"De coast's cl'ar, my dear," said Peter, rising.
Still no response, so Peter descended the few steps, and found Hester
lying insensible on a heap of coffee-beans, and still firmly grasping
the big pestle. The trial had been too much for the poor child, who had
fainted, and Peter emerged with her in his arms, and an expression of
solemn anxiety on his countenance.
In a few minutes, however, she revived, and then Peter, hurrying her
away from a locality which he felt was no longer safe, placed her under
the charge of his sister Dinah--to the inexpressible regret of Mrs
Lilly and her black maid-of-all-work.
In her new home the fugitive's circumstances were much improved. Dinah
and her husband had great influence over their owner, Youssef, the
proprietor of the small coffee-house already described. They not only
managed most of its details for him, but were permitted a good deal of
personal liberty. Among other things they had been allowed to select
the top of the house as their abode.
To European ears this may sound rather strange, but those who have seen
the flat roofs of Eastern lands will understand it. Youssef's house,
like nearly all the other houses of the city, had a flat roof, with a
surrounding parapet nearly breast-high. Here had been placed a few
wooden boxes filled with earth and planted with flowering shrubs. These
formed quite a little garden, to which Youssef had been wont to retreat
of an evening for meditative and, we may add, smokative purposes. But
as Youssef had grown old, his eyes had nearly, and his legs had quite,
failed him. Hence, being unable to climb to his roof, he had latterly
given it up entirely to the use of his black slaves, Samson and Dinah
White.
There was a small excrescence or hut on the roof--about ten feet by six
in dimensions--which formed--their residence. Behind this, hiding
itself as it were and almost invisible, nestled a smaller excrescence or
offshoot. It was a mere bandbox of a thing, measuring five feet by
four; it had a window about twelve inches square, and was entered by a
door inside the larger hut. This was the apartment now assigned to
Hester, who was quietly introduced into the household without the
knowledge or consent of its blind proprietor.
There was a little bed in the small room. True, it was only a trestle
frame, and a straw-stuffed mattress with a couple of blankets, but it
was clean, and the whole room was neat, and the sun shone brightly in at
the small window at the moment that the new occupant was introduced.
Poor Hester fell on her knees, laid her head on the bed, and thanked God
fervently for the blessed change. Almost in the same moment she forgot
herself, and prayed still more fervently for the deliverance of her
father.
The view over the housetops from the little window was absolutely
magnificent, including as it did domes, minarets, mosques, palm-trees,
shipping, and sea! Here, for a considerable time, Hester worked at her
former occupation, for Dinah had a private plan to make a little money
for her own pocket by means of embroidery.
In this pleasant retreat our fugitive was visited one day by Peter the
Great, the expression of whose visage betokened business. After some
conversation, he said that he had come for the express purpose of taking
Hester to see her father.
"But not to talk to him," he added quickly--"not eben to make you'self
known to him, for if you did, not'ing would keep 'im quiet, an' you an'
he would be parted _for eber_. Mind dat--for _eber_!"
"Yes, yes, I will remember," said the poor girl, who was profoundly
agitated at the mere thought of such a meeting.
"But you mus' _promise_," said Peter solemnly.
"Promise on you' word ob honour dat you not say one word; not make a
sound; not gib an unor'nary look; not try in any way to attrack his
attention. Come--speak, else I go home ag'in."
"I promise," said Hester, in a low voice.
"An' you won't cry?"
"I'll try not to."
"Come 'long, den, wid me, an' see you' poor fadder."