“O no!” exclaimed Maimuna hastily, “it is to you I would confide him for safety and instruction. To cure his fatal passion for war, I consent to let him witness one campaign; only to witness it: for this I have sought you Christian. I entreat you to become his guardian; trusting to your power of keeping him as far from personal danger as is possible in a scene of warfare.” Maimuna’s voice was so broken and varied while she uttered these sentences, that Sebastian could not forbear suspecting her of too warm an interest in the youth she recommended; but delicacy imposed silence, and he replied solely by promising the protection she required. His strange visitor then rose to depart: under the portico of the Kiosk she paused again. “I need not ask you to be secret,” she said, “your own thoughts, (perhaps somewhat injurious to me, and I call Heaven to witness, unjustly!) will teach you what hard constructions may be put upon my conduct.” “I hazard no conjecture that is not honorable to your tenderness and generosity;” returned Sebastian, gallantly kissing the hem of her veil, “if this youth deserve so much rare solicitude, (and can I doubt that he does?) what heart may censure you?” Maimuna looked back at him with the air of one struck by an unexpected remark; she repeated his last words in a livelier tone, then breaking off with a sigh, asked at what hour, Zaphna, her protegée, should join him on the morrow. Sebastian named the hour after sun-rise, and the lady departed. The reflections occasioned by this singular adventure, were interrupted by the appearance of Prince Abbas: he came to inform the Portuguese knight of some unexpected movement of the enemy, which rendered a change in the Persian dispositions absolutely indispensible: after settling the new plan, and having dispatched his page with orders to the different officers, Prince Abbas said carelessly. “I disturbed you in an evil hour: if I may judge from the charming figure of the lady who had just quitted you, your mind was not in the mood for severe considerations.” Abbas paused, but Sebastian remained silent; the former fixed his eyes somewhat austerely upon him, and added coldly, “suffer me to tell you Christian! that in Persia we are careful not to give any scandal to morals: if we cede sometimes to the force of beauty and of temperament, we believe ourselves bound not to make a boast of our frailty, and we avoid, if possible, dishonouring a noble house. I would have you take care how you trifle with the protection afforded by the roof of an ambassador.” Sebastian regarded him with quick-raised indignation. “How Prince!” he exclaimed, “do you believe me capable of abusing this protection?--beware how you lightly wound the honour of a man, to whom fortune has left no other possession.” As Sebastian spoke he smote the hilt of his sword, while starting from his seat Prince Abbas drew back with an air of self-recollection.