She  is  no  daughter  of  his.    She  hath  but  newly  used  the  missee  ;*
she  inust  be  his  wife.     Hast  thou  not  asked  the  servants  ? '
'  I  have  not,  mother ;  but  art  thou  sure  of  this  ?  '
'  I  am.'

'Then  a  bright  vision  has  faded  from  my  eyes,'  said  Kasim
despondingly :  '  the  brightest  vision  I  have  yet  seen  in  my  young
life.     It  seemed  to  be  the  will  of  Allah  that  she  should  be  mine  j

*  A  powder  which  women  apply  to  their  teeth  only  after  marriage.
E


i8  TIPPOO  SULTAUN.
for  she  had  been  lost  to  the  world  and  to  him,  only  that  I  saved
her ! '

'  Forbid  such  thoughts,'  said  his  mother  quietly,  for  she  knew
the  fiery  yet  gentle  spirit  of  the  young  man,  and  how  easily  she
might  offend  where  she  only  intended  kindness.  '  She  can  be
nothing  to  thee,  Kasim.'

'  Her  fate  is  with  mine,  mother :  from  the  moment  I  was  im-
pelled to  rescue  her  from  the  waters,  I  felt  that  my  life  was  con-
nected with  hers.  I  knew  not,  as  she  lay  on  the  sand-bank,  that
she  was  beautiful  or  young ;  and  I  could  not  have  hesitated,  had
there  been  a  thousand  devils  in  my  path,  or  the  raging  waters  of
the  Toombuddra.'

'  Alas  !  my  son,'  she  replied,  '  these  are  but  the  fantasies  of  a
young  spirit.  It  was  thy  generous  nature,  believe  me,  which  im-
pelled thee  to  rescue  her,  not  thy  destiny.'

But  the  young  man  only  sighed ;  and  after  awhile,  finding  that
her  words  had  but  little  power  to  remove  the  feelings  which  the
events  of  the  night  had  excited,  she  blessed  him  and  retired  to
her  repose.
