As he now mounted his mule, he lightly smoothed the bird’s silver wings, pressed them yet lighter with his lips, and carefully laid her to rest next his heart: the look he gave her, was such as a mother bestows on her first born and only child! Tefza smiled at his favorite slave’s _playthings_, as he called Barémel and Babec, half inclined to think his wits disordered from such unmanly solicitude about a bird; but too indulgent to say so, he waited till Sebastian had safely adjusted his charge, and then ordered the camels, &c. to proceed. Travelling instead of exhausting, revived the Hadgé, for he rested during the hot hours of noon, and only moved when the air was tempered by morning or evening breezes: Sebastian had a thousand times to recollect that Tefza was old and sick ere he could prevent himself from impatiently urging a quicker method; his soul was already at the cave of Abensallah. Imagination had placed him in the embrace of Kara Aziek; that timid, ardent embrace, to which Love at one moment gave the most transporting character, and the next instant changed it into tremors of apprehension and shame: he fancied her pitying tears over the grave of his friend; at that sad image, passion’s intoxicating reveries suddenly fled, Sebastian’s thoughts assumed a severer cast, and many were the pangs of self-reproach which now tyrannised over him. Reflections like these happily abstracted some portion of his anxiety about Aziek, and the attentions required by his feeble companion completed their effect. They reached the extremity of Mounts Benzeroel on the evening of the ninth day. At sight of Abensallah’s tranquil abode, where Sebastian had experienced so much goodness, where he had performed the last melancholy duties to Stukeley, where so many hopes and wishes (now annihilated,) had once agitated his heart, where at length he was come to seek the most faithful and tender of women, he was inexpressibly moved; a variety of feelings melted him; he stopt, gazed wistfully on the rock, and precipitately concealed his face in his garment. He was roused by the well-remembered voice of Ismael, now at the mouth of the cave, who was praying the travellers to alight: as the Hadgé entered first, Sebastian had an opportunity of discovering himself to Ismael, and charging him not to mention their former acquaintance before Tefza or his servants; after this precaution, he entered. On passing the threshold he cast a trembling glance round the narrow cell; no one was there but Tefza and Abensallah: his heart died away; yet, did he expect to behold Kara Aziek? no, she must be secured in the interior apartment which Abensallah reserved as an asylum for persecuted persons.