Alas! my lot seemed terrible to me. I was nothing but a slave, and as such I had to humble myself to the dust in the presence of my mistress, who brought us up to be able to listen with the most immovable expression on our faces, and with smiles on our lips, to all the good qualities or faults that her customers found in us. The first time that I was taken to the _sélamlik_ (reception-room) I was ten years old. I was considered very pretty, and my mistress had bought me a costume of pink cotton, covered with a floral design; she had had my nails tinted and my hair plaited, and expected to get a very good price for me. I had been taught to dance, to curtesy humbly to the men and to kiss the ladies' _féradje_ (cloaks), to hand the coffee (whilst kneeling) to the visitors, or stand by the door with my arms folded ready to answer the first summons. These were certainly not very great accomplishments, but for a child of my age they were considered enough, especially as, added to all that, I had a very white skin, a slender, graceful figure, black eyes and beautiful teeth. I felt very much agitated on finding myself amongst all the other slaves who were waiting for purchasers. Most of them were poor girls who had been brought there to be exchanged. They had been sent away from one harem, and would probably have to go to some other. My heart was filled with a vague kind of dread of I knew not what, when suddenly my eyes rested on three hideous negroes, who had come there to buy some slaves for the harem of their Pasha. They were all three leaning back on the sofa discussing the merits and defects of the various girls standing around them. "Her eyes are too near together," said one of them. "That one looks ill." "This tall one is so round-backed." I shivered on hearing these remarks, whilst the poor girls themselves blushed with shame or turned livid with anger. "Come here, Féliknaz," called out my mistress, for I was hiding behind my companions. I went forward with lowered eyes, but my heart was beating wildly with indignation and fear. As soon as the negroes caught sight of me they said something in Arabic and laughed, and this was not lost on my mistress. [Illustration: "THREE HIDEOUS NEGROES."] "Where does this one come from?" asked one of them, after examining me attentively. "She is a Circassian. She has cost me a lot of money, for I bought her four years ago and have been bringing her up carefully. She is very intelligent and will be very pretty. _Bir elmay_ (quite a diamond)," she added, in a whisper. "Féliknaz, dance for us, and show us how graceful you can be." I drew back, blushing, and murmured, "There is no music for me to dance to." "That doesn't matter at all. I'll sing something for you. Come, commence at once!"