On awaking next morning I was much better. It was settled that I was to
make my start in a conveyance which was to be in waiting for me at
about eleven o’clock; and the anticipation of change put me in good
spirits, which even the tearful face of Yram could hardly altogether
derange. I kissed her again and again, assured her that we should meet
hereafter, and that in the meanwhile I should be ever mindful of her
kindness. I gave her two of the buttons off my coat and a lock of my
hair as a keepsake, taking a goodly curl from her own beautiful head in
return: and so, having said good-bye a hundred times, till I was fairly
overcome with her great sweetness and her sorrow, I tore myself away
from her and got down-stairs to the calèche which was in waiting. How
thankful I was when it was all over, and I was driven away and out of
sight. Would that I could have felt that it was out of mind also! Pray
heaven that it is so now, and that she is married happily among her own
people, and has forgotten me!
And now began a long and tedious journey with which I should hardly
trouble the reader if I could. He is safe, however, for the simple
reason that I was blindfolded during the greater part of the time. A
bandage was put upon my eyes every morning, and was only removed at
night when I reached the inn at which we were to pass the night. We
travelled slowly, although the roads were good. We drove but one horse,
which took us our day’s journey from morning till evening, about six
hours, exclusive of two hours’ rest in the middle of the day. I do not
suppose we made above thirty or thirty-five miles on an average. Each
day we had a fresh horse. As I have said already, I could see nothing
of the country. I only know that it was level, and that several times
we had to cross large rivers in ferry-boats. The inns were clean and
comfortable. In one or two of the larger towns they were quite
sumptuous, and the food was good and well cooked. The same wonderful
health and grace and beauty prevailed everywhere.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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