At these words, Sebastian precipitated himself into the arms of the benevolent dervise, his excessive emotion deprived him of utterance: “Ah my son!” resumed Abensallah, “if Providence destines thee to regain thy rights, thou hast promised to sheathe the sword, which for so many centuries has desolated Africa;--be true to that promise, and then I cannot believe myself culpable in seeking to obtain thy freedom, and preserving for thee the heart of her, whose virtues will prove the best guarantee of thy good faith. Thou knowest I am no bigot; wherever they are to be found, sincerity and zeal obtain my respect. Christians are as yet but walking in darkness, they see not the light that we do, but if they walk uprightly according to their own laws, may we not hope for their salvation? Obey _thy_ prophet, prince, and then I trust we shall meet again, even in the paradise of his superior, Mahomet.” “Hold, hold, father,” interrupted Sebastian, averting his face with a look of horror, “I must not listen to such impious words. I acknowledge no superior to Him under whose banner I fight.” Abensallah cast on him a glance of pity, but did not answer: Sebastian for some time preserved a dignified silence, at length suddenly recollecting the commission he had formerly given the dervise, he enquired whether he had ever sought out the Portuguese prisoners. A new source of satisfaction opened to him when he learnt that Abensallah’s charitable exertions had procured the release of several, and that amongst them was Don Emanuel de Castro. Had he then told De Castro of his sovereign’s existence? How had he received that information? What sentiments had he uttered? These, and a croud of other questions, followed each other with such impetuosity, that the dervise scarcely found an opportunity of replying to them. “When he took the ring thou didst instruct me to display,” said Abensallah, “his otherwise calm and thoughtful aspect, became suddenly as changeful my son, as thine own: his cheek alternately reddened and grew pale, and his eyes bent on the momentous signet, seemed fraught with past events: once or twice he sighed, but soon brightening into joy, he put it respectfully to his lips, and devoutly blessed thy prophet for having preserved thee. Having told him of thy strange disappearance, he seemed greatly disturbed, although I endeavoured to make him believe that some hasty impulse had prompted thee to brave thy fate, without my assistance: he then won from me the ring, assuring me that shouldst thou not be returned to Portugal, unless he could produce that, such of the grandees as found it their interest to doubt, might plausibly suspect him of falsehood. To this reasoning I yielded, and soon after, journeying to Tangier, made my way to the governor, and brought back with me a redemption friar, to treat for Don Emanuel’s ransom.