me that the Hose of the World drooped this morniug’ said the physician bending again as he smiled and her slave hastenod at her command T 1 --- nrarKarccr- - T Let me see them directly” llonian took the bag from Alroy and unfolded its contents — the very volumes ‘ eyes ‘ to tend ‘ her’ It was changed a south wind The wind lifts and the Rose of the World 13 better’ replied the lady laughing llonian touched her pulse Irregular’ said the physician Like myself’ said the lady ‘ Is that a new slave A recent purchase aud a great barhas the adHe is gain vantage of being deaf and dumb and is harmless in every respect’ ’Tis a pity’ replied the lady ‘it seems that all people are born to be useless I for instance’ Yet rumor whispers the reverse’ re‘ ’ ‘ good-looki- good-lookin- g ‘ marked the physician How so ?’ enquired the lady ‘The young King of Karasame’ I have made up my mind to detest him 'A barbarian i ‘ ‘ 1 ‘A hero!’ ‘ Did you ever see him ‘ I have’ llamlsome ? ‘ ? 7 ’ ‘Ail archangel ‘And sumptuous?’ ‘Is ho not a conqueror ? All the plunder of the world will be yours’ ‘ I run tired of magnificence I built this kiosk to forgo it’ ‘ It is not in the least degree splendid’ said iloniau looking round with ft smile ‘ Nd’ answered the lady with a air ‘ here at least one can forget one has the misfortune to bd ft prin-ees- -’ ‘ It is certainly a great misMtune’ said the jlhyrieian ‘ And yet it must be the duly tolerable lot ’replied the lady ‘ Assuredly’ replied Honidn ‘For our unhappy sex at least’ ‘ Very unhappy’ ' ’ If I were only a man What a hero you would be I ’ I should like to livfi iu endless ! ‘ ‘ ' ' of Greeii romances which Alt the merchant lud obtained for him ‘ I am tired of poetry’ said the princess glancing over tho costly volumes and tossing them away 1 long to aed the world’ Y'ou would soon be tired of that’ replied tbe physician ‘ I suppose common people are nbver tired7 said tho princess ‘ Except with labour’ said the physician ‘ care keeps them alive’ Wliat is care ? ’ asked the princess with a smile ‘ It is a God’ replied the physician invisible but omnipotent It steals tho bloom from the cheek and lightness from the pulse — it takes away the appetite and turns the hail gray’ It is no true divinity then’ replied the princess ‘ but an idol we make ourI am a sincere Moslemin selves and will not worship it Tell me some new Honian’ The young King of Karas me — ’ You are iu Again the barbarian his pay I’ll none of him To leave one prison and to be shut up in another— why do you remind flue of it ? No my dear hakim if I marty at all I will marry to be free’ ! ! An impossibility’ Caid Houian My mother was free till she was a queen and a slave I intend to end as Yon know what she was’ she began Honian knew well but he was too politic not no affect ignorance ‘ The daughter of a bandit’ continued the princess ‘ who fbught by the side of her father That & existence ! I must be a robber ’Tis in the blood I want my fate foretold Htfnlau " Y’ou are fin do it’ astrologer ‘ I have already eftst your nativity ‘ ‘ star is a comet’ That augers well brilliant confusion and emtic splendour I wish I were a star’ added the princess in a deep rich voice aud with a pensive air ‘a star in the clear blue sky beautiful and free Houian Honiait the gazelle has brokeu her chain aud is eating my roses’ Alroy rushed forward and seized the graceful truant Honian shot him an anxious look the princess received the chain from the hand of AlrPy and cast Y’our ‘ at him a scrutinizing glance ‘What splendid eye's the beast has exclaimed the princess got’ ‘ The gazelle ? ’ inquired ike physician 3 ‘ No your slave’ replied file princess ‘ Why he blushess? Were he not deaf as well as dumb I could almost believe he understood me’ ‘ He is very nfodest’ replied Honian rather alarmed and is frightened at tho liberty he has taken’ ‘ I like modesty’ said the princess ‘it is so interesting Iam molest don’t vou think so ? ’ ‘ Certainly’ said Houian And interesting ? ’ ‘ Verv’ ‘ I detest an interesting person After there is notldhig like plain dtiluess said llonian Nothing’ The day flows on so serenely in such all ‘ ‘ society’ It does’ said Honiau No confusion no scenes’ ‘ confu- sion I have not tho least doiibt of it ’ Have you got me the books ? ’ eagerly Ihfliiired the princess ‘Mv slave bt'urs them’ replied Ho- nhrw None ’ I make slaves’ ‘ You are ‘ Honiau Tou know ‘ it rule only to have ugly quite right’ will you ever contradict me? very well I have tho hamL |