"But recollect the Chief the Khan, said Timour; he must be obeyed..

I will not obey, said the Englishman, fumbling in his breast for something hidden. «I can do strange things if you oppress me to excess. I am not a 'man like other men: if once I fire up, Allah have mercy upon you! Now beware! Stand out of my way! Here I go! I am on fire! Upon which, slyly making use of his instantaneous lights, he set fire to several of the matches at once, and produced such a flash, and a blaze, and so sulphureous a scent, that Timour bounded out of the tent, roaring out to the utmost extent of his lungs, followed by the woman, who ran away, and never again appeared... Such a disturbance ensued in the camp after this occurrence, that none would approach the Englishman's tent. The fright with which he inspired the Persian mirza, was caught by all the Tartar men and women; and it was now a generally-received opinion thet the Englishman was a fiery necromancer, a man of explosions,-a demon,-one who could set fire to the earth, and swallow up all the Turcomans in his consuming smoke. The Chief, also, became alarmed, for in common with his countrymen, he was extremely credulous and open to superstition; consequently, he called a council to know what was to be done.

We must have patience, said the vizier, «perhaps, his fire will extinguish, and by good treatment he will be brought to reason. Should he require a wife, such a man will get one from the stars, or, perhaps, from the moon; if not, he blows her out of his tent, as he did his last. We must do everything but let him go. It is plain he is a great good, or a great evil. » ́

»

་

The Khan then announced, that In order to appease his wrath, he would go in form to visit him, propitiating him first by a present; an intention which was lauded by every one, excepting by the priest, who, in a whisper, attended by a horizontal motion of his hand, did not cease to say " Katl! Katl!-kill kill!»!

The Chief and his followers were evidently ill at ease in the tent of the prisoner, particularly Timour, the scribe, who,

VOL. JII.

19

twitching his nose about all the while, was convinced that he smelt sulphur, and stood uneasily in his place, like one on the crater of a volcano, expecting an eruption. After the usual compliments had passed, the Khan began a course of flattery, which was taken up by the vizier, and continued by

Timour.

It is plain," said he, that Franks are a nation unlike other nations; that all their men are wise, or, if they have fools, they stay at home, whilst the wise ones travel. See our friend here, whoever saw such sense, such science. Not requiring a wife, he straightway expelled her we also are not without sense, for seeing that he does not want a wife, we have withdrawn her; he is at liberty to act as he pleases; he is our friend; he has cured our child; we are his servants; his sense is our sense; his science is our science; his friends are our friends; and his enemies are our enemies. » The Englishman answered, Yes, certainly, and upon my eyes. Having said these words, he continued, Speak, O Khan! chief of these men, speak! am I at liberty to go?» The Chief upon this appeal to himself, half alarmed, and half uncertain what to do, spoke largely of shefaket and friendship, and generalised upon the social affections, but avoided giving a decided answer; when the Englishman, in undisguised language, announced to him all sorts of misfortunes the burning of his tents, the laying waste of his fields, and the destruction by fire (of which he was the master) of everything that crossed his path. To such language and such threats, confirmatory, as they were, of the account given by Timour of his capacity to put them into execution, they could give no other answer than that of consent, so reluctantly yielded, however, as to show the prisoner that the promise would be evaded in every possible manner.

In the meanwhile the gentle, though ardent Roshunek, who had almost died of grief on hearing of the wife who had been proposed to her beloved, became overjoyed when she was told of the decisive manner in which she had been rejected. The next meeting between the lovers, which took place by moonlight on that same night, went far to produce resolutions decisive of their fate.

A slope in the landscape, upon which the obah was situated, led to a bank where the soft gleams of the moon loved to repose. From an elevation near this spot might be seen the whole of the Turcoman encampment,-tent rising over tent in various succession, intermingled with cattle, and the accessories belonging to a wandering community; the whole commanded by the abrupt and conical hill, upon which was situated the village-fort, where resided the Khan. By the my-sterious light of the moon these objects were softened down, into an undefined mass of deep shadows and looming forms, all save the buildings, whose sharp and angular lines cutting the sky abruptly, acquired a size and importance, to which they were not entitled. In front and far away, even to the banks of the solitary Caspian, was spread an immense, and apparently interminable plain, the horizon of which was lost in vapour. It was a sublime object, filling the mind with ideas of vastness, and carrying it onwards with increasing awe to regions unknown. The rare and occasional sounds striking the ear during the solemnity of the night told the hearer that, however indistinct the landscape appeared before him, yet that, in fact, it teemed with population. Ever and anon the drowsy tinkle of a camel's bell was heard, caused by that solemn and passive animal rousing himself into momentary action; but few and rare were the sounds proceeding from man himself.

The lovers met at the above-mentioned spot; and, after their first ebullitions, Roshunek said, «Tell me truly, for my head is bewildered by the thousand things I hear in our obah of you and your nation,-first tell me, what I dread to hear, how many wives have you in your own country, and how many slaves? »

"

« Do not believe a word save what you hear from me, Roshunek, said the Englishman. First, to ease your mind, let me assure you that I have no wife; and that, even were I married, it would be to one wife only. To have more than one is with us punishable by law. »

O my soul! O happiness! Yours is the country for me, " exclaimed Roshunek. I should poison any woman who dared

to love you. We are Tartars, and a Tartar maiden is taught to hate and poison. But you have said nothing about the slaves. »

"

Slaves are totally forbidden, said her lover. «Dear Roshunek, you have little to apprehend on the score of rivalry." "Can this be true?» exclaimed the astonished maiden in rapture. Where are your virtues, and where our impurities! O my soul, and lord of my heart! I will go whither you go; for I feel you are true. You saved my body from death, you shall now save my soul. But tell me once more, will you continue to love me; or, loving me whilst I am young, will you not reject me when old, leave me to be poisoned by your women; or compel me to marry one of your men slaves? »

The Englishman smiled, and said, Even were I so base as to act thus, our law would protect you until the very hour of your death. »

« Cannot you, then, beat me, pluck my hair, and set other women to beat me?» said Roshunek.

«No, no, my love; you will find all things different in my country, said the Englishman.

«Oh, my soul! yours is the country for me. ask one more question, » she continued. (

But let me Do your women labour as we do? Do they load and unload the baggage and Do they spin goat's hair when they are at rest? Can they make bread, and understand the qualities of butter? »

tents on a march?

Our women, said the Englishman, do not labour as yours do."

« Can they shave a camel? inquired the maiden, with

eagerness.

I fear they cannot even do that, said her lover.

»

They can't ride as we can," said the maiden: «< in that we are unrivalled, I am sure. Ah, could I but show you how I can ride! Having struck upon this subject, Roshunek, who, although far from having made up her mind to leave her parents, and follow her lover to England, yet, with that confidence which the uprightness of his conduct had in

spired, addressed him with increased ardour, and unfolded to him all the secrets of her heart. "You cannot upbraid me, I am sure," she said, if, impelled by the longings of my heart, I tell you what perhaps you do not know, that it is a custom among us Tartars, when our parents are inexorable, that we are then at liberty--to act for ourselves. We take the first opportunity of flying to the next obah, the lover on horseback, the maiden behind him, and, when that is the case, our parents must yield their consent. Why should we not, O my soul, do the same ? »

ཎྞཾ

Let me speak to you openly, said the Englishman; I must not deceive you. You must know my final determination, Roshunek. I cannot abide here any longer: I must immediately return to my own country, or die in the attempt. If you love me, you must help me. This is the first test 1 require of your affection; the next is,

to accompany me. »

that you do not refuse

The love-sick maiden looked wildly into his eyes as he made this declaration. She knew not what to say; but, after many heart-sinkings, could only stammer out professions of eternal attachment, with assurances that nothing should ever separate them. Long did they converse upon this all-absorbing subject, and at length it was resolved that Roshunek, whose sway was unlimited throughout the camp, should contrive to gain possession of her uncle the Chief's favourite horse, whose powers of speed and endurance of fatigue were greater than those of any other in Turkistan; that on a certain night they should depart, and taking flight, direct their steps towards Meshed, where, once within its walls, they would consider themselves safe.

On the night when the above-mentioned project was to be put into execution, Roshunek had so managed matters, that the horse in question was tethered in a piece of pasture-ground adjacent to the obah; there her lover was to proceed with saddle and bridle, and every proper equipment; and there they were to meet, mount, and depart. She glided from her tent with beating heart and faltering steps, considering how desperate was the undertaking in which she, an inexperienced