The Vizier of the Two-Horned Alexander

ee got out of Russia?" asked M

ashion. If I should take up my life step by step, there would not be time enough--" There he

, and continue its practice wherever I might find myself; but in this I did not succeed very well. Frequently I was a tea

love with thy scho

e pedagogue. With my widely extended opportunities, I naturally came to know a good deal of medicine and surgery. Frequently I had bee

oses came, I truly believe, on account of his desire to become acquainted with the prophet El Khoudr, of whom he had heard so much; but Joshua wanted to see me for an entirely different reason. The two remained with me for about an hour, and although Moses had no beli

he intended to spend the night, Joshua remained, and as soon as

exclaimed M

r of Moses and Aaron. What he now wanted from me was medical advice. For some time he had been af

had all the qualities needed for the position he expected to fill: but he was not young, and if he should become subject to frequent attacks of rheumatism, it is not likely that Moses, who had very rigid ideas of his duties to his people, would be willing to place at thei

d I think you will agree with me when I tell you how I treated Joshua. I first rubbed his aching muscles with fine sand, keeping up a friction until his skin was in a beautiful glow. Then I brought out from the back part of my c

exclaimed i

nt, especially when applied upon skin already excited by rubbing with sand. H

heumatism had disappeared. I gave him some of my liniment, and also showed him some of the littl

ll a vigorous soldier. He assured me that he had used my remedy whenever he had felt the least twinges

had done for him, and as he spoke I could see that a hope was growing within him that perhaps I might do something more. He presently spoke out boldly, and said to me that as my knowledge of medicine had enabled me to keep myself fro

im that my apparent exemption from the effects of passing years

ut his life was not long enough to satisfy him. He fell sick, was obliged to give up his c

sfy him, I should sa

my last meeting with Joshua taught me a lesson which in those days had not been sufficiently impressed upon my mind. I became convinced that I must not allow people to th

, "that thy life should have been

for a man to set himself apart from his fellow-beings, especially i

wife, "that those days of s

s to talk about what the world of the future might think of Mr. Crowder when it cam

," said he, addressing his wife, "which I think would in

wder, looking up qu

s living at Avignon, in the south of France. At that time I was making

sighed, but

tention to her devotions. She fidgeted uneasily, and every now and then she would turn her head a little to the right, and then bring it back quickly and

s continuous gaze which was disturbing her. I felt very much disposed to call the attention of a priest to this young man who was making one of the congregation unpleasantly conspicuous by staring at her; but the situation was brought to an end by the lady herself, who suddenly rose and went

ccost her or annoy her. She walked steadily on, not looking behind her, and doubtless hoping that she was not followed. As soon

and her persistent admirer. It was plain enough that he did not like this, and he moved forward so that he might still get a view of her. Then I also moved so as to obstruct his view. He now fixed his eyes upon me, and I returned his gaze in such a way as to make him un

r had gone away, but she did discover it, and she turned toward me

itely saluted her. 'I thank you, kind sir,' she said, 'for relieving me of the importunities of that young man. For more than a week he has followed me whenever I g

at there would be no difficulty in preventing him from giving her any further annoyance. 'Oh, don't do that!' she said quickly. 'I would not wish to attract attention to myself in that way. Yo

the street, we now walked on together, an

ad the opportunity. Not only had he annoyed her at church, but twice he had followed her when she had left her house on business, thus showing that he had been loitering about in the vicinity. She had not yet spoken to her husband in the matter, because she was afraid that some quarrel might arise

ong white beard at that time

; "I was in one of my p

a well-shaped, fairly good-looking woman, with fair skin and large eyes; but she was of a grave and sober cast of countenance, and there was nothing about her which indicated the least of

Italian by birth, and now engaged in pursuing his studies in this place. I called upon him at his lodgings, and, fortunately, found him at home. As I had expected, he re

the case, which I supposed he might not know, and urged him, for his own sake, as well as for tha

to everybody around her.' 'That is asking too much,' answered Master Petrarca. 'That lady has made an impression upon my soul which cannot be removed. My will would have no power to efface her image from my constant thought. If she does not wish me to do so, I shall never speak a word to her; but I must look upon her. Even when I sleep her face is present in my dreams. She has aroused within me the spirit of poetry

ut you can judge from what you have heard how it is that I think of that lady, and how imp

is Laura?' I asked. 'I found it out from

of him. I found means to inform Mme. de Sade of the result of my conversation with Petrarch,--as we call his name in English,--and s

n if he looked upon it in no other light--to direct his ardent affections upon a lady who would never care anything about him, and who, even

m you might sing, and to whom you could indite your verses. She would return your lov

no, no,' he said. 'You do

re possible that Laura should ever be mine I could not love her as I do. She is apart from me; she is above me. I worship her, and for her I pour out my soul in song. Listen to this,'

by her husband. The three were very amicably conversing. I joined the party, and was made acquainted with M. de

rch very much as any ordinary husband would look upo

give up his strange and abnormal attentions to a woman who would never be anything to him but a vision in the distance, and who would prevent him fr

not to come back to Avignon after his travels; suppose he had not settled down at Vaucluse, and had not spent three long years writing sonnets to Laura while she was occupied wit

e the world of any of Petrarch's poetry. But now I want thee to tell us something about ancient Egypt, and those wonderfully cu

head. "That was befo

had been more conversant with ancient chronology we

der. "Thee knew them all, and yet Egypt was c

time of Abraham, and when he was born th

's mind," said Mrs. Crowder. "As thee has lived so l

nt with what we have. And now let us skip out of those regions of the dusky past.

ng," said his wife, with a smile, "t

t, in northern Italy. I was then in fairly easy circumstances, and was engaged in making some botanical researches for a little book

ves with some drawings I had in a book which I took from my pocket, I heard a voice behind me and apparently above me. Some one was speaking to me, and speaking in Latin. I looked around and up, but could see no one; but above me, about

window. There I saw behind this narrow opening a part of the face of a woman. This stone edifice was evidently a prison. I approached the window, a

nd in a few minutes a little package dropped from the window and fell almost at my feet. I stooped

risoner. I believe you are an honest and true man, because I saw you studying plants and reading from a book

again and ask for some more definite directions, but I heard the sound of voices ar

it was so many paces from a corner of the building; but there was no light in the narrow slit, and although I waited

le door in the wall. As I stood for a few moments before this door, it suddenly opened, and in front of me stood a big soldier. He wore a wide hat and a

s closed behind me. I followed this man through a stone passageway, and he took me to a little stone room. ''Wait here!' he said, and he shut me in. I was in pitch-darkness, and had no

ve-story begin?"

not express my opinion of her, but she was not so reticent. 'You look like a good old man,' she said. 'I think you may be trus

d man," remarked Mrs. Crowder, "

s the light of the lamp carried by the maid fell upon her face, I thought I had never seen a more beautiful woman. He

ere I came from, what was my business, and as much as I could tell her of myself. 'I knew you were a scholar,' she s

a series of harsh persecutions from the present king, Berengar II, who in this way was endeavoring to force h

had formed a scheme for her deliverance, and she had been waiting to find some one to help her carry it out. Now, sh

to marry Adalbert, or remain in prison for the rest of her life, which would probably be unduly shortened. Therefore she

, from what I had heard of this noble prince, that he would come to her deliverance. But I furthermore assured her that the moment it became known that the emperor was about to interfere in her behalf, she would be in a position of great danger, and would probably disappear from human sight before relief could reach her. I

warned by the soldier on guard, who was in love with the queen's black-eyed maid, that it was time fo

but at last one of them was carried out. One dark, rainy night Adelheid changed clothes with her maid, actually deceived the guard--not the fellow w

companion believed she could find refuge, at least for a time. I cannot tell you of all the adventures we had upon that difficult journey. We were pursued; we were alm

she insisted that I should be the bearer of a letter from her to the Emperor Otto. I should not travel alo

f it, for it gave me an opportunity to ponder over the most amb

crat of all the Russias?

work for it. Besides, it could be only a transitory thing. But what now occupied me was a grand idea,

I learned to know her well and to love her. She was, indeed, a most admirable woman and charming in every way. She appeared to place the most implicit trust

on't think I object," said Mrs. Crowder.

. In the first place, she had no reason to expect a matrimonial union worthy of her. Adalbert she had every reason to despise, and there was no one else belonging to the riotous aristoc

I was of the house of Shem, a royal priest after the order of Melchizedek, an

the face of her husband. "And that is the blood,"

he; "that is

; but he would be still more willing to do so when I told him of the future which might await her if my plans should be carried out. As he was then engaged in working with a noble ambition for the benefit of his own dominions, he would doubtless be

d proclaim Adelheid queen in his place, with myself as king consort; then, with the assistance and backing of the imperial German, I would no doubt soon be able to maintain my royal pretensions. Once self-supporting, and relying upon our

ance with the Pope; I would crush and destroy the factions which were shaking the foundations of church and stat

eme, and when I reached the court of the Emperor Otto it was

id not immediately submit to him my plan for the relief of Adelheid and the great good of the Italian nation. I would wait a little; I must make him better acquainted with myself. But the imperial Otto did not wait. On the third day after my arrival I was called into his cabinet and informed that he inte

he married Adelheid; he marched upon Berengar; he subjugated him and made him his vassal; he formed an alliance with Pope John XII; he was proclaimed King of th

ght, for thee made all thy plans without ever asking the b

ations of mental relief. "And what did thee do then?" she asked

d be recognized as the man who had assisted Adelheid to escape from the prison at Ivrea, and as I was not at all sure that the emperor

orses, and in many incidental expenses, I had spent my money. I was too proud to ask Otto to reimburse me, for that would have been nothing but charity on his part; and of course I

s as if thee always carried a horn about with thee s

y poor, I determined to go to her, not to seek for charity, but to recall myself to her notice, and to boldly ask to be reimbursed for my expenses when assisting her to escape from Ivrea, and

with me a ring of no great value, but set with her roya

my errand, she became very angry. 'I remember very well,' she said, 'the person you speak of, and he is long since dead. He was an old man when I took him into my service. You may be his son or some one else who has heard h

undred years old, and that age was not uncommon. I affirmed most earnestly that the ring had never been out of my possession, and that I should not have co

o be.' Then she called her guards and had me sent to prison as a cheat and an impostor. I remained in prison for some time, but as no definite charge was made against