but I forgive you, as you are not acquainted with the rules of civil society. In our country you may murder or shoot a man, but you must not touch him with your naked hands. Besides, you had no reason for being angry with me. I was in quest of game the same as you, and did not know that the pigeon had been first brought down by you.” " I beg you will speak without circumlocution," said I raising my voice. "I have only seen twice in my life the poor girl whom you are persecuting, and am resolved to protect her from mere sympathy. "Sympathy in the Kirgheezian steppe!" archly replied Pheroolken. "There is more of it there, than in your gilded palaces and courts of law," replied I seriously. "But however that may be, if you do not give up persecuting Sophia, and decide in the affair concerning her deceased father according to law, I swear to you by my life and fortune, that I shall fall at the feet of our just Empress, and will lodge a complaint against you; and in the meantime I will inform all the grandees and people about the court of our meeting at Sophia's.' "> "Be quiet, be quiet, and don't get into a passion!" said Pheroolken. "Even without that, it would be a pleasure to me to oblige the Kirgheezian prince. I give you my word of honour, that I shall think no more of your Sophia, and to-morrow shall subscribe the decision in favour of her mother, as the business is already gone through. Let it be a bargain between us. Not a whisper to any one." "Here is my hand to you!" Pheroolken embraced me, and with haste conducted me out of the closet. I flew to Sophia with the joyful news, and was again overloaded with caresses and thankfulness. Next day the decision was subscribed, and in a week the money was paid. Pheroolken no more appeared in that quarter of the town where Sophia lived. He kept his word-I suppose for the first time in his life. I ceased to think of returning to the steppe. Sophia loved me and was happy, and lived a new life. We concealed our love from her mother, because she would never have consented on any consideration to let her daughter marry a Mahomedan. I did not know what to resolve upon. The death of her mother gave Sophia full liberty to dispose of herself. The good old woman, weighed down with years and griefs, died, half a year after our first acquaintance. Sophia remained an orphan, and declared to me that she was ready to follow me not only to the steppe but to the world's. end, to an unpeopled wilderness. "It was necessary to take some precautions. Sophia went before me to Orenburg, and after obtaining leave from the Empress, I set off afterwards. Not knowing whether my father would allow me to marry a poor orphan, I left Sophia in a neighbouring aool, with a friend, and appeared before my father alone. Father," said I, “ you have experienced what love is, and surely will not condemn your son if he chooses a wife for himself according to his heart's desire, and not according to calculation." "I would have wished you to marry a daughter of the Sultan, my benefactor," said my father to me: "but if you have already fixed your eyes upon a bride, and do not wish any more wives, do as you please. You know it is not I, but yourself that have to live with your wife!" I related my adventure to him, and the same day Sophia was in his arms. Our old women were angry, because I had married a foreigner. The young girls were not pleased; but my brave horsemen agreed that Sophia was worthy of being a Kirgheez. The Khan himself was desirous of seeing my wife, and applauded my choice وو Arsalan ceased speaking, and covered his face with his hands. I saw his tears. At last he said: "I was happy ten years with Sophia. Gayuk is the fruit of our love. She died! According to the custom of our nation, and by order of the Khan, I was obliged to marry again. I have now three wives; they are good women; you know them. But I loved Sophia alone, and have never consoled myself for her loss. Ivan! believe me, in the Kirgheczian steppe love and friendship are known, although they cannot tell fine stories about them. Now you know why I love the Russians. Sophia unites me with you. This is why, in spite of our usual custom, I behave to you my slave as if you were my equal. I was happy with a Russian. Russian blood runs in the veins of my Gayuk; and, although I saw many follies in your country, that is the general lot of all civilized nations, as I learned from books; and you are only to blame, because you import foreign follies. I found many good people in Russia, worthy to live with us in these steppes, and their memory is dear to me. Now go to sleep, Ivan! I am sick at heart; I shall sit on my horse and dis sipate my grief in the steppe. The recollection of past. miseries consoles a man; but the remembrance of bygone joys never to return, fills the heart with anguish—adieu ! Hey! my horse!" Arsalan leaped upon his stallion, and rode off in the moonlight at full gallop. I grew melancholy myself. I loved the worthy sultan with all my heart. CHAPTER XV. Consequences of a hard Winter in the Steppe-Attack-Joyful We live in a continual illusion, and see objects only as they At last misery made its appearance, the greatest of all to a pastoral tribe-the distemper amongst the cattle. In vain the Baxas employed their divinations and nostrums; ou flocks and herds diminished continually, and there was no means to put a stop to the distemper. Besides, the healthy animals stumbling amongst the snow-hillocks, and not having strength to grub up the deep and hard snow, fell from exhaustion. This was accompanied with a deficiency of provision and fire-wood. Despair pervaded all our hearts. In place of merry songs, were heard the whistling of winds and the moans of dying animals. The women and children concealed their tears before their husbands and fathers, but an artificial equanimity could not conceal the general grief. Arsalan displayed more courage than all the rest. He induced us to work by his example. He himself presided at our common labours and roused up the desponding; he himself dug for food for the riding horses from under the heaps of snow; he himself rode with us for reeds and the twigs of young trees; he himself looked after the cattle, and assign. ed new places of pasture for them. Fearing lest the distemper should deprive us of all our live stock, we slaughtered the greater part of our sheep, and buried the flesh in the ground, using our dry provisions with the greatest economy. Fortunately the rich Kirgheez had laid in a stock of bricktea,* which we drank several times in the day, preparing it at first like soup with milk, butter and salt, and afterwards when there was not enough of milk and butter, simply with salt and sheep's fat. This beverage kept up my strength. The rye-flour which Arsalan Sultan had provided at Orenburg, served only for a dainty. The Kirgheez do not make use of bread, but boil a sort of porridge with flour and bake cakes on the coals. Only one Sultan had rice and that in small quantity. Wheat was kept for the women and unwell persons. Although we did not as yet experience real famine, with the loss of our cattle, that misery threatened us in spring. At last, winter passed away, the snow thawed, verdure again appeared upon the earth, the distemper ceased, but we remained poor. Without external aid, famine would steal upon us before the end of the spring. All this was foreseen, but nobody knew what to resolve upon. Some advised to enter into the Russian service, for pay; others wished to ask assistance from the Khan. Arsalan intended * The commonest and cheapest sort of tea, which is used mostly in Siberia by the Mongolian tribes. It is sold in pieces of a form similar to bricks, and in the frontier towns of China is used as a substitute for money. Goods arc valued by the number of these pieces of tea, to conquer our misfortune by force of arms. One day he go with me. He who is not pleased with my design, may *Better to sink beneath the shock, † A dagger. BYRON. A whip. : |