Every endearing quality of woman’s fond and faithful heart, beamed from the dewy eyes of Kara Aziek; those eyes bespoke a soul capable of wholly losing itself in the happiness and honour of one beloved object; they promised heroic devotedness, disinterested goodness, virtuous submission: they had never yet known how to express disdain, anger, or desire of rule. It was sufficient to have beheld Kara Aziek but for a moment, to be convinced that she was the sweetest and the gentlest of human beings. Lost in the remembrance of a countenance so engaging, the young King did not remark that his companion heaved several deep sighs: at length, she spoke to him again. “It is then to Portugal that thou wishest to return? It was my mother’s country--perhaps thou hast a mother and sisters there--or a wife--art thou married, Christian?--” Sebastian answered in the negative with a sigh deeper than her own; Aziek eagerly resumed. “If thou, hast neither mother, sister, nor wife, thou should’st not be so very unhappy at thy present misfortune: think how much keener would have been thy sorrows, had they been increased by the memory of such beloved relations. Learn to be grateful, Christian, to the _Great Being_ for his smallest mercies!” Sebastian was about to own that Portugal contained one as dear to him as a wife, when she asked after his sick countryman; on hearing that he was then in the labyrinth, she grieved at having detained his friend, and bade him pursue his way to the house. “Pray warn this poor fellow,” she added, “never again to attempt so rash an enterprize: he may get beyond my father’s walls ’tis true, but wherever he goes he must encounter Moors, or perish for want among solitary places.--Adieu, Portuguese! endure patiently, pray often, hope constantly.”--So saying, the lovely Moor turned away, leaving Sebastian standing where they had first met. He could not forbear ejaculating a thanksgiving for this fortunate meeting, which licensed him in all those sanguine expectations that otherwise had been fantastic: he blessed the amiable Aziek repeatedly, while hastening to the hall of the household slaves, he procured an assistant, and returned for Gaspar. The motion, in carrying him, quickly awakened Gaspar, but Sebastian would not rouse him further by speaking then of his adventure, and shortly afterwards left him to repose for the night. The next time Kara Aziek saw the King of Portugal, it was again in the gardens, supporting his still-languid friend: she stopt in the midst of her women and asked after the invalid. Sebastian seized this opportunity of describing his delicate constitution, and beseeching her to order him some less hazardous labour than that of working through all weathers in the open air: at the same time he ventured to solicit indulgence for some other sick captives. Kara Aziek fixed her luminous eyes on him through her veil, with a look of soft admiration.