but graceful turbans, were sitting round a brass vessel of coals,
smoking or making their coffee, and discussing the matters
pertaining to their trade. Some came there solely to smoke their
opium-drugged pipes, and some to purchase, if a good bargain should
offer and a beauty be sold cheap. Here were sprightly Greeks, sage
Jews, and moody Armenians, but all outnumbered by the sedate old
Turks, with beards sweeping their very breasts. It was a motley
crowd that thronged the slave market.

Now and then there burst forth the ringing sound of laughter front
an enclosed division of the place where were confined a whole bevy
of Nubian damsels, flat-nostriled and curly-headed, but as slight
and fine-limbed as blocks of polished ebony. They were lying
negligently about, in postures that would have taken a painter's
eye, but we have naught to do with then at this time.

The females that were now offered for sale were principally of the
fair and rosy-cheeked Circassian race, exposed to the curious eve of
the throng only so far as delicacy would sanction, yet leaving
enough visible to develope charms that fired the spirits of the
Turkish crowd; and the bids ran high on this sale of humanity, until
at last a beautiful creature, with a form of ravishing loveliness,
large and lustrous eyes, and every belonging that might go to make
up a Venus, was led forth to the auctioneer's stand. She was young
and surpassingly handsome, while her hearing evinced a degree of
modesty that challenged their highest admiration.

Of course the bidding was spirited and liberal for such a specimen
of her race; but suddenly the auctioneer paused, and declared that
he had forgotten to mention one matter which might, perhaps, be to