THE LADY OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
For upward of half an hour did the boat skim the surface of the Golden
Horn, the dip of the oars in the water and the rippling around the sharp
prow alone breaking the solemn silence of the night. At length the skiff
stopped, and the female slave took Alessandro's hand, whispering in a
low tone, "I will serve as thy guide, Christian; but speak not till thou
hast permission."
She then led him from the boat, up a flight of steps, and through a
garden--for he occasionally came in contact with the outstretching
branches of shrubs, and there was moreover a delicious odor of flowers,
as he proceeded in the total darkness of his blindfolding. At the
expiration of ten minutes the guide stopped; and Alessandro heard a key
turn in a lock.
"Enter there," said the slave, pushing him gently forward, and speaking
in a low tone. "Take off the cap--attire yourself in the raiment you
will find ready provided, and then pass fearlessly through the door at
the further end of the room. You will meet me again in the hall which
you will thus reach."
And, without waiting for a reply, the slave closed and locked the door
through which Alessandro had just passed. Hastily did he remove the cap,
which had indeed almost suffocated him; and he now found himself in a
small apartment, elegantly furnished in the most luxurious Oriental
fashion, and brilliantly lighted. A table spread with confectionery,
cakes, fruits, and even wines--though the fermented juice of the grape
be expressly forbidden by the laws of the Prophet Mohammed--occupied the
center of the room. Around the walls were continuous sofas, or ottomans,
so conducive to the enjoyment of a voluptuous indolence; the floor was
spread with a carpet so thick that the feet sunk into the silky texture,
as into newly fallen snow; and whichever way he turned Alessandro beheld
his form reflected in vast mirrors set in magnificent frames. There were
no windows on any side of this apartment; but there was a cupola fitted
with stained glass on the roof, and Alessandro judged that he was in one
of those voluptuous kiosks usually found in the gardens of wealthy
Turks.
Precisely as the slave had informed him, he found an elegant suit of
Moslem garments set out on the sofa for his use; and he hastened to
exchange his Italian costume for the Oriental raiment. As he thus
attired himself, it was necessary to contemplate himself in the mirror
facing him, so as properly to adjust clothes to which he was totally
unaccustomed; and it struck him that the garb of the infidel became him
better than that of the Christian. He did not, however, waste time in
the details of this strange toilet; but as soon as it was completed he
opened the door at the further end of the room, in pursuance of the
instructions he had received. Alessandro found himself in a large marble
hall, from which several flights of stairs led to the apartments above.
The place was refulgent with the light of numerous chandeliers, the
glare of which was enhanced by the vast mirrors attached to the walls,
and the crystal pillars that supported the roof.
Not a human being met Alessandro's eyes; and he began to fear either
that he had mistaken the directions he had received, or that some
treachery was intended, when a door opened, and the female slave,
wrapped in a veil, made her appearance. Placing her forefinger upon that
part of the veil which covered her lips, to enjoin silence, she led the
way up the nearest staircase, Alessandro following with a heart beating
audibly. They reached a door at which a negro male slave was stationed.
"The hakim" (physician), said Alessandro's guide, laconically addressing
herself to the negro, who bowed in silence and threw open the door. The
female slave conducted the pretended physician into a small but
splendidly furnished ante-room, in which there were several other
dependents of her own sex. A door at the further end was opened, and
Alessandro passed through into another, larger, and still more
magnificently furnished room; the door closed behind him, and he found
himself alone with the idol of his adoration.
Half seated, half lying upon cushions of scarlet brocade, the glossy
bright hue of which was mellowed by the muslin spread over it, appeared
the beauteous creature whose image was so faithfully delineated in his
memory. She was attired in the graceful and becoming dualma, a purple
vest which set close to her form, and with a species of elasticity
shaped itself so as to develop every contour.
But in accordance with the custom of the clime and age, the dualma was
open at the bosom, sloping from each lovely white shoulder to the waist,
where the two folds joining, formed an angle, at which the purple vest
was fastened by a diamond worth a monarch's ransom. The sleeves were
wide, but short, scarcely reaching to the elbow, and leaving all the
lower part of the snowy arms completely bare. Her ample trousers were of
purple silk, covered with the finest muslin, and drawn in tight a little
above the ankles, which were naked. On her feet she wore crimson
slippers cut very low, and each ornamented with a diamond. Round her
person below the waist she wore a magnificent shawl, rolled up, as it
were, negligently, so as to form a girdle or zone, and fastened in front
with two large tassels of pearls. Diamond bracelets adorned her fair
arms; and her head-dress consisted of a turban or shawl of light but
rich material, fastened with golden bodkins, the head of each being a
pearl of the best water. Beneath this turban, her rich auburn hair,
glowing like gold in the light of the perfumed lamps, and amidst the
blaze of diamonds which adorned her, was parted in massive bands,
sweeping gracefully over her temples and gathered behind the ears, then
falling in all the luxuriance of its rich clustering folds over the
cushion whereon she reclined. Her finger-nails were slightly tinged with
henna, the rosy hue the more effectually setting off the lily whiteness
of her delicate hand and full round arm. But no need had she to dye the
lashes of her eyes with the famous kohol, so much used by Oriental
ladies, for those lashes were by nature formed of the deepest jet--a
somewhat unusual but beauteous contrast with the color of her hair. The
cheeks of the lovely creature were slightly flushed, or it might have
been a reflection of the scarlet brocade of the cushion on which, as we
have said, she was half-seated, half-lying, when Alessandro appeared in
her presence.
For a few moments the young Italian was so dazzled by her beauty, so
bewildered by the appearance of that lady, whose richness of attire
seemed to denote the rank of sultana, that he remained rooted to the
spot, uncertain whether to advance, to retire, or to fall upon his knees
before her. But in an encouraging tone, and in a voice musical as a
silver bell, the lady said: "Approach, Christian!" and she pointed to a
low ottoman within a few paces of the sofa which she herself occupied.
Alessandro now recovered his presence of mind; and no longer embarrassed
and awkward, but with graceful ease and yet profound respect, he took
the seat indicated.
"Beauteous lady," he said, "how can I ever demonstrate the
gratitude--the illimitable, boundless gratitude which fills my heart,
for the joy, the truly elysian delight afforded me by this meeting?"
"You speak our language well, Christian," observed the lady, smiling
faintly at the compliment conveyed by the words of Alessandro, but
evading a direct reply.
"I have for some years past been in the service of the Florentine envoy,
lady," was the answer; "and the position which I occupy at the palace of
the embassy has led me to study the beauteous language of this clime,
and to master its difficulties. But never, never did that language sound
so soft and musical upon my ears as now, flowing from those sweet lips
of thine."
"The Moslem maiden dares not listen to the flattery of the infidel,"
said the beauteous stranger in a serious but not severe tone. "Listen to
me, Christian, with attention, for our meeting must not be prolonged
many minutes. To say that I beheld thee with indifference when we first
encountered each other in the bazaar, were to utter a falsehood which I
scorn; to admit that I can love thee, and love thee well," she added,
her voice slightly trembling, "is an avowal which I do not blush to
make. But never can the Moslem maiden bestow her hand on the infidel. If
thou lovest me--if thou wouldst prove thyself worthy of that affection
which my heart is inclined to bestow upon thee, thou wilt renounce the
creed of thy forefathers, and embrace the Mussulman faith. Nor is this
all that I require of thee, or that thou must achieve to win me. Become
a true believer--acknowledge that Allah is God and Mohammed is his
prophet--and a bright and glorious destiny will await thee. For although
thou wilt depart hence without learning my name, or who I may be, or the
place to which you have been brought to meet me,--though we shall behold
each other no more until thou hast rendered thyself worthy of my hand,
yet shall I ever be mindful of thee, my loved one! An unseen, an unknown
influence shall attend thee: thy slightest wishes will be anticipated
and fulfilled in a manner for which thou wilt vainly seek to
account,--and, as thou provest thy talents or thy valor, so will
promotion open its doors to thee with such rapidity that thou wilt
strain every nerve to reach the highest offices in the state--for then
only may'st thou hope to receive my hand, and behold the elucidation of
the mystery which up to that date will envelop thy destinies."
While the lady was thus speaking, a fearful struggle took place in the
breast of Alessandro--for the renunciation of his creed, a creed in
which he must ever in his heart continue to believe, though ostensibly
he might abjure it--was an appalling step to contemplate. Then to his
mind also came the images of those whom he loved, and who were far away
in Italy:--his aunt, who had been so kind to him, his sister whom he
knew to be so proud of him, and Father Marco, who manifested such deep
interest in his behalf. But on his ears continued to flow the honeyed
words and the musical tones of the charming temptress; and, as she
gradually developed to his imagination the destinies upon which he might
enter, offering herself as the eventual prize to be gained by a career
certain to be pushed on successfully through the medium of a powerful,
though mysterious influence--Florence, relatives, and friends, became as
secondary considerations in his mind; and by the time the lady brought
her long address to a conclusion--that address which had grown more
impassioned and tender as she proceeded--Alessandro threw himself at her
feet, exclaiming, "Lovely houri that thou art--beauteous as the maidens
that dwell in the paradise of thy prophet--I am thine. I am thine!"
The lady extended her right hand, which he took and pressed in rapture
to his lips. But the next moment she rose lightly to her feet, and
assuming a demeanor befitting a royal sultana, said in a sweet, though
impressive tone:
"We must now part--thou to enter on thy career of fame, I to set in
motion every spring within my reach to advance thee to the pinnacle of
glory and power. Henceforth thy name is Ibrahim! Go, then, my Ibrahim,
and throw thyself at the feet of the reis-effendi, and that great
minister will forthwith present thee to Piri Pasha, the grand vizier.
Toil diligently--labor arduously--and the rest concerns me. Go, then, my
Ibrahim, I say, and enter on the path which will lead thee to the summit
of fame and power!"
She extended her arms toward him--he snatched her to his breast, and
covered her cheeks with kisses. In that paradise of charms he could have
reveled forever; but the tender caresses lasted not beyond a few
moments, for the lady tore herself away from his embrace and hurried
into an adjacent apartment. Alessandro--or rather, the renegade,
Ibrahim--passed into the anteroom where his guide, the female slave,
awaited his return. She conducted him back to the hall, and advanced
toward the door of the voluptuous kiosk, where he had changed his
raiment.
"Goest thou forth a Christian still, or a true believer?" she asked
turning suddenly round.
"As a Mussulman," answered the renegade, while his heart sank within
him, and remorse already commenced its torture.
"Then thou hast no further need of the Christian garb," said the slave.
"Await me here."
She entered the kiosk, and returned in a few moments with the cap,
which, in obedience to her directions, he once more drew on his head and
over his countenance. The slave then led him into the garden, which they
treaded in profound silence. At length they reached the steps leading
down to the water, and the slave accompanied him into the boat, which
immediately shot away from the bank. Alessandro had now ample time for
calm reflection. The excitement of the hurried incidents of the evening
was nearly over, and, though his breast was still occupied with the
image of his beautiful unknown, and with the brilliant prospects which
she had opened to view, he nevertheless shrank from the foul deed of
apostasy which he had vowed to perpetrate. But we have already said that
he was essentially worldly-minded, and, as he felt convinced that the
petty jealousy of the Florentine Envoy would prevent him from rising
higher in the diplomatic hierarchy than the post of secretary, he by
degrees managed to console himself for his renegadism on the score that
it was necessary--the indispensable stepping-stone to the gratification
of his ambition.
Thus by the time the boat touched the landing-place where he had first
entered it, he had succeeded to some extent in subduing the pangs of
remorse. The female slave now bade him remove the cap from his face and
resume his turban. A few moments sufficed to make this change; and he
was about to step on shore, when the woman caught him by the sleeve of
his caftan, and, thrusting a small case of sandal-wood into his hand,
said: "She whom you saw ere now, commanded me to give thee this."
The slave pushed him toward the bank: he obeyed the impulse and landed,
she remaining in the boat, which instantly darted away again, most
probably to convey her back to the abode of her charming mistress. On
the top of the bank the renegade was accosted by the spy whom he had
left there when he embarked in the skiff.
"Allah and the Prophet be praised!" exclaimed the man, surveying
Alessandro attentively by the light of the lovely moon. "Thou art now
numbered amongst the faithful!"
The apostate bit his lips to keep down a sigh of remorse which rose to
them; and his guide, without uttering another word, led the way to the
palace of the reis-effendi. There Alessandro or Ibrahim, as we must
henceforth call him--was lodged in a splendid apartment, and had two
slaves appointed to wait upon him. He, however, hastily dismissed them,
and when alone, opened the case that had been placed into his hands by
the female slave. It contained a varied assortment of jewelry and
precious stones, constituting a treasure of immense value.