her, and each one contributed to give her from out their store some
becoming ornament, now a diamond broach, and now a ruby ring, next a
necklace of emeralds, interspersed with glowing opals, a fourth
added a girdle of golden chain braced at every link by close and
richly cut garnets, and other rings of sapphire and amethysts, until
the lovely stranger was dazzling with the combined brilliancy and
reflection of so many rare and beautiful jewels about her person.

It was not the jewels that so gratified the young Circassian, but
the good will they represented. She cared little for them
intrinsically, beautiful and rich as they were, but she grew very
fast to love the donors.

Days passed on in this manner, and the Sultan was no less surprised
than delighted to witness this voluntary kindness and affection that
was so freely rendered to the lovely girl. Her affliction seemed to
render her sacred in his eyes, and there was no kindness on his part
that was forgotten. Her manners and intelligent bearing showed her
to belong to the better class of her own nation, and her gentle
dignity commanded respect as well as love. She had already come to a
degree of understanding with those about her that was sufficient as
it regarded her ordinary wishes and wants, but of the past or future
she had not means to communicate, her tongue was sealed, and for
this reason her history must remain a hidden mystery to those about
her whom she loved, and would gladly have confided in.

One occupation seemed to delight her above all else, it was so
simple and beautiful, besides which it enabled her to convey her
feelings by means of an agency that, as far as it went, supplied to
her the loss of her speech. It was the arranging of flowers so as to