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the most select terms of high-flown Oriental phraseology, was silent on witnessing the untoward expression of my face, as I put the foregoing questions to Lalah-Lub.

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matter?

Why, what on earth," asked he, "is the Is that another communication from your friend Mr. Shumsheer, or a challenge and defiance to mortal combat from the injured individual, whose garden he has been despoiling of its fairest and choicest flower in your behalf?"

"Most extraordinary and unaccountable!" exclaimed I. "But listen and you shall judge."

The "Lily," who had resumed her caleeoun, continued to smoke, attentively scrutinising the expression of my countenance, as I handed the letter to Staunton, who read as follows, in French :

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You will, no doubt, my friend- for I trust that you will allow me still to call you so -you will no doubt be astonished to hear through such an unusual channel, from one probably long since forgotten, but who still relies on former recollections, for your assistance in rescuing her from a state of the most wretched and debasing servitude, that ever Christian woman was condemned to suffer in

this world: the bearer-who, spite of her profession of a Bayadère,* is a kind-hearted, generous creature, and who can be fully trustedwill explain what I cannot write; for I am closely watched and dare not now say more. Dites bien des choses de ma part to Monsieur Staunton, whom I likewise got a glimpse of yesterday during the banquet, and who is, therefore, no doubt, at Secunderabad. He will, I am sure, also do what he can in behalf of your former friend, the now unfortunate and wretched-MÉLANIE DE ST. RÉMY."

It may readily be imagined, we lost no time in asking the required explanation of our beautiful and unexpected guest, and as the threads of many of the occurrences in Mélanie's eventful career, were strangely enough interwoven with those of the Mouttee Mahalfor she chose now to be thus called,—I shall first give the story of the latter, as subsequently related during the course of the evening by herself, after she had replied to our numerous queries concerning the immediate object of the mission in which she was engaged.

*The Nautch girls of India are so denominated by the French.

CHAPTER X.

THE STORY OF MOUTTEE MAHAL, THE LILY OF

CASHMERE.

"Who has not heard of the vale of Cashmere,
With its roses, the brightest that earth ever gave ;
Its temples, and grottos, and fountains, as clear
As the love-lighted eyes that hang over their wave?"
Lallah Rookh.

To make amends for our previous remissness and seeming want of hospitality, refreshments were ordered without delay; and not knowing yet whether Mouttee Mahal were of the Hindoo or Mahomedan persuasion, but fully aware that the joyous profession of the "Bayadère" enforced no very strict adherence to outward forms, we justly conjectured, after the fatiguing and jolting of the "hackaree" or bullock-carriage in which she had arrived, that a glass of wine might likewise, perhaps, not prove unacceptable. Some sherry was therefore placed

upon the board, of which our fair guest partook without showing the least scruple.

We replenished our own glasses, and having listened to the immediate object of her errand, (with which the reader shall be hereafter made more fully acquainted,) I expressed myself desirous to learn some of those adventures, of which Shumsheer-ul-Deen had already given the very faint outline, that had only served to raise my curiosity, and make me anxious to know more of the eventful career of

"One of those wandering minstrel maids,
Who leave-how can they leave?—the shades
Of that dear valley, and are found
Singing in gardens of the South

Those songs, that ne'er so sweetly sound
As from a young Cashmerian's mouth.'

Restored to good humour by our attentions, seconded, perhaps, by the generous beverage of which she rather freely partook, she good-naturedly complied with this request; and the following narrative (divested of a considerable portion of its Oriental redundancy of expression), contains the substance of such information as the Mouttee Mahal condescended to give us respecting her own eventful career.

Reclining now gracefully, and at her ease,

on a comfortable couch, the old "bouddhee" or duenna, seated beside her on the floor, and with the caleeoun ready at her call; a flask of sparkling wine within her reach; her audience consisting of Staunton and myself, very com. fortably smoking our cheroots; thus did the young lady commence the story of her life :

"In the beginning of the world the Valley of Cashmere was a vast inland lake, whose sacred waters, dedicated to Siva, were known in the old Sanscrit tongue as Sutty Sir: the 'tal,' or reservoir of Sutty the Chaste:' wife of Seva the Destroyer,' who was universally worshipped by all the hill tribes of Kas and Kaffristan, by whom that part of India was then possessed.

*

"The faith of the Prophet has, however, long since been introduced into Cashmere ; and whilst such of the original inhabitants as retained the customs and observances of their forefathers, retired into the more inaccessible

* A mountainous tract of country to the north-west of Cashmere, constituting part of the Hindoo-Cosh, and inhabited by idolaters, to whom, as to all other infidels, the Mahomedans apply the term of " Kaffirs," or "Caffres." The women of Caffristan are, in common with those of Cashmere, remarkable for their fairness and beauty.

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