Though the night was far advanced, yet the eyes of HAMET were strangers
to sleep: his fancy incessantly repeated the events that had just
happened; the image of ALMEIDA was ever before him; and his breast
throbbed with a disquietude, which, though it prevented rest, he did not
wish to lose.
ALMORAN, in the mean time, was slumbering away the effects of his
intemperance; and in the morning, when he was told what had happened, he
expressed no passion but curiosity: he went hastily into the garden;
but when he had gazed upon the ruins, and enquired how the fire began,
and what it had consumed, he thought of it no more.
But HAMET suffered nothing that regarded himself, to exclude others from
his attention: he went again to the ruins, not to gratify his curiosity,
but to see what might yet be done to alleviate the misery of the
sufferers, and secure for their use what had been preserved from the
flames. He found that no life had been lost, but that many persons had
been hurt; to these he sent the physicians of his own houshold: and
having rewarded those who had assisted them in their distress, not
forgetting even the soldiers who had only fulfilled his own orders, he
returned, and applied himself to dispatch the public business in the
chamber of council, with the same patient and diligent attention as if
nothing had happened. He had, indeed, ordered enquiry to be made after
ALMEIDA; and when he returned to his apartment, he found Abdallah
waiting to express his gratitude for the obligations he had received.
HAMET accepted his acknowledgements with a peculiar pleasure, for they
had some connexion with ALMEIDA; after whom he again enquired, with an
ardour uncommon even to the benevolence of HAMET. When all his questions
had been asked and answered, he appeared still unwilling to dismiss
Abdallah, though he seemed at a loss how to detain him; he wanted to
know, whether his daughter had yet received an offer of marriage, though
he was unwilling to discover his desire by a direct enquiry: but he soon
found, that nothing could be known, which was not directly asked, from a
man whom reverence and humility kept silent before him, except when
something was said which amounted to a command to speak. At length,
however, he said, not without some hesitation, 'Is there no one,
Abdallah, who will thank me for the preservation of thy daughter, with a
zeal equal to thy own?' 'Yes,' replied Abdallah, 'that daughter whom
thou hast preserved.' This reply, though it was unexpected was pleasing:
for HAMET was not only gratified to hear, that ALMEIDA had expressed
herself warmly in his behalf, at least as a benefactor; but he judged,
that if any man had been interested in her life as a lover, the answer
which Abdallah had given him would not so readily have occurred to his
mind.
As this reflection kept HAMET a few moments silent, Abdallah withdrew;
and HAMET, as he observed some marks of haste and confusion in his
countenance, was unwilling longer to continue him in a situation, which
he had now reason to think gave him pain. But Abdallah, who had
conceived a sudden thought that HAMET'S question was an indirect
reproach of ALMEIDA, for not having herself solicited admission to his
presence; went in haste to her apartment, and ordered her immediately
to make ready to attend him to the king.
ALMEIDA, from whose mind the image of HAMET had not been absent a moment
since she first saw him, received this order with a mixture of pain and
pleasure; of wishes, hopes, and apprehensions, that filled her bosom
with emotion, and covered her face with blushes. She had not courage to
ask the reason of the command, which she instantly prepared to obey; but
the tenderness of Abdallah, who perceived and pitied her distress,
anticipated her wish. In a short time, therefore, he returned to the
chamber of presence, and having received permission, he entered with
ALMEIDA in his hand. HAMET rose in haste to receive her, with a glow of
pleasure and impatience in his countenance; and having raised her from
the ground, supported her in his arms, waiting to hear her voice; but
though she made many attempts, she could not speak. HAMET, who knew not
to what he owed this sudden and unexpected interview, which, though he
wished, he could contrive no means to obtain; imagined that ALMEIDA had
some request, and therefore urged her tenderly to make it: but as she
still remained silent, he looked at Abdallah, as expecting to hear it
from him. 'We have no wish,' said Abdallah, 'but to atone for our
offence; nor any request, but that my lord would now accept the thanks
of ALMEIDA for the life which he has preserved, and impute the delay,
not to ingratitude, but inadvertence: let me now take her back, as thy
gift; and let the light of thy favour be upon us.' 'Take her then,' said
HAMET; 'for I would give her only to thee.'
These words of HAMET did not escape the notice either of Abdallah or
ALMEIDA; but neither of them mentioned their conjectures to the other.
ALMEIDA, who was inclined to judge of HAMET'S situation by her own, and
who recollected many little incidents, known only to herself, which
favoured her wishes; indulged the hope, that she should again hear of
HAMET, with more confidence than her father; nor were her expectations
disappointed. HAMET reflected with pleasure, that he had prepared the
way for a more explicit declaration; and as his impatience increased
with his passion every hour, he sent for Abdallah the next morning, and
told him, that he wished to be more acquainted with his daughter, with a
view to make her his wife: 'As neither you nor your daughter are my
subjects,' says HAMET, 'I cannot command you; and if you were, upon this
occasion I would not. I do not want a slave, but a friend; not merely a
woman, but a wife. If I find ALMEIDA such as my fancy has feigned her;
if her mind corresponds with her form; and if I have reason to think,
that she can give her heart to HAMET, and not merely her hand to the
king; I shall be happy.' To this declaration, Abdallah replied with
expressions of the profoundest submission and gratitude; and HAMET
dismissed him, to prepare ALMEIDA to receive him in the afternoon of the
same day.