The Prince of India, Volume II

landmark at present called the Burnt Column, and, like other imperial properties of the kind, it was an aggregati

pure Marmoran water; then, for ingress and egress at his sovereign will, he slashed the wall, and of the breach made the Port of Julian. [Foo

himself, yet it was desirable to keep his followers apart much as possible; and f

ious paved landing; whence, looking back and up, he could see two immense columnar pedestals surmounted by statues, while forward extended the basin, a sheet of water on which, wh

he comfort and well-being of his horses; for it is to be said in passing, he had caught enough of the spirit of the nomadic Turk to rate the courser which was to bear him possibly through foughten fields amongst the first i

phia. From a high pavilion overhanging his quarters, he had surveyed the stretches of city in the west and southwest, sensible of a l

g it advisable to keep close home. He had a report of the journey to Italy, and of succeeding events, including his arrival at Constantinople, ready draughted

the most freedom and go with the least hindrance. A solution now presented itself. If the Emperor intrusted the guardianship of the gate to one foreigner, why not to another? In other words, why not have the duty committed to himself and his people? Not improbably the charge might be proposed to him; he would wait awhile, and see; if, however, he had to formally request it, could anything be m

m, bringing the announcement that His Majesty the Emperor had appointed audience for him next day at noon; or, if the hour was not entirely convenient, would the Count be pleased to

functionary was pleased with all he saw, and with nothing more than Corti himself. There could not be a doubt of the friendliness of the report he would take back to Blacherne. In short, the Count's training in a court dominated by suspicion to a greater degree even than the court in Constantinople w

ort. A man of dubious complexion, tall and lithe, his scant garments originally white, now stiff with dirt of many hues, a ragged red head-cloth illy confining his coarse black hair, stood in the bow shouting, and holding up a wooden tray covered with fish. The sentinel to whom he thus offered the stock shook his head, bu

are

ilo

re f

ipo

n of the

, and pay the appointed alms, and dread none but Allah; w

here and everywhere!" the fisherman retur

rif fro

s he c

Cou

re i

Palace

hris

ongue; and he knows the hours

e resid

rd of the

id he a

he moon

he wan

n the shi

ask

his landi

es

an get them," the dealer said, solemnly. Turning then

, ascended the stairs, and in front of the great house went pe

the man who ans

ill

eturned shortly,

lem?" the fish

Allah for the rig

master. I want to furnish h

s eng

s-red mullets and choice cuts from a royal sword-fish th

s of no consequence to me. Ere long the Count appeared with the Dean. He gla

l fish!" he sa

fish pastures like th

ou call t

The old Romans used to

e on our Italian coasts. How do

Count, in oliv

orti was studyi

fashion allow them to

ou come to dine with His Majesty do not

these in the morning." Then to the fisherman the Cou

f the eastern gate of th

ake what he needs for to-morrow." Speaking to the doorkeeper then: "Bring the man to me. I am fond of fis

ble, with books and writing material-a corner room full lighted by windows

-din!" said the C

at is not fish is the

t!" the firs

God!" the ot

uaintances of

olds produced a strip of fine parchment with writing on

ceived the s

trust him. Tell me this time of thyself first; then of her; but

ed; yet the Count put it to his forehead and li

Hereafter thou shalt be Ali the Fai

er winds, and I perched on the cross-sticks of a floating dallyan.... I have money for you, O Emir! and the keeping it has given me care more than enough to tu

ing too often-and for that, thou must go now. Staying too long is dangerous as coming too often.... But tell me

ter a double mouthful of stale porpoise fat, with

ng in the slow-moving Chri

I say he is building cannon to shoot bullets big as his father's tomb; when they are fired, the faithful at Medina will hear the noise, and think it thunder-that to your third. And as to his doing-getting ready for war, meaning business for everybody, from the Shiek-ul-Islam to t

i!-the rest

a secret drawer brought a package wr

alted be his name! Ho

laug

flowers of worse odor in Cashmere. So, O Emir, for this once.

eet in our master's ears as a girl-song t

t door, it lay undistinguishable under the fish and fish meat; and he whispered to the Count in

Oriental despot. Yet the effect was wanting. Even as he sat thinking the despondency deepened. He groped for the reason in vain. He strove for cheer in the big war of which Ali had spoken-in the roar of cannon, like thunder in Medina-in Europe a Sultanic sandja

must devise a way to her acquaintance, and speedily. And casting about for it, he became restless, and finally resolved to go out into

their groups on the lookout for entertainment and gossip. As may be fancied the knightly rider and gallant barb, followed by a dark-skinned, turbaned servant in Mo

er bowl glistening in the sky, and he drew rein involuntarily, wondering how it could be upheld; then he was taken with

ave his horse to the dark-faced servant

chanting monotonously, and in most intensely nasal tones. The Count, attracted by their pale faces, hollow eyes and unkept beards, waited for them to cross the court. Unkept their beards certainly were, but not white. This was the beginning of the observation he afterward despatched to Mahommed: Only the walls of Byzantium remain for her defence; the Church has absorbed her young men; the sword

try. Brought thus into the immense vestibule, he stopped, and at once forgot the gray brethren. Look where he might, at the walls, and now up to the ceiling, every inch of space wore the mellowed brightness of mosaic wrought in

tral and larger one was nearest him. Pushed lightly, it swung open on noiseless

al knowledge; acquainted with few of the devices employed in edificial construction, and still less with the mysterious power of combination peculiar to genius groping for effects in form, dimensions, and arrangement of stone on stone with beautiful and sublime intent; yet he had a soul to be intensely moved by such effects when actually set before his eyes. He walked forward slowly four or five steps from the door, looking with excited vision-not at details or to detect the composition of any of the world of objects constituting the view, or with a thought of height, breadth, depth, or value-the marbles of the floor rich in multiformity and hues, and reflective as motionless water, the historic pillars, the varied arches, the extending galleries, the cornices, friezes, balustr

t by a strain of choral music, which, pouring from the vicinity of the altar somewhere, flooded the nave, vast as it was, from floor

ore natural than that he should see that mother descending to the chapel in her widow's weeds to pray for him? Tears filled his eyes. His heart arose chokingly in his throat. Why should not her religion be his? It was the first time he had put the question to himself directly; and he went further with it. What though Allah of the Islamite and Jehovah of the Hebrew were the same?-What though the Koran and the Bible proceeded from the same inspiration?-What though Mahomet and Christ were alike Sons of

ring over one of his fingers; whereupon the venerable celebrant drew nearer the altar, and, after a prayer, took up a chalice and raised it as if in honor to an image of Christ on a cross in the agonies of crucifixion. Then suddenly th

of Christian worship. In this performance, however, there was no premeditation, no calculation. In his exaltation of soul he fanc

hippers in sight, he alone was then standing, and the sonorous music ringing on, he was beginning to doubt the propriety of his action, when a num

she glided through slanting rays of soft, white light cast from upper windows, and they seemed to derive ethereality from her.... Nearer-and he could see the marvellous pose of the head, and the action of the figure, never incarnation more graceful.... Yet nearer-he beheld her face, in complexion a child's, in expression a woman's. The eyes were downcast, the lips moved. She might have been the theme of the music sweeping around her in acclamatory waves, drowning the part she was carrying in suppressed murmur. He gazed steadfastly at the countenance. The li

she came within two or three steps before noticing him. Then she stopped suddenly, astonished by the figure in shining arm

Heaven that it placed me in thy

de, and she pa

ce and dull. The singing rolled on unheard. His eyes fixed on the door through which she went; his sensations

swift returning sense, he remembered Mahom

r of the screed brough

the imperious master's third finger, a subject of hourly study-the further speech, "They say whoever looketh at her is thenceforward her lover"-and the final ch

. For the first time in years, he climbed into the saddle using the stirrup like a man reft

thing as he rode slowl

lied him with the repetition,

none the less through the hours of the night he

out of mind, despite his thousand efforts of will, wo

OVED