"Ay, gone forever."

"What mean you? whither has she gone? what has happened to render
you so miserable?"

Alas, Aphiz; Komel has gone to be the star of some proud Turkish
harem," said the father.

"And with your consent?"

"No! O, no!"

"Nor by her own free will, that I know," he continued, quickly.

"Alas! no; this night she was stolen from us, and we saw her borne
away before our very eyes."

"Was there no one by to strike a blow for her, no one to render you
aid?"

"Yes, one there was, an honest friend who lives in the next cottage.
He was aroused by the noise, and outraged by the violence he beheld,
he rushed upon the thieves, but they struck him bleeding and dead to
the earth. It was a terrible sight and poor Komel saw it as they
carried her away, and uttered such a fearful, piercing scream that
it seems to ring in our cars even now. She fainted then in their
arms, and we saw her no more."

"Heaven guard her!" said Aphiz, with inward anguish expressed in his