After the fair captive had recovered a
little from her surprise on finding herself
thus treated, rather as if she were a princess
than a mountain maiden, and her
alarm at finding herself in the power of
Abdelases (for the captain had told her it
was by his order he had acted) had subsided,
she began to contemplate her condition.
It was no new thing to her to

[figure description] Page 068.[end figure description]

know that the Moorish chief stole fair
christian girls from their homes to make
them slaves in Cordova. She knew that
such was to be her condition. She was
not so miserable as she would have been
had her heart been interested in any
youth of her native Scerias; but she was
heart-free. She had no one to think of,
therefore, but herself and her brother and
Gaspar, her father. For these she shed
tears. The Moorish captain had told her
that she was not to be sold like other
maidens in the lagoon, but that the prince
would himself honor her by making her
his slave.

She paced up and down the gorgeous
apartments, now melted to tears, now
burning with anger, now tortured with
fear. She had heard that Abdelases was
cruel, and she knew that she must prepare
to die; for she resolved to treat
him with scorn and defiance, and thus
by her coldness so enrage him as to induce
him to command her execution.
She knew that he would visit her. The
principal slave of the palace had told her
the prince would visit her. She would
have torn off the jewels and rich robes
and trampled upon them, but she caught
sight of herself in a mirror, and let them
remain.

Suddenly a door opened, and a young
man entered with a princely air. She
uttered an exclamation of mingled surprise
and pleasure. She recognised the
guest at the hamlet, of whom she had
thought with more kindness and leniency
since his departure, than she had felt
while he was present. Indeed he had
been very much in her thoughts, considering
that he was an Infidel. Upon
now recognising him, she was moved
with surprise, pleasure, and not a little
with fear. He approached. She shrunk
back, and as he advanced, she retreated.
The casement arrested her receding
steps. She still regarded him as he ap
proached with curiosity and alarm, yet
the former emotion seemed strongest.

`Fair Xariffa,' he said, `why do you
fly me?'

`Why am I here? Tell Abdelasis if
he sent thee, that I am his prisoner, but
I will never be his slave. Did he fear
to behold one whom he had wronged,
that he sent thee? Was it by thy report
that he heard of me? If so, let what
little kindness in my heart there remains
for thee, turn to hatred and scorn.'

`Maiden,' said the youthful Caliph, approaching
her with a smile, yet with an
air of deference, `in me you behold Abdelasis.
It was Abdelasis who was your
guest.'

At hearing these words, she stood
gazing upon him with amazement, and
not without a beam of gratification lighting
up the cloud which had been gathering
upon her brow. She saw that the
worst was now made known, that the
Abdelasis she had trembled to think upon,
was before her, and in the person of
the handsome stranger who had declared
at her feet his deep passion for her.—
She knew not which most to fear, the
young Moor as a supposed Saracen cavalier,
or Abdelasis, the powerful.

`You tremble, maiden. You need
not fear me,' he said, kindly. `By Allah,
I swear to thee that thou art as free
as air, and that I will not harm thee!'

`Then if I am free, send me back to
my father's roof, to the protection of my
brother!' she said, with spirit.

`Do not scorn my love, Christian maiden,
' said the prince, kneeling at her feet.
`I am your captive—not you mine.—
This heart is yours, sacredly and faithfully
yours,' he added, placing his hand
with graceful earnestness upon his heart,
and looking up into her face with eyes
that beamed with love and adoration.—
She would have fled between fear of him
and fear of herself, for she felt that her

[figure description] Page 069.[end figure description]

bosom was relenting. But the casement
towards which she had retreated, was too
high, and she could not escape from
listening to the ardent eloquent out-pouring
of his passion.

It was impossible that she should listen
without being moved. She felt that
if he were a Christian, she should hear
him with pleasure, and requite with gratitude
love so profound and sincere as
his seemed to be.

`Xariffa, thou art ice,' he at length
said, as she remained immoveable.

`I know not what to say. I am a
Christian, thou a Moor. I am a Spanish
woman, thou art a Saracen, and my
country's foe and oppressor. I cannot
listen to thee. I cannot love thee. Do
not talk to me of love, noble Prince. If
I am free as thou hast said, send me at
once freely away. Thou knowest, Prince,
a Christian maiden may not give her
love to a Moslem!'

`I would almost become a Christian
for thy sake, sweet Xariffa.'

`You mock me. I know that thou and
thine are so wedded to thy faith that you
never change.'

`I have known Christians to change,
why wilt not thou?'

`Thou hast known only base renegades
to become Mussulmen.'

`Why, there is the nobleman, Senor
Velez, in this city, who is a follower of
the true Prophet, and worships in the
Mosques.'

`I am ashamed for him, and for Spain
that has such nobles, Prince,' she answered
with spirit. `I will, weak woman as I
am, try to atone for his treachery to his
country and to his Redeemer, by being
steadfast.'

`Then you will not pity my great love
for thee.'

`No, Caliph, I can never consent to
give my heart to one who hates the cross
and Him crucified thereon. So, if I am
at liberty, as thou hast first said, suffer
me to be taken whence I was rudely
taken.'

`Nay, I cannot let thee go. I will now
bid thee good bye, sweet Xariffa, for a
time, trusting thou wilt think better of
me when you reflect upon my love. So
I offer to share with thee my crown and
power. Thou shalt reign with Abdelasis.
Our union shall be the band to unite
Spain and Islam. We will make one
nation in the land.'

`Christ may not dwell with Belial.
There can be no mingling of oil and
wine. Either the land must be Moslem
or Christian; and what would you have
me? Think not, noble Prince, I could
for thy sake give up my faith; and I know
thou wilt not depart from thine, false
though it be.'

`By the beard of Mehemet, maiden,
thou hast spirit enough for a princess.
Thy commanding eye and firmness of
bearing are imperial. Thou wouldst
grace a throne, were it that of Suliman.
Have I thy answer?'

`Thou hast.'

`Dost thou not fear me?'

`Yes, but I fear God more.'

`Dost thou not know that I can make
thee my slave, and that I am condescending
to sue to thee thus?'

`I know that I am in thy power, but I
do not believe thou wouldst degrade it
and thyself, by using it as thou hast intimated.
'

`You speak truly, Xariffa. I love thee,
too well, to make thee my slave. I again
repeat thou art free to—'

`To go?'

`No—to love me or hate me.'

`How can I love my gaoler?'

`I am in hopes to tame thee by keeping
thee in this pretty cage. I am in
hopes that my kindness and my efforts to
render thee happy will melt thy heart.
Do not reply; I cannot bear to hear thee

[figure description] Page 070.[end figure description]

say anything that will destroy my hopes.
Fare thee well, Xariffa. I will go away
but I shall leave behind me all that can
make thee truly happy. It is true, I am
seated upon the throne of the Emirs, but
I feel far from being happy, so long as
I am rejected from the throne of thy
heart. Think of me, Xariffa. Think of
my love, my devotion, my happiness
which thou hast in thy keeping. Be pitiful,
and forget that I am not a Christian
like thyself.'

`I can never—'

`Not a word, sweet maiden—not another
word. Fare well; and perhaps
to-morrow I will come and see thee again.
In the meantime, think upon me as kindly
as thou canst.'

With these words, the Prince, with
real sadness and disappointment, took a
respectful leave of his beautiful captive,
and she was once more left alone.

She paced the room in troubled thought.
she felt that he had a power over her
heart, that she dared not contemplate
calmly. She felt that his love, so sincere
and so respectful, demanded from her a
better return than she had met it with.

She felt deeply his delicacy and forbearance,
when she knew that he might
command. She knew that only sincere
and sacred love could have dictated such
reverence and courtesy.

His love pleaded to her heart most
strongly in his behalf;—but duty, her
duty as a Spanish woman and a Christian,
pleaded with greater energy against
him.

`Oh, that he were a Christian!' she
sighed; `then indeed I might listen to
him without guilt. But now, I must turn
a deaf ear to his eloquent words, and
close my eyes to the fire of his eye,—
Let me not forget that he is my country's
foe—let me not forget he is the enemy
of the Cross! Oh, that I were free in
my native mountains.'

Thus tortured and in suspense between
the Prince's love and her sense of duty,
she continued to walk her gorgeous apartments,
till at length, wearied with the
conflict, she sank upon her knees, and in
tears and prayers sought relief and guidance.

The next that she heard of her lover
was his voice beneath her casement the
evening of the same day, singing to her
a song full of the most earnest passion;
for Abdelasis was truly and irresistibly
captivated by the fair Christian girl; and
although she was in his power, his love
invested her with a sacredness in his eyes
that was her secure safeguard.

Alfonzo, be it remembered, was ignorant
of these events, and of the bias in
Xariffa's mind towards her princely captor,
or he would not have marvelled as
he did to notice that absence of fear and
disposition to speak favorably of Abdelasis,
which she manifested; for he saw
that she did not seem to be so overwhelmed
with terror as he supposed she would
have been, in the power of such a man.

`Xariffa,' he said, lifting his eyes once
more earnestly to the casement, `I see
that unless I secure your escape at once,
you will become a willing captive of the
Caliph. I know not by what spells he
hath charmed your heart, or by what
weakness you have been betrayed to listen
to him; but I see that thou art as
willing to be a captive as to be free.'

`Brother, you do me wrong!' she answered
with spirit. `I would escape if it
were possible without periling your life;
but you may see that I connot descend
from this casement, and even should you
be able to reach it, you could not conduct
me in safety from the palace—it is
strictly guarded.'

`Lady, the Prince comes!' said a beautiful
slave, who came that instant to the
casement and looked down.

`Fly, Alfonzo,' cried Xariffa; `fear

[figure description] Page 071.[end figure description]

not for me! I will be true to myself and
to my faith. Fly! if you are taken here
you are lost!' she then waved her hand
and disappeared.

Alfonzo had had time to see that the
maiden who came to notify her of the
Prince's presence was exceedingly beautiful,
slight of figure, and spoke as if she
was the friend rather than the spy of his
sister. He felt it his duty to obey and
escape from the gardens, and sought the
distant gate by which he had entered,
greatly troubled in his mind as to Xariffa's
fate; for he began to tremble for her
faith under the dangerous influence of
the insinuating Caliph.