door opposite to that by which he had entered. "This curtain must conceal the treasure," he mentally exclaimed, as he raised the purdah. "Now to behold my prize!" He passed the door without fear; the fixed determination to persevere in a desperate deed stunned recollection, and benumbed every other feeling; the certainty of danger, and the impossibility of escape, diffused over his senses that hopeless contempt of death, and mingled with the frightful gaiety of wavering intellect that intense sensation of condensed horror which has enabled some weak minds to mount the scaffold with sullen indifference, and caused others to sport in unseeming levity with their approaching fate. He now found himself in a large room arranged for a banquet; silver vessels on all sides again presented themselves to his touch to be again rejected. "Shall the eagle stoop to the carrion of the vulture?" he exclaimed, casting a second glance on the plate before him. "No! he flies at noble game, and will reject all other." His research proving vain, he turn ed to quit the hall, when, stopping short, he continued: "Hold, friend Allaverdi, though thou wearest not the jewels of the Prince, thou mayest feed at his board; the proudest noble cannot say so much:" thus speaking, he approached the niches where the dishes were deposited, and selecting the choicest morsels, devoured them with unconscious voracity; he then quitted the hall; all remained in the first chamber as he had left it. Replacing the lamp on the floor, he stood for an instant ir resolute, half tempted to desert the lofty flight of the eagle, for the humbler course of the vulture, and accept what fortune offered. A low murmur from the bed shot like an icy arrow through his frame; he listened in breathless eagerness; the soft voice of Fetmah was again heard in inarticulate whisperings; he unsheathed his dagger, and rushed towards her; " One of us must die," he muttered; " perhaps both may: she must not awake." A smile played over the lovely features of the sleeping girl; her lips still moved as if yet speaking, but no audible sound escaped them. Allaverdi gazed on her, his heart swelling with the bit ter certainty that similar repose could never again be his. The mo tion of her lips increased, whilst a glow of brighter animation lighted up her countenance. "Nay, hold," she softly exclaimed; "hold, good Rose, remove that bowl; thou for gettest 'tis the sherbet of pomegra→ nates which is grateful to the son of the King." At the first word she uttered the hand of Allaverdi dropped lifeless by his side; and, as he unconsciously averted his eyes from her, a glittering object arrested them; he seized it, and rudely dragged from beneath the pillow a small bunch of keys and a seal, attached together by cords of plaited silk and gold. The movement passed, unnoticed by Fetmah, whose slumbers now continued calm and undisturbed. These keys evidently secured the jewels; for it was the Prince's seal that hung suspended among them. Allaverdi, trembling with anxiety and hope, once more looked around the chamber, in search of the corresponding lock. The altered situation of the lamp now disclosed to his view two coffers of con siderable size; he applied a key to the lock of one them, it turned, he raised the lid, and the magnificent armlets of the prince lay before him. With incredible haste he collected the contents of the coffer into a large handkerchief, and, without daring to cast a look behind, or even thinking of the remainder of the treasure, fled from the spot with all the terrors of conscious guilt. How he again reached the mosque he knew not; so great was his agitation at quitting it, that he could proceed no further; his head turned round, a deadly sickness overcame him; in vain he attempt ed to move, his legs refused their office, he stumbled and fell. The sound of running water first recalled him, in some measure, to himself; he found himself lying before the mosque, by the side of a water conduit, through which the water now flowed; he drank greedily of the cooling stream, for a burning fever parched his throat; in a few minutes his strength returned, and a clear recollection of the occurrences of this eventful night rushed on his mind; he immediately continued his flight with all possible speed, and, without further accident, arrived at his mo ther's dwelling. Once within the court-yard his fears, in some measure, subsided; that no one had seen him from his going out till his return, he felt assured; his mother even believed him now asleep in his chamber; appre hension yielded to hope that all must end well. He dug a deep hole in the little garden before his own window, deposited his prize in it, and resolved to commence digging over the whole space, the following day, to conceal the partial operation of the preceding night. He then retired to his bed, till the first rays of dawn should call him to his work in the garden. At an early hour in the morning the whole town was in alarm from the report of the robbery, The women of the Harem were questioned, some imprisoned, and severely punished as confederates in the inexplicable deed. The favourite Fetmah herself escaped not suspicion, and even received severe chastisement for negligence, if not for guilt. As usual, in all doubtful cases, the Christians were accused; without the slightest grounds for suspicion, many were arrested, bastinadoed, and tortured to extort confession of an action of which they were innocent; some suffered death in consequence of self accusations. It was remarked, however, that, notwithstanding the numerous asserted confessions, and the increased odium thrown upon the sect of the sufferers, none of the jewels were recovered. Allaverdi dared not trust himself in public for several days, lest the agitation, which, in spite of himself, occasionally shook him, might betray his secret. He dug his garden, walked abroad in the most retired spots, and complained of indisposition to those who remarked his absence from the Defta; finally he resumed his place as usual in society. Aware of the danger of confidence, he carefully guarded his secret, and confided it to no one. By this means he ensured his own safety, but he foresaw that he also lost the opportunity of enjoying his acquisitions; he resolved, therefore, as soon as all curiosity, relative to the late events, had subsided, to pack up his saddle bags and bid adieu to his native city, till he should have found convenient occasion safely to convert his diamonds into gold. Some months subsequent to this ad venture he announced his determination to commence merchant, and busily prepared for his first journey to foreign parts. Unwilling to risk the whole of his treasure at once, he selected only a few jewels of considerable value, and secreted the remainder in a deep excavation, under the floor of his own chamber, which he had prepared for that purpose; he then departed, recommending to his mother the care of their affairs during his absence, and, above all things, exhorted her never to exchange their poor old house for another. Years passed away, yet Allaverdi returned not; at an advanced age his mother had quitted this world; her house had been sold by her surviving relatives, and the existence of her son (seldom referred to by those who must inherit his property, in case of his never again appearing) was almost forgotten in the city, when a stranger, of poor appearance, pompously announced himself as the discoverer of that long sought secret, the philosopher's stone. He volun tarily offered to effect the transmutation in the presence of witnesses, and actually did perform his promise, changing a small crucible of quicksilver into a smaller portion of gold. The fame of this wonderful alchymist spread through the whole city, and occupied every tongue, till it at length reached the ears of the Prince. The professor was ordered to attend, and to exhibit his powers before the Prince himself on a certain day and hour. Proposals were continually offered for the purchase of this invaluable discovery by all classes of people, from the highest to the lowest : all publicly received one general answer, "That it was worthily reserved for the Prince alone ;" but, privately, the communication of the secret accommodated itself to the price of every bidder, and each one returned home, believing himself possessed of an imperial treasure. The day fixed for the grand experiment arrived; the apparatus was conveyed to the chamber appointed, and the operation commenced with every precaution to prevent fraud. The Prince, attended by the chiefs of the silver and coppersmiths, and a few favoured courtiers, was present. The quicksilver was first examined, then placed on the "Now furnace; as soon as it boiled, the closed the door of the court-yard, operator threw in several ingredients and found himself once more alone separately, submitting the whole to in his own little chamber, which had the careful inspection of the Prince not undergone the slightest alteration and his followers; lastly, he poured during his absence. Time and sufin a few drops of a small phial, which ferings, with the growth of his beard, he produced from a curious case; a and change of dress, had so comthick white vapour arose, diffusing pletely altered his appearance, that he through the chamber an odour so felt sure of passing his oldest and most strong and pungent as to oblige the intimate friends unknown. surrounding spectators to withdraw then," he exultingly exclaimed, "I to some distance. The operator then shall see the end of all my wanderings, approached the furnace, declaring slavery, escapes, and poverty; all will the transmutation to be now com- now be amply repaid, and an old age pleted, and removed the crucible, ori- of ease and affluence will terminate ginally containing the quicksilver, a life wasted with toil and anxiefrom the fire; a light spungy black ties. Fools! avaricious, greedy, infacinder apparently filled it, but on re- tuated idiots!" he continued, regardmoving the exterior surface, a button ing the heavy purse containing the of gold was found below, weighing produce of his flattering communimore than one-third of the mercury cations; "to credit for a moment that employed. No doubt remained on the possessor of incalculable treathe minds of all present as to the sures would barter them for a few accuracy of the experiment, and the pieces of that dross of which he could entire success attending the result. at pleasure create millions." He deThe Prince impatiently demanded termined that night to dig up his the price of this inexhaustible mine jewels, and to leave the town with of wealth. The professor humbly them on the morrow, under preremarked that any sum that could be tence of collecting the herbs and simgiven was but as the dust under the ples requisite, as it was believed, for feet of him who already possessed the composition of the elixir of transthe secret; he required no recom- mutation. He was eating his solipense, except the glory of standing tary evening meal, when a violent in the presence of the King's son, clamour at the door of the house and enjoying the smiles of his fa- alarmed him; loud cries and imprevour: he only asked a house wherein cations on the impostor confirmed the to conduct his operations, and un- worst fears that some of his plans fold the mysteries of the golden had miscarried. In an instant, the science to the pupils appointed for chamber was filled with armed men, initiation. He had already discover who, in the name of the governor, ed a small empty house, he said, seized and bound the deluding advenwhich pleased him, and would pre- turer. The accusations against him cisely suit his purpose, if the Prince were numerous and well-founded; would condescend to grant an order some of his private disciples, neglectfor his occupying it. The order was ing his strict injunctions of four days' immediately written, and sealed with delay, and impatient to prove by their the royal signet. The Prince, after own experience the efficacy of their the warmest assurances of his grati- dearly acquired knowledge, had retude and protection for ever, dis- peated the experiment without sucmissed the assembly, and command- cess. Enraged at their actual loss, ed some of his servants to accompany and the disappointment of their the professor, and put him in posses- golden hopes, they hastened to carry sion of the house designated in the their complaints to the governor, order, which was precisely the old where they met many of their acdwelling of the long unheard-of quaintances engaged in a similar Allaverdi; his baggage soon follow- errand; mutual explanations ensued, ed him, and he was left for the re- and the outcry against the impudent mainder of the day to make the ne- impostor became general; an order cessary arrangements previous to for his arrest was, in consequence, commencing his operations on a soon obtained. When led before larger scale. How did the heart of Allaverdi (for it was he) beat as he the governor he refused to answer his accusers, declaring that through envy only they sought to ruin him, a stranger, in the eyes of the Prince; that he never had communicated the secret to any of them for money, and insisted upon being taken before, the Prince, when he would again prove, by ocular demonstation, that he was not the impostor which they would represent him. As none of the complainants could produce a second witness to any of the alleged facts, the governor, finding ten pieces of gold in his lap, during the examination and short explanation of the accused, complied with his request; he was confined for the night, and the next day was conducted to the same chamber where he had perform ed his first essay. The Prince, curious to behold a second time the promising miracle, soon arrived, and commanded the proof experiment to proceed. The professor boldly advanced, approached the furnace with all confidence, but suddenly stopping, felt anxiously in his pockets, faul tered, and became confused and agitated; in fact, the paper containing the powder mixed with gold dust, which formed the only essential ingredient in the composition, was no where to be found; ruin, inevitable ruin, he saw awaited him; in an agony of shame and vexation, he confessed that he was not at the moment prepared for the experiment, having by some misfortune lost the elixir; but that on any future day he would lose his head if he made not his words good. All believed this a poor excuse only to gain time; his accusers recommenced their exclamations against him, and demanded justice for the fraud practised upon them; many even asserted, that his life would not compensate for the insult offered to the person of the King's son, who seemed fast inclining to the same opinion. The indignant Prince called for the ferashes, and the rods for the bastinado. All hope seemed lost. The miserable culprit was already thrown on his back, - with his ancles in the noose, attached to a long pole supported by two ferashes, in such a manner as to expose the soles of his feet to the blows of the two executioners, who stood on each side of him armed with heavy sticks; when, making a sudden " effort, he turned his face towards the Prince, and cried out, “O, son of the King, hearken to the voice of truth, and let the beauty of mercy rest on thy countenance; say, hast thou not lost the richest of thy jewels? what is the recompense of him who restores them?" The Prince replied, " He who again binds the armlets on my arm, and replaces the dagger in my girdle, shall have his face made fair, although it were blackened with many crimes." "But swear," cried the criminal, "swear by thy own head, by the beard of the King thy father, and by the sacred Koran." "I swear," repeated the Prince. "Go then to the house of Allaverdi," he continued, "of him who now lies before thee, dig in the chamber to the left on entering, and ye shall find what ye seek. All stood amazed at this unexpected discovery; the Prince ordered some of his ministers and servants to go and examine the house, and others to unbind the prisoner. "If," he said, "thy words are true, mine shall be the same, and thou shalt rise high in my favour; but if they are false, thou diest." " Í ask no other," submissively answered Allaverdi: he then related his adventures to the great astonishment of the whole court, and the delight of the Prince, which was much increased by the messengers returning loaded with nearly all the long lost jewels. All the faults of the accused vanished in the joy of that moment; in vain his poor deluded dupes claimed, restitution of their money; they themselves only became subjects of ridicule; royal fayours showered upon him, which his intriguing spirit knew well how to turn to the best advantage.---Allaverdi yet lives in the enjoyment of high honours, and the possession of so much wealth, that at his death his son may reasonably expect the honour of a severe bastonadoing, either to induce him to relinquish the whole, or, at least, to refund a large portion of his father's ill-gotten treasure into the coffers of his most equitable protector and sovereign. J. W. W. |