Abbas flew to head a party of Persians that were yet disputing the gate of the palace, Sebastian hastened out of the city to recall the pursuing part of the army, lest success might carry them too far. Ibrahim with a remnant of followers had succeeded in gaining that division of his force which followed the retreating part of Sebastian’s; his troops now outnumbered those they pursued, but ignorant of the strength in Ispahan, he made no other use of this advantage than that of effecting his retreat to a pass where he encamped himself strongly. To attempt forcing his camp would have been to risk the superiority already gained; the Persians were exhausted by a rapid march and incessant fighting; Sebastian therefore called them back, and re-entered the town, where they were rejoined before day-break by the other division, which having left Ibrahim entrenching himself amongst the mountains, had wheeled round through a defile, and trod back their steps. The knight of the cross had now fulfilled his vow to Sir Anthony Shirley, he had saved Persia: nay more, while there remained a chance of victory inclining to the adversary, he had done violence to his heart’s wish of seeking for Kara Aziek. The contest over, he ran to the palace, the late quarter of the Basha: almost assured of finding her he sought, he hastily interrogated the guards to learn if the Turkish women had been respected; he was answered that there were no foreign women in the city; none had accompanied the Basha’s army. Struck and afflicted, Sebastian was some moments ere he could reply, or interrogate anew, different soldiers and Syrian prisoners: one of the latter assured him that there were women in the Basha’s camp near Bagdad, and that he knew a Moorish lady had arrived there. At this intelligence the hopes of Sebastian revived; “I will speak with that man again;” he said to the Persian who had interpreted between them, “see that you bring him to me when I require him,” the appearance of Prince Abbas interrupted his speech. In expressive silence the Prince took and squeezed his hand, and held it to his heart; his silence was even more eloquent than his countenance: that semblance of coldness which was natural to him, or rather, was the effect of a violent repression of violent sensibility, gave way before the magnitude of his obligations to Sebastian. “You have indeed retrieved my error!” he said at last, “you have saved my father and the kingdom; you have preserved me from dying of grief and shame! what is the recompence we are to give you?--the only valuable recompence in our power you have already wrested from us by a noble force--you have won our eternal gratitude and admiration.--Is there any thing else in Persia we may offer?--command it.”--