birth, and had first come to Morocco at the tail of a Spanish embassy, which travelled through Tetuan from Ceuta to the Sultan at Fez. What her belongings were, and what her antecedents h

d already as well as the many concubines that he had annexed in his way through life, and now kept lodged in one unquiet nest in the women's hidden quarter of the Palace. The

itions. The first he never meant to abide by, but the second she took care he should observe, and, as a

cannon of the fort fired a round of shot from the hill, every evening the tribesmen from the mountains went through their feats of powder-play in the market-place, and every night a body of Aissawa from Mequinez

ir countenance to a brazen outrage on their faith, and though it galled the hearts of the Jews to make merry at the marriage of a Christian and a

nt so powerful as Israel should pay her court and tribute before all. Therefore she caused him to be invited

th that on the morrow, when the "Sun of the world" should "place his foot in the stirrup of speed," and gallop "from the kingdom of shades," the Governor would "hold a gathering of delight" for all the children of Tetuan and he, Israel, was besought to "lighten it with the rays of his face, rivalled only by the sun," and to bring with him his little d

e presence of Naomi, the Spanish woman, who must know of the child's condition desired only to make a show of it.

poor villagers from every miserable quarter of the bashalic came into the town each day, beating drums, firing long guns, driving their presents before them-bullocks, cows, and sheep-and tr

himself, who had lately practised the kanoon-the lute, the harp-under his teacher, was to show his skill before the Governor. Therefore, great was the little black man's excitement, and, in the fever of it, he would talk to every one of the event forthcoming-to Fatima,

d a present for the rich Basha; now a boy with a goat, then a girl with a lamb, again a poor tattered mite with a hen, all cuddling them close like pets

ough the iron-clamped door, and into the quadrangle, where groups of women stood together closely covered in their blankets-the mothers and sisters of the children, permitted to see their little ones pass i

s and their teachers. Moors, Arabs, Berbers, and Jews, clad in their various costumes of white and blue and

hem, he heard the whispered exclamations of the people. "Shoof!" muttered a Moor. "See!" "It's himself," said a Jew. "And the child," said ano

s, and many concubines, were gazing furtively down from behind their haiks. There was a fountain in the middle of the patio, and at the farther end of it, within an alcove that opene

t the instant of recognition he shivered as with cold. She was a ha

comes and peace-blessings, and

of whom wonderful rumours

shuddered at seeing the c

as an angel," said Katri

srael to smite his o

ning, but keeping their feet in the same place constantly. Then, a line of Jewish girls in their kilted skirts dancing after the Jewish manner tripping on their slippered toes, whirling and turning around with rapid motions, and playing timbrels and tambourines held high above their heads by their shapely arms and hands. Then passages of the Koran chanted by a group of Moorish boys in their jellabs, purple and chocolate and

nscious of the fine show which was going forward, and knew that they were children who were making it. Perhaps the breath of the little ones beat her on the level of her cheeks, or perhaps the light air made by the sweep of their ga

pidity of motion she passed like a gleam of light across the patio to the boy's side. And, being there, she touched the harp as he played it, and then a low cry came from her lips. Again she touched it, and h

dare to take the name of hope. As well as he could in the confusion of his own senses he steppe

ed. "Let us see what

he patted it with her hand, she touched its strings, and then a faint smile crossed her rosy lips. She laid her cheek against it and touched its strings again, and then she laughed aloud. She flung off her slippers

nds so strange, that though Naomi was deaf as the grave, and had never yet heard music, and though she was untaught and knew nothing of the

after thunder, the quivering of the earth after cannon, and the quaking of vast walls after the ringing of mighty bells-so Naomi, who was blind as well and had no sense save touch, found in her fingers, which had gathered up the force of all the other senses, the power to

at was struck by the girl's fingers out of the strings of the harp. But, more than her music, which was perhaps, only a rhapsody of sound, was the frenzy

hrough the robes) clinging to the sides of the harp, and the delicate white fingers flying across the strings. There was something g

as she learnt it?" asked a Moor. "From her master himself," muttered a Jew. "Who is it?" asked the Moor. "Beelzebub," growled the Jew. "God pity me, the evil eye is on her," said an Arab. "God will show," said a Shereef from Wazzan. "They say

s the girl played. "What did I tell you?" she said, looking toward her husband. "The

s clouded, her head dropped, her eyelashes were dow

bs and the Moors, forgetting their dread, felt constrained to follow her example, and th

ead themselves out at last? Was this, then, the way of speech that Heaven had given her? But hardly had Israel overflowed with the tenderness of such thoughts when the bleating and barking of the faces about him awakened

ning to Israel, she said, "You shall leave the

stful of breath and vain of heart, who had married Ben Aboo because he was rich. Then he looked at Naom

etops made bold to take up her cry with their cooing ululation. The playing had ceased, the spell had dissolved, Naomi's f

epped up to where the little maiden lay. But before they had touch

!" he

ed, and looked to

idden-take her i

urt. Then, parting the Arabs with a sweep of his arms, he picked up

n Oliel, may belong to the Gover

his arms, and in the dead silence and blank stupor of that m

and the songs she had played were the airs of paradise. But, comforting himself so, Israel remembered the vision of Ruth, wherein Naomi had recovered her powers. He had put it from him hitherto as the delirium of death, but would the Lord yet bring it to pass? Would Go