Adrianople, of some robbers, to whom he had given many purses of gold as their price. At first he had reason to fear that his bargain would prove a bad one, since they were so ill from the hardships they had undergone, that their death was long apprehended; but they had been placed under the care of a confidential Greek slave woman, named Zuleika, whose influence was great with her master. Her care had restored them to health, and they were now every day improving in beauty, and showing themselves so accomplished, that the Pacha was delighted, and there was no chance that he would consent to part with them for any sum of money. After comforting the young Italian as well as he could, and exhorting him to be patient and prudent, the merchant sent him back to his master, and went himself to the forlorn mother, who was transported with delight at the clue thus obtained, and would instantly have hurried to claim her daughters from the Pacha, with prayers and tears, if the merchant had not checked her. He told her that in the first place it was not certain that these were her children, and that if they were, since the Turk intended to keep one as his wife, no offer of money would avail; and to claim them openly would probably lead to their being carried away in secret to some place entirely out of reach of rescue. He said he would go himself to see if they really were the lost ones, and desired her to write a few words which he might show to them. She did so, and the Armenian going to the Pacha's house, requested to be allowed an interview with Zuleika. He was accordingly conducted to her apartments, where he saw two young girls sitting near her, engaged in embroidery; but, anxious as he was, he seemed to take no notice of them, and coming up to Zuleika, offered her a present of a bunch of pearls, and a web of gold and silver thread, begging her to intercede with the Pacha to induce him to accept the ransom which was ready to be paid for the young Signor S. Zuleika promised to do so, and the merchant, by pressing for an answer, persuaded her to go and speak to him at once, whilst he waited for his consent. No sooner had she left the room, than, coming up to the elder of the captives, he placed the widow's letter before her! Poor child! She screamed with ecstacy, as she saw the wellknown handwriting; her sister came to her side, they burst into tears, embraced each other, and were in such transports, that the kind merchant's fear was excited lest they should betray themselves by their agitation when Zuleika returned. He exhorted them to be composed, begged them to conceal what had passed, told them that no exertion should be neglected for procuring their deliverance from their present dreadful situation, and inquired into their history, and for their poor little brother. Well might poor Juliana's joy be turned into grief at what she now had to tell, and the tidings she must send to her mother. She said that after the robbers had fastened them to the horses, muffled up in the canvass bags, they had ridden off with them at the utmost speed of the horses for a considerable distance, until a violent thunderstorm came on, when they stopped, set up rude tents on the sheltered side of the hill, lighted a fire, took their captives out of their sacks, and ordered them to partake of their food, which consisted of black bread, and dried salt meat toasted. The little boy, frightened and worn out with the long journey, began to cry violently; the Circassian tried in vain to soothe him, or to stifle the noise, the cruel Turks grew angry, threatened again and again, and at last one, more savage than the rest, snatched the poor little creature from the arms of his nurse, and threw him into the fire. A horrible fate, indeed, yet happier far than what would probably have otherwise been reserved for him, of being brought up in the errors of the False Prophet, unconscious of the baptism which was yet fresh on his brow, when the flames consumed his mortal body. The miserable sisters, after a short interval, were put into their sacks again, and the journey was continued until they reached Adrianople, where they were sold to their present master. He refused to purchase their faithful Circassian, and the separation from her had been an additional affliction, friendless and deserted as they were. The Armenian listened with great sympathy to their history, and had just time to tell them that he should soon send them a woman whom they might trust, before Zuleika came back, bringing with her an order from the Pacha for the Venetian slave to be set at liberty as soon as his ransom was paid. The merchant thanked her, and presenting her with the silk net, she began to inspect it narrowly, and presently was in great consternation at perceiving that there was a large rent in it. The merchant expressed his regret, and presently told her that he had recollected that his sister possessed a slave well skilled in such fabrics, and he promised to send her in a few days to repair the injury to the delicate silken net. Zuleika thankfully accepted the offer, and the merchant returned home to carry to the mother the hopes of her daughter's safety, sparing her the full horrors of the death of her poor little son, and only telling her that he died in the course of the dreadful journey from which his sisters had suffered so much. In the course of the next few days, the Armenian paid the ransom for young Signor S., and received him at his own house; and the Pacha set out on his journey to his government, leaving orders that in a day or two, Zuleika, and her charge, should follow him under the escort of a body of soldiers. As soon as he was gone, the Armenian and his sister sent a trusty slave to the Pacha's house, under pretext of repairing the rent in the silken tissue. She was conducted to the women's apartments, the work was given to her, |