"Not there, but come and sit down by my side," said Halil, and seizing
the trembling hand of the odalisk, he made her sit down beside him on
the cushion, piled up the pilaf before her, and invited her with kind
and encouraging words to fall to. The odalisk obeyed him. Not a word had
she yet spoken, but when she had finished eating, she turned towards
Halil and murmured in a scarce audible voice,

"For six days I have eaten nought."

"What!" exclaimed Halil in amazement, "six days! Horrible! And who was
it, pray, that compelled you to endure such torture?"

"It was my own doing, for I wanted to die."

Halil shook his head gravely.

"So young, and yet to desire death! And do you still want to die, eh?"

"Your own eyes can tell you that I do not."

Halil had taken a great fancy to the girl. He had never before known
what it was to love any human being; but now as he sat there face to
face with the girl, whose dark eyelashes cast shadows upon her pale
cheeks, and regarded her melancholy, irresponsive features, he fancied
he saw a peri before him, and felt a new man awakening within him
beneath this strange charm.

Halil could never remember the time when his heart had actually throbbed
for joy, but now that he was sitting down by the side of this beautiful
maid it really began to beat furiously. Ah! how truly sang the poet when