CHAPTER XIV.
"Some time elapsed before I learned the history of my friends. It wasone which could not fail to impress itself deeply on my mind, unfoldingas it did a number of circumstances, each interesting and wonderful toone so utterly inexperienced as I was.
"The name of the old man was De Lacey. He was descended from a goodfamily in France, where he had lived for many years in affluence,respected by his superiors, and beloved by his equals. His son was bredin the service of his country; and Agatha had ranked with ladies of thehighest distinction. A few months before my arrival, they had lived in alarge and luxurious city, called Paris, surrounded by friends, andpossessed of every enjoyment which virtue, refinement of intellect, ortaste, accompanied by a moderate fortune, could afford.
"The father of Safie had been the cause of their ruin. He was a Turkishmerchant, and had inhabited Paris for many years, when, for some reasonwhich I could not learn, he became obnoxious to the government. He wasseized and cast into prison the very day that Safie arrived fromConstantinople to join him. He was tried, and condemned to death. Theinjustice of his sentence was very flagrant; all Paris was indignant;and it was judged that his religion and wealth, rather than the crimealleged against him, had been the cause of his condemnation.
"Felix had accidentally been present at the trial; his horror andindignation were uncontrollable, when he heard the decision of thecourt. He made, at that moment, a solemn vow to deliver him, and thenlooked around for the means. After many fruitless attempts to gainadmittance to the prison, he found a strongly grated window in anunguarded part of the building, which lighted the dungeon of theunfortunate Mahometan; who, loaded with chains, waited in despair theexecution of the barbarous sentence. Felix visited the grate at night,and made known to the prisoner his intentions in his favour. The Turk,amazed and delighted, endeavoured to kindle the zeal of his deliverer bypromises of reward and wealth. Felix rejected his offers with contempt;yet when he saw the lovely Safie, who was allowed to visit her father,and who, by her gestures, expressed her lively gratitude, the youthcould not help owning to his own mind, that the captive possessed atreasure which would fully reward his toil and hazard.
"The Turk quickly perceived the impression that his daughter had made onthe heart of Felix, and endeavoured to secure him more entirely in hisinterests by the promise of her hand in marriage, so soon as he shouldbe conveyed to a place of safety. Felix was too delicate to accept thisoffer; yet he looked forward to the probability of the event as to theconsummation of his happiness.
"During the ensuing days, while the preparations were going forward forthe escape of the merchant, the zeal of Felix was warmed by severalletters that he received from this lovely girl, who found means toexpress her thoughts in the language of her lover by the aid of an oldman, a servant of her father, who understood French. She thanked him inthe most ardent terms for his intended services towards her parent; andat the same time she gently deplored her own fate.
"I have copies of these letters; for I found means, during my residencein the hovel, to procure the implements of writing; and the letters wereoften in the hands of Felix or Agatha. Before I depart, I will give themto you, they will prove the truth of my tale; but at present, as the sunis already far declined, I shall only have time to repeat the substanceof them to you.
"Safie related, that her mother was a Christian Arab, seized and made aslave by the Turks; recommended by her beauty, she had won the heart ofthe father of Safie, who married her. The young girl spoke in high andenthusiastic terms of her mother, who, born in freedom, spurned thebondage to which she was now reduced. She instructed her daughter in thetenets of her religion, and taught her to aspire to higher powers ofintellect, and an independence of spirit, forbidden to the femalefollowers of Mahomet. This lady died; but her lessons were indeliblyimpressed on the mind of Safie, who sickened at the prospect of againreturning to Asia, and being immured within the walls of a haram,allowed only to occupy herself with infantile amusements, ill suited tothe temper of her soul, now accustomed to grand ideas and a nobleemulation for virtue. The prospect of marrying a Christian, andremaining in a country where women were allowed to take a rank insociety, was enchanting to her.
"The day for the execution of the Turk was fixed; but, on the nightprevious to it, he quitted his prison, and before morning was distantmany leagues from Paris. Felix had procured passports in the name of hisfather, sister, and himself. He had previously communicated his plan tothe former, who aided the deceit by quitting his house, under thepretence of a journey, and concealed himself, with his daughter, in anobscure part of Paris.
"Felix conducted the fugitives through France to Lyons, and across MontCenis to Leghorn, where the merchant had decided to wait a favourableopportunity of passing into some part of the Turkish dominions.
"Safie resolved to remain with her father until the moment of hisdeparture, before which time the Turk renewed his promise that sheshould be united to his deliverer; and Felix remained with them inexpectation of that event; and in the mean time he enjoyed the societyof the Arabian, who exhibited towards him the simplest and tenderestaffection. They conversed with one another through the means of aninterpreter, and sometimes with the interpretation of looks; and Safiesang to him the divine airs of her native country.
"The Turk allowed this intimacy to take place, and encouraged the hopesof the youthful lovers, while in his heart he had formed far otherplans. He loathed the idea that his daughter should be united to aChristian; but he feared the resentment of Felix, if he should appearlukewarm; for he knew that he was still in the power of his deliverer,if he should choose to betray him to the Italian state which theyinhabited. He revolved a thousand plans by which he should be enabled toprolong the deceit until it might be no longer necessary, and secretlyto take his daughter with him when he departed. His plans werefacilitated by the news which arrived from Paris.
"The government of France were greatly enraged at the escape of theirvictim, and spared no pains to detect and punish his deliverer. The plotof Felix was quickly discovered, and De Lacey and Agatha were throwninto prison. The news reached Felix, and roused him from his dream ofpleasure. His blind and aged father, and his gentle sister, lay in anoisome dungeon, while he enjoyed the free air, and the society of herwhom he loved. This idea was torture to him. He quickly arranged withthe Turks, that if the latter should find a favourable opportunity forescape before Felix could return to Italy, Safie should remain as aboarder at a convent at Leghorn; and then, quitting the lovely Arabian,he hastened to Paris, and delivered himself up to the vengeance of thelaw, hoping to free De Lacey and Agatha by this proceeding.
"He did not succeed. They remained confined for five months before thetrial took place; the result of which deprived them of their fortune,and condemned them to a perpetual exile from their native country.
"They found a miserable asylum in the cottage in Germany, where Idiscovered them. Felix soon learned that the treacherous Turk, for whomhe and his family endured such unheard-of oppression, on discoveringthat his deliverer was thus reduced to poverty and ruin, became atraitor to good feeling and honour, and had quitted Italy with hisdaughter, insultingly sending Felix a pittance of money, to aid him, ashe said, in some plan of future maintenance.
"Such were the events that preyed on the heart of Felix, and renderedhim, when I first saw him, the most miserable of his family. He couldhave endured poverty; and while this distress had been the meed of hisvirtue, he gloried in it: but the ingratitude of the Turk, and the lossof his beloved Safie, were misfortunes more bitter and irreparable. Thearrival of the Arabian now infused new life into his soul.
"When the news reached Leghorn, that Felix was deprived of his wealthand rank, the merchant commanded his daughter to think no more of herlover, but to prepare to return to her native country. The generousnature of Safie was outraged by this command; she attempted toexpostulate with her father, but he left her angrily, reiterating histyrannical mandate.
"A few days
after, the Turk entered his daughter's apartment, and toldher hastily, that he had reason to believe that his residence at Leghornhad been divulged, and that he should speedily be delivered up to theFrench government; he had, consequently hired a vessel to convey him toConstantinople, for which city he should sail in a few hours. Heintended to leave his daughter under the care of a confidential servant,to follow at her leisure with the greater part of his property, whichhad not yet arrived at Leghorn.
"When alone, Safie resolved in her own mind the plan of conduct that itwould become her to pursue in this emergency. A residence in Turkey wasabhorrent to her; her religion and her feelings were alike adverse toit. By some papers of her father, which fell into her hands, she heardof the exile of her lover, and learnt the name of the spot where he thenresided. She hesitated some time, but at length she formed herdetermination. Taking with her some jewels that belonged to her, and asum of money, she quitted Italy with an attendant, a native of Leghorn,but who understood the common language of Turkey, and departed forGermany.
"She arrived in safety at a town about twenty leagues from the cottageof De Lacey, when her attendant fell dangerously ill. Safie nursed herwith the most devoted affection; but the poor girl died, and the Arabianwas left alone, unacquainted with the language of the country, andutterly ignorant of the customs of the world. She fell, however, intogood hands. The Italian had mentioned the name of the spot for whichthey were bound; and, after her death, the woman of the house in whichthey had lived took care that Safie should arrive in safety at thecottage of her lover."