A servant of Satan

r departure at an exceedingly short notice. Among their number was Count Frederick von Waldberg, who, since the disappearance of Rose, had plunged into the wildest course of dissip

Rose's sake, he grew sick at heart, and determined to put to good account the bitter experience which he had acquired. Never again would he allow himself to be softened and influenced by any affaire de c?ur, but, on the contrary, women should become subs

g

or Alexandria. Being debarred from returning to Germany or Italy, and France having now closed

by the novelty of the scenes which met his eye on every side, and the ancient capital of Egypt, with its narrow, winding stre

transparency which enhanced rather than concealed her lovely features. The large, dark, and sensuous eyes which glanced at him between the tulle folds of the vail sent a thrill through his very heart, and he involuntarily checked his horse and stood gazing at the enchanting vision. At this moment a gigantic black eunuch, who was evidently in attendance on the lady and who had been standing on the off side of the carriage, suddenly became aware of the admiring looks cast by the young stranger

orses and brougham coming slowly toward him. There was no one else in view, and the ordinarily watchful eunuch had taken advantage of the solitude of the spot to relax his vigilance and to lag a good way behind. Frederick was therefore enabled to gaze unhindered at the Oriental beauty. He bowed low over his horse's mane, and was delighted to see that not only was his salutation graciously responded to, but that, moreover, the lady, raising one of her small jeweled hands to her "yashmak," pulled it slightly aside so as to d

his adventure. Who could the beautiful creature be? He had noticed a princess' coronet on the panels of the carriage, and the black horses and glittering liveries of the coachman, footman, and of the two grooms would lead to belief

this would end. That the fair lady loo

eet her alone, as the eunuch had already noticed his admiration of the lady and would certainly warn his m

e and a basket of flowers, who was evidently trying to catch his eye. Frederick, leaning over the balustrade, was about to throw a few piasters to the man, when the latter suddenly broke loose from the crowd, and walking up the marble steps, "salaamed" to him

er fo

g

ned to the lady whom he had met two days before on the road to the Pyramids, repaired at once to his room and, cutting the thread which bound the flowers together, brought to

the farther end of the Mouski street and follow the woman who will give

and delight. His wildest anticipations were surpassed, f

STREET AT C

n of the few Arabs who, wrapped in their spectral-looking "burnous," were still to be met with here and there. After about an hour's walk he stopped at the end of the long street and looked about him. Nobody was in sight, and he was j

na" (come

s pierced. Taking hold of his hand she led him under the archway, and, inserting a

t flowers and shrubs in full bloom. The air was redolent with the perfume of thousands of orange trees and starry jessamine, while the high wall, which looked so bare and grim from without, was on the inside covered with blue

ght, which rendered the scene almost as bright as day; and its cupolas and minar

t she occasionally stopped to listen. After about ten minutes' walk they reached a side entrance of the palace. The woman, once more taking hold of his hand, led him up six or seven steps and into a narrow

UCTED TO THE P

the harem of the

9] brocade. White velvet divans ran all around the room, and from the painted ceiling hung a rock-crystal chandelier, lighted by at least a hundred wax candles. Great masses of blooming camellias, azalias, and tuberoses were tastefu

nds and feet were marvelously small and the rich contours of her figure were absolutely perfect. She had one of those dead white complexions, ever so delicately tinted with pink, which remind one of the petal of a tea-rose or the interior of a shell. Her large, languid black eyes were shaded by long and curly eyelashes, and her straight eyebrows almost met over a small, aq

ered gaze from the lovely apparition which rendered him blind to all else. He

had but just notified the faithful that it was two hours after midnight, when suddenly one of the curtains

cking, [Pg 51] cruel smile hovered around her red li

s heart and the joy of his life, while I-I-was left far behind-hardly noticed-often repulsed-I, who am as beautiful as you, and who love him with a love of which you are utterly incapable! How often have I besought Allah to grant me my revenge! He has heard my prayer! for within the

et, and stood there in all her glorious beauty

ur lord! The pastime of one short hour, thereafter to be flung back into the depths of ignominy from which you were raised by his hand! You

ry it. You will find that even your royal father wil

opening out on to the veranda and was about to issue forth on her dangerous [Pg 52] errand, whe

o, you shall have it! If you will only

unutterable sco

e! Let me go, or it will be the worse for you! Are you then so an

act that he had to deal with a desperate and half-crazy woman, wrenched the knife from her and hurled it away among the shrubs in the garden. For one moment she struggled desperately to relea

hissed Frederick in her ear. "If you

NOTHER SOUND, I

nds-they seemed to him so many hours-he maintained his grasp, and when at length he released his hold the slight body of the girl fell with a dull

and, forgetting everything except that his life was at stake, he leaped over the alaba

g

found himself at the foot of the high stone wall, which, however, offered no foothold by which he could ascend to the summit. At one moment he nearly fell into a small lake, which lay half-concealed, buried between moss-covered banks. Like a hunted animal, he was about to retrace his steps, when he saw in the distance a score or so of men, carrying tor

EES THROUGH

he rushed onward, casting [Pg 55] terrified glances behind him from time to time as he ran. But all was still; and the noise of his footsteps was the only sound which disturbed the quiet hour of dawn. Gradually he slackened his speed, and, turning down into a dark side-street, cautiously threaded his way am

, he discovered, to his unspeakable relief, that a steamer bound for Bombay was leaving Suez the very same day. He hurriedly packed up his belongings, and, summoning

at Suez, and proceeded down the Red Sea. She carried among the passengers on board Count Frederick von Waldb