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 T 
 
 OGRAL could see the pure 
 profile, Ihe clear-cut brow, and 
 the dark shadow of her hair
 
 PRINCESS 
 SAYRANE 
 
 A ROMANCE OF THE DAYS OF 
 PRESTER JOHN 
 
 I 
 
 EDITH OGDEN HARRISON 
 
 Author of " Prince Siherurings," " The Star Fairies," 
 " The Flaming Sword," etc. 
 
 WITH FOUR PICTURES IN COLOR 
 BY HAROLD H. BETTS 
 
 CHICAGO 
 
 A. C. McCLURG & CO. 
 1910
 
 COPYRIGHT 
 
 A. C. McCLURG & CO. 
 
 1910 
 
 Entered at Stationers Hall, London, England 

 
 MRS. WM. A. EDWARDS 
 
 THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY 
 DEDICATED
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Togral could see the pure profile, the 
 
 clear-cut brow, and the dark 
 of her hair 
 
 shadow 
 
 Frontispiece 
 
 FACING 
 
 PAGE 
 
 "Alas! Galla, you are the only one on 
 earth that understands me and that 
 truly loves me!" 38 
 
 It was in a scene of mingled grief and 
 fury that Yusuf was cursed into 
 silence 64 
 
 Among the host of attendants, all arrayed 
 in Oriental pomp and splendor, was 
 Prester John 278
 
 PRINCESS 
 SAYRANE 
 
 CHAPTER ONE 
 
 IN a land where in weird dances the 
 priests wave long wands in dreamy 
 cadence to soft melodies like the music 
 of rippling waters, bringing back the 
 ritual which recalls the days of an 
 almost forgotten past; near the border 
 of the Red Sea, whose sparkling waves, 
 as they break on yellow sands, gleam 
 and flash with millions of hidden 
 jewels; in a country where uncounted 
 centuries ago mighty kings ruled in 
 [1]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 warlike splendor and in a constant 
 turmoil that repeats itself to-day in 
 civil wars and wars with neighbor 
 ing nations, there was lived in the 
 olden times, during the reign of a 
 great Emperor, a charming romance. 
 
 The Queen of this land once made 
 a journey to visit the wisest of kings, 
 and she took with her camels laden 
 with gold, for she was determined 
 to contribute her share to the rich 
 works that powerful king had begun. 
 When she reached his realm and saw 
 with her own eyes his achievements, 
 she learned that they exceeded in 
 greatness anything she had dreamed 
 of, and it grieved her that she had 
 brought so little with her. 
 
 When the King saw her, his heart 
 rose to his mouth, for he was seized 
 with the madness of love; and he 
 [2] 

 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 showered honors on his guest. He 
 granted all the favors she asked, and 
 finally he persuaded her who sur 
 passed in loveliness all the women 
 of her time to return his passion; 
 so, after lingering in his domains, 
 she became his wife, and they were 
 very happy. A son was born of the 
 union, a son from whom descended 
 a long line of great and mighty kings, 
 many of whom ruled their kingdom 
 with wisdom and with strength. That 
 famous Queen, with her peerless beauty 
 and her brilliant mind, who ate from 
 golden plates and drank from crystal 
 cups, bequeathed a fortune to her 
 son. But, greater than all the riches 
 he inherited, he received a bright- 
 gemmed ring, bearing a charm. Won 
 derful in color and rare in design
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 dying, blessed it, saying: "Tell my 
 son that always the love of one 
 woman s heart shall cling to the pos 
 sessor." Therefore, in all the precious 
 crown jewels descending from father 
 to son in the long line of kings which 
 followed, none was so valued by all 
 the successive monarchs as the care 
 fully guarded, mysterious, and brilliant- 
 gemmed ring left by the mighty Queen 
 of Sheba. For always and forever 
 in the heart of a true man dwells 
 the image of one woman, whose love 
 he craves, be she mother, wife, or 
 sweetheart. 
 
 Under the rule of one of the de 
 scendants of this famous Queen and 
 this mighty King came the golden 
 age of her country. The powerful 
 monarch then reigning sought and 
 found gold in his mountains. Riches 
 [4] 

 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 became so plentiful, jewels so numer 
 ous, that far and near his kingdom was 
 known. Travellers came to learn the 
 truth of these reports, eager to seek 
 and earn a fortune under the mighty 
 monarch. They always met with a 
 kind reception, were welcomed, and 
 permitted to earn a share of the 
 King s riches; so that they lingered 
 in delight in their new-found wealth 
 and happiness. But, after months - 
 perhaps years of pleasant dalliance 
 in this new and wonderful country, 
 when they sought to leave and take 
 with them their riches, they learned 
 of the existence of a strange law. 
 To their amazement and disappoint 
 ment, it was no less than this: All 
 were welcome in this land of hospital 
 ity and plenty; but once having en 
 tered, no one could ever again pass 
 [5]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 its sacred boundaries. Thus the great 
 King of the land of riches compelled 
 obedience to his will, and bound with 
 chains of steel all who entered his 
 domains.
 
 CHAP! ER TWO 
 
 AT some period between the twelfth 
 and fourteenth centuries there ruled 
 in Abyssinia a wonderful man, Prester 
 John by name. His reign is hedged 
 about with much mystery; his person 
 ality shows dimly through a haze, 
 half of history, half of tradition, and 
 it is with difficulty that from the fog 
 of legend an outline of his real his 
 tory can be constructed. Yet we" 
 know that he broke the power of the 
 Mussulmans, and that he was will 
 ing to join hands with the Crusaders 
 in their attempt to reconquer the 
 Holy Land; though a Nestorian, 
 he was a faithful follower of Jesus^ 
 Christ. At the time of our narrative" 
 [V 
 
 I
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 the eyes of Europe were fixed on 
 Abyssinia, because of the wonderful 
 personality of its ruler. Mongol 
 hordes were rushing in to attack 
 Christendom from the east. Russia, 
 Poland, Hungary, and the eastern 
 provinces of Germany had succumbed; 
 and the fears of the other nations 
 were raised lest they too should taste 
 the misery of Mongolian invasion. 
 In Spain, the Saracens had wrested 
 great territories from the Faith. It 
 was Gog and Magog come to the 
 slaughter! Therefore with exulta 
 tion Europe received the tidings 
 of the prowess of this mysterious 
 Christian King. His Holiness, the 
 Pope, sent him by special embassy 
 a personal letter. Embassies from 
 Portugal and stricken Spain visited 
 his capital, to seek favor and assistance 
 [8] 
 
 
 
 I
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 for their countries. But the monarch 
 of Abyssinia held aloof, stoutly main 
 taining his haughty independence, 
 refusing to bind himself by promises 
 or the most flattering alliances; he 
 was content to reign amid Oriental 
 splendor, to stand alone all-power 
 ful and supreme. 
 
 Wonderful stories were told of him 
 and of his court. He was called a 
 descendant of King Solomon and the 
 Queen of Sheba. He was said to 
 belong to the learned caste known as 
 the Magi. His wealth was so great, 
 it was reported that he used an emerald 
 sceptre. Be that as it may, the rule 
 of his Magnificence extended to the 
 fabled lands beyond India. Far over 
 the wastes of the Orient was his 
 realm. It stretched toward deserted 
 Babylon, even to the very tower of 
 [9] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 Babel. Yet though these enormous 
 possessions were all his and were con 
 trolled by him entirely, he assumed 
 the title of Emperor of Abyssinia and 
 was spoken of as such. Though a 
 Christian himself, but a few of his 
 provinces professed his faith; nor did 
 he interfere with the freedom of wor 
 ship of his tributaries. Seventy-two 
 kings were his vassals and paid hom 
 age and tribute to him. His riches, 
 his power, and his empire were un 
 equalled in his day; his own land of 
 Abyssinia flowed with milk and honey, 
 and was the home of ease and pros 
 perity. 
 
 When Prester John went to war, 
 fourteen golden and bejewelled crosses 
 were borne before him instead of 
 banners. Each of these crosses was 
 followed by ten thousand horsemen. 
 [10]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 And when he rode abroad in simple 
 state, as he often did, a wooden cross, 
 innocent of gold or simplest gem, 
 was borne before him that he might 
 meditate on the sufferings of Jesus 
 Christ. Beside it was borne a wooden 
 bowl filled with earth, to remind him 
 of the source whence he had sprung 
 and whither he must ultimately go. 
 These were followed by an esquire 
 in gorgeous array, who bore a silver 
 urn, heaped high with gold and precious 
 jewels, as a token to all observers 
 that Prester John was a lord of lords. 
 He was a curious mixture of pride 
 and humility, of arrogance and sim 
 plicity. Still his success was a boon 
 to despairing Christians in many 
 quarters, for it held the conquering 
 hosts of Mohammed somewhat in 
 check. In his own country, where 
 
 [11] 
 
 fl
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 the tramp of horses and the thunders 
 of war even to-day show magnificent 
 defiance of the outside world, his 
 was a splendid and impressive figure. 
 His personality still inspires after all 
 the intervening years; for his land 
 of Abyssinia even yet to some extent 
 the land of fable stands like a 
 stag at bay, in haughty defiance of 
 the hunters, and with martial skill 
 and splendid courage repels all attacks 
 from abroad. 
 
 But it must not be thought that 
 Prester John enjoyed a sinecure in 
 office. Constant vigilance was needed 
 to manage the refractory lords who 
 surrounded the throne. Their petty 
 jealousies would fill volumes in the 
 recital. Moreover the Emperor was 
 the supreme judge of his land, and it 
 was his duty to hold a daily audience, 
 [12] 
 
 . .>!. MUM ! I 111 1*1
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 listening to complaints and receiving 
 petitions from any subjects who wished 
 to approach the throne begging clem 
 ency or demanding justice. State 
 ceremonials occupied no small part 
 of his time, for his was a country 
 accustomed to Oriental formalities as 
 well as to Oriental magnificence and 
 display. Great diplomacy was needed 
 to manage his cabinet, his councillors, 
 and his household appointments; and 
 invincible in war, as he undoubtedly 
 was, he was not above giving a con 
 siderable portion of his time to the 
 management of his personal affairs. 
 And so it was that, when he deter 
 mined to send an embassy to a tribu 
 tary country for his bride, he planned 
 and schemed how best to make her 
 fit in with the established order of 
 things in her future home. 
 [13]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 He kept up a large correspondence 
 and took a personal share in dictating 
 and drafting despatches to all parts 
 of the world. 
 
 His court life was very complicated 
 and the ceremonies involved much 
 routine and etiquette. But though 
 the Emperor loved all display, he 
 found healthy relaxation in other 
 things. He was a fine swimmer and 
 a splendid polo-player, while the hunt 
 ing equipage of Prester John was so 
 magnificent he kept four hundred 
 greyhounds and bloodhounds, each of 
 which wore a collar set with jewels 
 and a covering edged with gold and 
 pearls, and he enjoyed to the full all 
 these pleasures. His was indeed a 
 singular character as it stands re 
 vealed through the mist and haze 
 that obscure the period of his reign. 
 [14]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 A nominal Christian with a veneer 
 of civilization, he was wholly bar 
 barian at heart, a creature of moods 
 and impulses, not to be judged by 
 ordinary standards. Few of his inti 
 mates, even, had ever seen his face - 
 his subjects knew only his masked 
 countenance. And yet it was his cus 
 tom in some unknown guise to go 
 abroad, to move freely from time to 
 time among his people, and to learn 
 from personal experience what things 
 were needed for the welfare and pros 
 perity of his realm.
 
 CHAP! ER H REE 
 
 
 THE walls of the palace were bathed 
 in a ruddy glow, and the minarets of 
 the great mosques stood out sharply 
 against a clear unspotted sky. The 
 time was golden evening in the land 
 of the moon and the lotus, where 
 dreams are realities; where all tales 
 are credible; where in olden times the 
 gods came down, taking the forms 
 of men that they might taste the 
 nectar of women s lips; and where 
 to-day in the splendid calm of its 
 temples the critical spirit finds itself 
 humbled when face to face with such 
 hugeness and grandeur. For Egypt 
 like a splendid jewel still shines; her 
 matchless columns and glorious courts 
 [16]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 and halls stand the envy of the world. 
 As we walk among the ruins of cham 
 bers and statues destroyed centuries 
 ago, we are conscious of the spell of 
 ancient Egypt s greatness. 
 
 The young princess stood within 
 her splendid gardens. She was barely 
 seventeen; but in that hot country 
 a girl of that age is a woman in years 
 and thought. She was very beauti 
 ful. Her eyes were of a wonderful 
 color, and mystery lay in their depths, 
 while their sparkle reminded one of 
 rare jewels! The whiteness of her 
 cheek resembled the petal of a creamy 
 blossom, and its velvety softness was 
 as fine. She stood poised like the 
 goddess of dawn, between the dark 
 ness and the light, yet sharing in 
 the beauty and the qualities of both. 
 But the troubled look on her face was 
 [17]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 far beyond her years. Her delicate 
 skin paled and flushed by turns under 
 the sway of her emotions. She stood 
 beside one of the marble pillars, a 
 graceful figure, and she shaded her 
 eyes as she looked out far across the 
 desert. The palace was on the margin 
 of a sweeping river, on the outskirts 
 of the city. About it were planted 
 lofty date-palms and shady citron and 
 lemon trees. Acacias, flaunting their 
 sweet yellow bunches, stood in bril 
 liant hedges. In the distance, Arab 
 gardeners were lazily sweeping small 
 leaves from the narrow paths, and the 
 high trees were swaying like bamboo 
 grass in the wind. As she stood in 
 the sunlight she was conscious of a 
 great loneliness. Hope seemed gone. 
 The radiant sky, the declining sun, 
 gave her almost a childish feeling of 
 [18]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 fear. Her thick black hair, unbound, 
 fell like a dusky veil about her strong, 
 young body, and she had an odd 
 sensation as though she stood upon 
 the rim of the world, watching it 
 for the last time. Countless birds 
 were singing in trees about her. Ring 
 doves were cooing in shady palms, 
 and the surroundings were clothed 
 with vegetation, in sharp contrast to 
 the yellow desert her eyes sought so 
 anxiously. 
 
 Water works a wonderful change on 
 the thirsty land, and the spirit of the 
 river is more potent than any genie 
 of the Arabian fables. 
 
 The Caliph of Egypt, her father, 
 worshipped this one daughter, and, 
 building this palace for her pleasure, 
 had made it a garden of delight. 
 Here she dwelt with her maids and
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 some few favored friends, daughters 
 of nobles and of men high at court. 
 Daily the Caliph, the Commander 
 of the Faithful, visited her, and on 
 rare occasions she went to visit him. 
 To-day, she had been summoned to 
 his palace, and well she knew for what. 
 A mighty emperor, before whose throne 
 knelt seventy-two kings as vassals 
 (of whom her father was one), who 
 ruled his country with a rod of iron, 
 and whose haughty will no man dis 
 puted, had sent an embassy to prepare 
 for his coming. She was his betrothed 
 bride. Alas! she took no pleasure 
 in the thought. Some years before, 
 conquering the broad lands possessed 
 by her father, he had struck terror 
 to the hearts of her countrymen. 
 Suddenly he withdrew, announcing 
 that there should be no more spilling 
 [20]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 of blood because he had decided to 
 take in marriage the hand of the Sul 
 tan s youngest daughter, the Princess 
 Sayrane; that when she reached a 
 suitable age he would come to claim 
 her and he would then give full freedom 
 to her country. Until that time her 
 father would serve as vassal-king. 
 Small wonder, then, the young Princess, 
 musing bitterly in her gardens that 
 the time had nearly come when the 
 unknown emperor would claim her, 
 was troubled and unhappy. This man, 
 whose name was so feared, whose 
 power was so potent that he crushed 
 countries at a word, and settled mighty 
 questions merely by the threat of 
 invasion what would he prove to 
 be? His face, she had been told, 
 was never seen: a thin mask was 
 always worn, showing only his brilliant 
 [21]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 eyes; and no follower could boast of 
 intimacy. How powerful he must be 
 to govern by mere force of will! 
 Wild stories she had heard of him. 
 Some pictured him as cruel; all as 
 warlike, and terrible; therefore she 
 feared him above all things on earth. 
 His many kingdoms and provinces 
 were nominally governed by kings; but 
 they were all his vassals, paying humble 
 allegiance to him. Even her father 
 (so often before unconquered in war) 
 was bound as though in fetters. The 
 Emperor alone was dominant and 
 responsible; his empire was respected 
 and feared by the whole world. The 
 young girl shivered with fear at the 
 thought of meeting him. The time 
 was short, for the embassy was due 
 to-day, and six short months later 
 would follow her dreaded bridegroom. 
 [22]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 She felt like some wild thing caged 
 within iron bars. 
 
 Nervously the Princess watched the 
 tawny-colored hills, and the huge 
 granite rocks that rose abruptly from 
 the hot and yellow sands. Across the 
 great pass the caravan had travelled 
 a month before. The heat there was 
 intense. How had the embassy sur 
 vived? The long journey, no matter 
 how carefully planned, was always 
 one of frightful desolation and in 
 tolerable trial; and Sayrane, gazing 
 with anxious curiosity, wondered what 
 manner of man the Emperor s mes 
 senger would be. How would he look? 
 Curiosity was dominant in her mind. 
 Would he resemble her future lord, 
 being his brother? Would she be able 
 to learn from him of the dreaded Em 
 peror, and to judge perhaps whether 
 [23]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 her future husband would be gentle 
 with her, or would she learn that she, 
 too, was to be mastered with the same 
 brutal force he used on all else? Her 
 cheeks glowed, and her eyes flamed 
 under the thought. But infinite as 
 was her loathing of the idea, she 
 never dreamed a moment of open 
 rebellion. His was the arbitrary 
 right to make or mar her life. He 
 was supreme. He was to be her 
 husband. 
 
 Of one thing she was devoutly thank 
 ful; though both her country and his 
 gave men the legal right to several 
 wives, her betrothed had as yet taken 
 none. He was a Christian ; but she had 
 heard so much evil of him she doubted 
 if he was sincere when he assured her 
 father that she should be his only wife. 
 This meant much to her because in 
 [24]
 
 PRINCESS SA Y RANE 
 
 that case she would be his Empress. 
 Later, if he chose, others might come 
 to fill his palace; but her proud position 
 at his court would always be unques 
 tioned. The Empress she should al 
 ways be despite all other favorites. 
 But the young girl s heart was heavy 
 within her this morning. An unknown 
 fear possessed her. She could not 
 shake it off. Hitherto her life had 
 been one long, sweet pleasure, undis 
 turbed by care; her lightest wish a com 
 mand; her gentlest word a law; but, in 
 her future home, to gain her hus 
 band s smile would be her only hope. 
 She already felt herself restricted. 
 She chafed beneath the yoke; yet, full 
 well she had been taught her part. 
 Submission, obedience, was the wom 
 an s life forever! She would obey, 
 of course; but how her cheeks flamed 
 [25]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 at the thought! She must profess 
 love to the man she was to marry, and 
 yet, she hated him with a feeling 
 akin to savagery. 
 
 Her mother, who died when Sayrane 
 was twelve years old, had left her the 
 creed and spirit of her life, and her love 
 of liberty. She had been a delicate, 
 white, fragile flower, who had been taken 
 in war. A mere slender slip of a girl, she 
 had a character the sweetness of which 
 was unmatched. From the moment she 
 entered the harem of the monarch 
 he loved her to distraction; wicked 
 he had been, but from that moment he 
 became a better man. The mother s 
 love of freedom was now warring in 
 the daughter s breast, making bitter 
 the thought of bondage. She longed 
 for love, honest and sincere, where one 
 wife ruled beloved by husband and chil- 
 [26]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 dren. This she knew was taught by 
 the Christian faith; but alas! she was 
 not sure her future husband professed 
 the faith in sincerity. She ground 
 her teeth as she mused. Though born 
 a princess, she was still a slave. 
 Her struggles (fight as she might) 
 would avail her naught. The belief of 
 her country --woman s subserviency 
 -was as an unyielding wall to beat 
 her tiny fists against. No sound could 
 she make that would reach the outer 
 world; it was deaf to her entreaties 
 and indifferent to her sorrows. Better 
 submit, cajole, play upon a man s 
 weaknesses to win her wish. Thought, 
 mind, companionship, bravery to meet 
 the ills of life, counted naught, she 
 knew. Poor child, in her loneliness 
 and sorrow, she was a pitiable creature, 
 for all her sumptuous surroundings. 
 [27] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 All humanity has its foible, and the 
 strongest fortress its weak point. The 
 Sultan s was his tenderness for his 
 daughter Sayrane. In early youth he 
 had been indomitable in war, and his 
 cruelty had been unparalleled. Ter 
 rible tales were told of him. Once 
 among the hundreds of women in the 
 palace a young Circassian slave of 
 sixteen years, and of remarkable beauty, 
 had caught his attention. She became 
 his favorite, and he seemed to place the 
 greatest confidence in her, so that she 
 could enter his room unannounced and 
 at her pleasure. One evening, she came 
 in as usual, and finding him asleep, 
 she examined various pretty objects 
 scattered here and there, her atten 
 tion being particularly attracted by a 
 jewelled dagger lying on the table. 
 Her master suddenly opened his eyes, 
 [28]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 apparent 
 you doing?" 
 Nothing, Your Majesty 
 
 "And what do you call that object?" 
 
 "A dagger," answered the favorite. 
 
 "And what is it used for?" 
 
 "To kill, Sire," replied the Cir 
 cassian in a low and trembling voice. 
 
 "To kill," said the despot, "to 
 kill. Let me see it; bring it here." 
 
 And as the frightened girl handed 
 it to him, he buried it to the hilt in 
 her young heart. 
 
 He had never yielded except to 
 
 force. His followers had hated, even 
 
 as they feared him. But a single 
 
 spot in him was vulnerable, and the 
 
 [29]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 girl-mother of Sayrane had found it. 
 She was very young when he took her 
 captive and added her to his harem. 
 But her gentle nature, which could 
 tolerate neither deceit nor cruelty, 
 had gradually enveloped him, and 
 though he had never been able to 
 reach her splendid heights of morality, 
 he had been bettered. Seized with 
 a passionate love for her that made 
 him take her as a wife, he was deeply 
 impressed with her character. His 
 nature softened and though occasionally 
 some fierce outburst flared from him 
 he had learned to curb the fierce passion 
 of his youth. Sayrane s mother, with 
 her serene and mild disposition, had 
 ruled him completely, and if she did 
 not love him and had vain regrets for 
 her own land, he never knew it. Her 
 death left him inconsolable; for a 
 [30]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 while he refused all comfort, then 
 gradually he sought consolation in 
 his love for the tiny daughter she 
 had left him. How changed was the 
 saddened man with his tender devo 
 tion to the little Sayrane from the 
 once cruel monarch who maimed and 
 slew from his first impulse of anger. 
 
 Sayrane knew naught of her father s 
 past. She knew his kindness alone; 
 with him her slightest wish was law, 
 and until the coming of the Abyssinian 
 monarch not a cloud had ever sullied 
 her happiness. 
 
 Her father had summoned her to his 
 audience-hall this evening, and she 
 would obey; she had already learned 
 from her maids of the arrival of the 
 embassy and knew her father would 
 present to her the Emperor s young 
 brother, a Christian priest, who had 
 [31]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 come with messages from her future 
 husband. Later the Emperor would 
 follow to claim his bride. 
 
 She knew the Emperor had asked 
 for his beloved brother, whom he said 
 he loved as the apple of his eye, all 
 the privileges and favors he would 
 himself enjoy, a life of intimate friend 
 ship with the young princess, as he 
 was to be a member of her household. 
 
 Sayrane was devoutly thankful for 
 these short six months respite. With 
 a woman s insistency she hoped the 
 brother would reflect in some degree 
 the character of the Emperor. She 
 had heard much of this man Togral. 
 He had been a famous warrior and 
 bold as an eagle; but some few years 
 before, he had foresworn it all for 
 God. As a Nestorian priest, he was 
 privileged to marry, but no woman 
 [32]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 had claimed him. She had been told 
 it was only after reaching manhood 
 he had become a Christian, and fol 
 lowed in the footsteps of Christ, who 
 died on Calvary to redeem the world. 
 His conversions had been many in 
 his brother s kingdom, and now he 
 would come to her land with freedom 
 to present the doctrines of Christian 
 ity. What type of man would he 
 be? Fanatical and narrow in precept, 
 or broad and splendid as the faith he 
 claimed? 
 
 With dreamy eyes Sayrane pondered 
 well these questions. She felt like 
 the man left for dead in a great battle, 
 who, recovering later and trembling 
 with the horror of it all, fought his 
 way from the hideous field alone. 
 
 Her future seemed hopeless. To 
 her father, a devout Mussulman, she 
 [33]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 could not unburden her heart. He 
 would not have understood. Accord 
 ing to his creed, women were of a 
 different race from men; theirs to 
 obey blindly, no questions asked. And 
 though one lone girl should rebel 
 and fight helplessly against the creed, 
 that would be no reason why men 
 should stop to change it. And so, 
 despairing, standing there in the dead 
 silence, watching the lilac mist gather 
 across the desert in the setting sun, 
 she could hear the beat of her own 
 heart. All the pulses in her body 
 seemed at war, and throbbed madly. 
 The whole universe seemed empty. 
 She longed for human companionship. 
 There was something stupefying ter 
 rible in the thought of her loneliness. 
 There was rising within her with in 
 creasing force a voice, telling her over 
 [34]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 and over again that somewhere in 
 the world she could have influence, 
 could dominate, perhaps, for the good. 
 Through her whole being quivered a 
 storm of passion at her helplessness; 
 for within her soul she had a dim 
 consciousness that even though born a 
 woman, had she had opportunities she 
 might have developed until at last she 
 could have stood the equal and mate 
 of any man! But here in Egypt a 
 woman s life was set forever within 
 the bounds of an ignorant world. Her 
 father s indulgence, together with the 
 splendid education he had allowed her, 
 only made it harder to bear; made 
 her future the blacker, the more ter 
 rible. Why could not one of the 
 Sultan s other daughters have been 
 chosen? He had many daughters as 
 he had many wives. These half-sisters 
 [35]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 of hers were typical women of her coun 
 try. They lacked her education, her 
 independence; they would not have 
 rebelled at the inevitable soulless life 
 of the harem; they would not have re 
 garded a loveless marriage as bondage. 
 But she whose eyes were opened, whose 
 mind was broadened by contact with 
 superior women brought to educate her, 
 was sick with horror at the thought. 
 Restraint now would be a thousand 
 fold more terrible after the freedom 
 she had enjoyed. In all this splendid 
 city there was none to whom she might 
 turn for sympathy and for advice. 
 Small wonder, then, the Princess stood 
 alone despairing. 
 
 In the distance an old slave- woman 
 stepped from among the palm trees. 
 Timidly she advanced until she stood 
 beside Sayrane. She was small of 
 [36]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 stature, and her hair was gray, while 
 deep wrinkles marked her cheek; but 
 her eyes were piercing bright as she 
 bent them on the girl. Sayrane s face 
 was still turned to the desert with 
 its waning amethystine light, and 
 though she had given no sign Sayrane 
 was conscious of her approach. She 
 stretched out her hand and drew the 
 slave close to her. In strange contrast 
 stood the two. The youthful vigor 
 and beauty of the younger woman 
 sharply accentuated the delicate and 
 physical ugliness of the elder. 
 
 Suddenly the Princess turned and 
 clung to the slave in piteous weeping, 
 crying, "Alas! alas! Galla, you are 
 the only one on earth that under 
 stands me and that truly loves me!" 
 And the slave-woman stood clasping 
 her charge to her breast, whispering 
 [37] 
 
 UM l^ 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 soft words of comfort, bidding her 
 remember some secret promise she 
 had given to be brave. At last, the 
 storm was spent, and, smiling through 
 her tears, Sayrane lifted her face; 
 the color came back to her cheeks, 
 her bosom heaved, and she shook 
 back the tresses of her glorious black 
 hair. Kissing the withered cheek of 
 the old woman, she said: "There, do 
 not fear, my Galla. I shall remember, 
 and keep faith with you, because of 
 the wonderful strength born of my 
 promise."
 
 
 A 
 
 LAS! Galla, you are ibe only 
 one on earth that understands 
 me and ihat truly lores me!"
 
 CIAP1 I R FOUR 
 
 IN Egypt there had always existed 
 the closest connection between its re 
 ligious and its political institutions. 
 In the olden days its political organi 
 zation had been regarded as a reflex 
 of its celestial hierarchy; and its priests, 
 as advisors of the sovereign, had always 
 played an important part. Possessing 
 this vast power for so many centuries, 
 the priesthood was loath to lose it; 
 indeed the idea became so strongly 
 engrafted into the very essence of the 
 government that the priesthood had 
 acquired wide temporal powers. When 
 the Mussulmans overran Egypt their 
 chiefs immediately recognized the tre 
 mendous power of this sacerdotal influ- 
 [39]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 ence. When a Mussulman sultan, a 
 follower of the Prophet, took his place 
 upon the throne of Egypt, the Ulema 
 placed its representatives in the coun 
 cil, and during each succeeding reign 
 the rulers of Islam maintained their 
 dominating influence in Egypt s tempo 
 ral affairs. Yusuf in his turn had suc 
 ceeded to the honors and powers of the 
 Grand Mufti; his influence was great 
 and his counsels were never ignored. 
 There were times, of course, when the 
 Sultan chafed under the restraint, 
 when he wished evil might befall the 
 wily priest, who, suave and gentle as he 
 might appear, held affairs with a grip 
 of iron. Had Yusuf chosen to head 
 an insurrection against the Caliph, he 
 might have shown greater strength than 
 the reigning monarch; and the latter 
 feared him, while at heart he hated 
 [40]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 him. The Egyptians of all classes 
 were so dominated by Yusuf s imperi 
 ous nature, as well as by his superior 
 intellect, that the wise Caliph conceded 
 him an open friendship, deeming it 
 wisdom to hold for his throne the 
 support of one so powerful. 
 
 Therefore, when desiring a com 
 panion for Sayrane he had looked 
 about among girls of a suitable age, 
 he chose Amina, the niece of the 
 Grand Mufti. She was a girl of Say- 
 rane s own age; and living as she did 
 with her uncle, the Sultan felt that 
 any kindness to her would naturally 
 strengthen a friendship between the 
 two men. 
 
 Yusuf was the real head of the 
 Mohammedan Church, for though the 
 Caliph was called the Commander 
 of the Faithful, Yusuf was the power 
 [41] 

 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 behind the throne. With his brilliant 
 intellect he swayed the ignorant masses 
 at will, imposing upon them with his 
 reputed saintliness. Sayrane loathed 
 him because of what she knew to be 
 his hypocrisy. She knew the inner 
 workings of his evil mind. She knew 
 how narrow was his creed, and that 
 his only God was himself. Great 
 egotist that he was, he had even dared 
 to cast his insolent eyes upon her. 
 She winced as she remembered, and 
 she felt that with all her hatred of the 
 unknown Emperor, her repulsion for 
 the Moslem priest was greater. She 
 grew cold as she recalled his last 
 glances, when, with his hot breath 
 against her ear, he whispered that 
 even the all-powerful Emperor would 
 not dare to claim her if she would but 
 consent to wed him, that his Christian 
 [42]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 faith forbade the seizing of another s 
 wife I Though she knew that Yusuf , the 
 powerful head priest of Mohammed s 
 church, spoke the truth, she trembled 
 at the thought of such defence, for 
 she loathed him more than aught else 
 on earth. His secret sins she knew 
 too well; how many a young slave 
 girl in his palace had died suddenly 
 because his unholy love for her had 
 waned. He was a murderer, but who 
 dared accuse him ? He was too power 
 ful, and his innocent victims were 
 too simple and without influence to 
 check him. Only among a few of 
 the faithful was this phase of his 
 character known, and with them he 
 was too much feared to be unmasked. 
 To the people he was a vicegerent 
 of God; and being inspired, his word 
 was law. 
 
 [43]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 He had never married, but he said if 
 she would wed him, she should be 
 his only wife. Physically a splendid 
 type of man, Yusuf held by personal 
 magnetism those of his followers who, 
 knowing of his crimes, would otherwise 
 have denounced him. His brilliant 
 eyes resting upon an insubordinate 
 spirit quelled and calmed it. A hyp 
 notic influence emanated from his 
 whole person, so that people obeyed 
 blindly, who at the outset were full 
 bent on opposition and exposure. 
 Sayrane realized this subtle something 
 he possessed, and feared it to the 
 full; but she was young, strong, and 
 aggressive. In determination she met 
 him with full strength, and all his 
 fascinations and blandishments failed 
 to influence her. Perhaps for this 
 very reason the head of the Ulema 
 [44]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 desired her the more, and he had so 
 determined upon winning her to his 
 will that his purpose had become an 
 obsession. She whetted his appetite. 
 Satiated and surfeited as he was, Say- 
 rane stirred him to the innermost 
 depths of his selfish nature, and in 
 his obstinate determination to keep 
 her in her own country and make her 
 his he had been laying plans quietly to 
 match arms with the Emperor when he 
 came. Sayrane guessed this vaguely. 
 Indeed he had already told her a sub 
 stitute could be found easily in one of 
 her sisters. 
 
 In a famous city on the banks of 
 the great river far from the capital, 
 Yusuf received the Abyssinian em 
 bassy. The manner of this first re 
 ception sorely embarrassed the Caliph. 
 His was a Mohammedan Government, 
 [45] 
 

 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 the great mass of his people were 
 fanatical in their belief. Yet there 
 were a great number of Christians 
 in Egypt, both Copts and Nestorians, 
 and in his capital the former had many 
 beautiful places of worship where 
 secretly and under great difficulties 
 they met to practise their religion; 
 for the Government frowned upon 
 them and their belief. From time 
 to time they were subjected to inter 
 ference and persecution. Since their 
 subjugation by Prester John, open in 
 terference had been abandoned, but 
 petty annoyances were resorted to, 
 and every effort was made to break 
 down the Christian religion and to 
 convert its followers to the belief of 
 Islam. When word came that the 
 great Emperor had sent his brother as 
 his ambassador and that this brother
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 was a Christian, the Caliph recognized 
 the necessity of removing all obstacles 
 from the practice of Christianity, and 
 permitted the opening of Christian 
 churches. Yet he feared the possible 
 effect of such liberality upon his fanat 
 ical people. Therefore, when Yusuf 
 urged -that he, the Head of the Church, 
 be permitted to receive and welcome 
 the Abyssinian embassy and to enter 
 tain the Ambassador Togral at his 
 own palace, the Caliph granted per 
 mission with joy and relief. It was 
 not unusual to honor a distinguished 
 guest thus, and the Sultan in his 
 heart was pleased at the delay it gave 
 him. He loved nothing belonging to 
 his future son-in-law, and only force, 
 complete and absolute, held him to his 
 promise of giving his beloved Sayrane 
 to the Conqueror. 
 
 [47] 

 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 Yusuf the Grand Mufti was the 
 head of the Ulema, that body of 
 learned men that furnished ministers 
 and professors to the Mosques, and 
 judges to the government, and all the 
 cadis eagerly sought his advice. Ke 
 had erected a dancing hall in his 
 palace gardens, where during banquets 
 he often introduced dancers with 
 wonderful steps to enchant his guests. 
 Here it was he brought Togral to 
 witness the festivities, and here he 
 put forth all the blandishments he 
 could command to win his favor. 
 Great feasts and weird dances had 
 been prepared for his entertainment. 
 The festivities began at dawn, and no 
 words can describe the sublime beauty 
 of their setting. Togral entered great 
 gardens laid out with lavish expendi 
 ture about splendid buildings. Walks 
 [48]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 leading through deep shadows and 
 fragrance opened out suddenly into 
 brilliance of sunshine and verdure. 
 Fountains and lakes gleamed in vivid 
 silver spots about the grounds, while 
 majestic temples of Doric simplicity 
 and lotus-leaved columns, relics of 
 the forgotten past, arose in spotless 
 white to enchant the eye. Lofty bean 
 trees, with flowers like shining gold, 
 grew plentifully. The gardens were 
 bewildering in their attractiveness. 
 Hedges of acacias and sweet jasmine 
 made the air fragrant; and here, 
 wreathed with flowers, beautiful chil 
 dren, charming youths and maidens, 
 played wonderful games, or danced 
 in slow and perfect rhythm to soft 
 music. 
 
 But for the evening were reserved 
 the richest and greatest luxuries. 
 
 ]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANK 
 
 Whether Togral saw the gardens illu 
 minated only by pale moonlight, or 
 glaring in the brilliance of rich torch 
 flame, there was always some new 
 enchantment to greet him. Sweet 
 music mingled with the murmur of 
 water, and strange seductive melodies 
 soothed his senses. The festival was 
 continuous: either the games or the 
 banquets or the seductive gliding steps 
 of the young dancing girls enchanted 
 him. Always a glamour, a fascina 
 tion as of another world, was about 
 him. To Togral it was like a play, 
 wonderfully interesting to study; spec 
 tacular and wholly absorbing to watch. 
 But it was late one evening that 
 he was convinced they had reached 
 the height of their splendid productions. 
 The sounds of the song and dance 
 were all about him. At times wild 
 [50]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 passionate music burst forth, closing 
 with a strain of triumphant gayety 
 that held the spirit buoyant and joy 
 ous, to be followed by a deep melan 
 choly note, a pathetic cry that seemed 
 like some pale messenger of evil to 
 warn him of disaster. With all these 
 varied impressions for good or evil, 
 and the consciousness of the fading 
 lights and flowers of the banquet, 
 Togral held himself in calm content, 
 in the beautiful simplicity of his own 
 faith. The gorgeous splendor of the 
 priests in white robes and turbans, 
 their magnificent mosques, and their 
 weird dances, made the contrast only 
 the more wonderful to his mind. But 
 in this land of mystery, fantasy, and 
 romance he felt he would need all 
 the strength he possessed, not only 
 to withstand the fascination, but to 
 [51]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 show the revellers the calm repose and 
 beauty of Christianity, for the attrac 
 tions to the flesh in this city of lan 
 guorous voluptuousness were not to be 
 denied and were well attested in the 
 sights they were showing him. On the 
 third night he was seated in a vast hall, 
 with columns of splendid proportions. 
 Vast pillars, wonderfully carved with 
 lotus leaves and great heads, towered 
 above him. Yusuf the Moslem priest 
 stood magnificently arrayed. Priests 
 in white garments surrounded him. 
 Gleaming gold vessels glittered on the 
 sumptuous table. Brilliant lamps hung 
 shining like flame. Luxury seemed at 
 its height, when suddenly, at a signal 
 from the Grand Mufti, the lights 
 were lowered to a dim glimmer. The 
 dance, it was whispered, which was 
 not religious, would be a representa- 
 [52]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 tion of the old ceremonials of early 
 Egypt one rarely given, and the 
 dancers were all of high degree, a 
 thing unusual. With a stately dig 
 nity of step the dancers slowly entered. 
 The dresses of all were filmy white 
 except that a long gold-threaded scarf, 
 caught on the left shoulder, and drap 
 ing across the waist, floated loosely 
 to the hem of the gown. A great 
 gold-colored stone, perfectly transpar 
 ent, resembling a topaz, held the 
 gauzy scarf at the waist-line, and 
 flashed like a small sun as the dancers 
 moved. Their splendid dark eyes 
 were all bared, but the nose and mouth 
 were covered with a thin white veil. 
 Togral had been told to conceal his 
 own face, as the dancers were for 
 bidden to look upon the face of a 
 stranger. He stood beside one of the 
 [53]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 pillars entranced with the beauty of 
 the scene. Long, waving, white ostrich 
 plumes were moving, held by graceful 
 hands. Rounded uncovered arms were 
 strapped with strange bracelets and 
 armlets that jingled as they moved. 
 Graceful bodies glided and swayed in 
 the dance as he watched. Each atti 
 tude and pose seemed worthy of a 
 painting. The maidens were surely 
 chosen for their personal beauty as 
 well as for their high station. Their 
 faces he could not see because of the 
 veil, but there was one who had en 
 tered with them and whom he had sup 
 posed would lead them, who riveted 
 his look. She wore a long loose silver 
 cloak so fine in texture that it showed 
 a pale blue gown beneath, quite unlike 
 the others. There was a strange fasci 
 nation in her half concealed features. 
 [54]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 She made no movement to dance, 
 but glided in so gracefully she held 
 him enthralled. Amid them all she 
 was far the most attractive. He won 
 dered why she did not dance but leaned 
 against one of the pillars, quite near 
 him, and watched as he did. 
 
 He had the greatest desire to tear 
 aside her mask, to cry out against 
 her presence here, to claim a creature 
 as beautiful as he was sure she would 
 prove to be, but dared not for the 
 Christians. 
 
 This dance for the pleasure of the 
 followers of the Prophet, seemed to 
 him in her case more shameful than 
 for all the others. Why, he knew not, 
 but the feeling was there. To him 
 self he muttered: "Oh, the mystery 
 of the flesh, the call of the flesh! 
 What is it ? Why is it that of a group 
 [55]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 of the most beautiful and attractive 
 of creatures you say suddenly to your 
 self, This one is charming; that one 
 is bewitching; she is adorable; she 
 makes no appeal to me ? Others may 
 wonder at the choice but the flesh 
 has spoken. She appeals to you, or 
 she does not. It is a miracle, and yet 
 it happens every day. It is only 
 the call of the flesh. The mysterious 
 attraction of one flesh for the other." 
 Once as he watched the maiden 
 wholly absorbed, she raised her eyes 
 and gazed fully into his. He felt then, 
 though he did not see her face, the 
 mysterious call. His whole being 
 responded, and he knew that he would 
 recognize her by her eyes, by those 
 glories revealed wherever they might 
 again chance to meet. What was it 
 in her look that drew him? A ques- 
 [56]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 tion? An appeal? It was so fleeting 
 he could not analyze it, but she had 
 looked fully on his covered face as 
 though she might speak, and his whole 
 being had suddenly answered the 
 mysterious call. A new sense seized 
 him, for as he watched he was trans 
 ported, and felt as if he must throw 
 himself in adoration before her pure 
 spirit and ask her who she was; but 
 even as he watched, with a loud 
 crash of cymbals she was gone. His 
 heart beat rapidly as he hastily in 
 quired of the priest near him her 
 name, but he was silenced by the 
 grave answer given that in the dance 
 he had beheld, the maidens were all 
 nameless. 
 
 After she had disappeared Togral sat 
 silent and abstracted. In vain he 
 tried to throw aside the feeling of 
 57
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 depression, and though the lights 
 sparkled once more and the wine 
 flowed freely, the fair mysterious young 
 maiden who had not danced held his 
 thoughts. To do him justice, though 
 she was uppermost in his mind, his 
 sympathies were aroused for her com 
 panions also. Still his mind busied 
 itself mostly with her. To feel that 
 a creature, young and beautiful, 
 fashioned so by the Great Creator, 
 should be doomed with all her charm 
 to the Mohammedan faith, filled him 
 with horror and dismay. He knew 
 that Christian souls were equal, should 
 be equal; but somehow the soul of 
 the hardened man, the philosopher 
 of pleasure, seemed far less worthy 
 of salvation, less worthy to strive for, 
 than this girl s and those of her com 
 panions. 
 
 [58]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 Thus many days passed in constant 
 pleasures. Rites and dances were 
 shown him daily by the priests, but 
 never again did he catch sight of 
 those high-born dancers or of her 
 who had watched them. Yet after 
 wards he was conscious of melancholy, 
 a gloomy feeling born of that night 
 when she of the wonderful eyes had so 
 strongly attracted his attention.
 
 CHAP! ER FIVE 
 
 YUSUF, with all his power, splendor, 
 and riches, was not to be entirely 
 envied. He carried one secret fear 
 in his heart that gnawed his vitals, 
 marring all his pleasure: he dreaded 
 death by assassination, by poison 
 or sudden attack. Always beneath 
 the fine silken robe he wore he 
 could feel the sharp steel dagger 
 he carried for protection. No one 
 save himself knew this, however. 
 His suave manner, his smiling face, 
 gave no evidence of his secret fears, 
 and before the world he was a picture 
 of dominant will and superb courage. 
 At night, alone in his splendid palace, 
 he was watchful that its locked doors 
 [60]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 were strong, and its windows barred, 
 because before him he saw always 
 the terrible face of a man suffused 
 with hatred, the only human being 
 who had had the courage to denounce 
 him to his face, and in doing so to 
 swear his death. That man s linea 
 ments were before him always. In 
 the midst of banquets, festivals, and 
 even the ceremonies of the Mosque, 
 he would gaze furtively about, expect 
 ing to see it staring at him. The 
 face was not a pleasant one. It was 
 perfectly colorless, with a dead ashen 
 whiteness; its low narrow forehead was 
 furrowed as if by the care of centuries. 
 The teeth were slightly projecting, 
 and there were little hard lines at 
 the corners of the thin lips, which 
 gave the instinctive feeling that this 
 man would be cruel with the ferocity 
 [61
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 of the feline species, that increases 
 in intensity as it is indulged. 
 
 His hair hung in long locks over his 
 neck from under a black cap; it was 
 perfectly bleached, as were his eye 
 brows, beard, and moustache. His 
 nose was sharp and aquiline, with the 
 skin drawn tightly over it, while at 
 either side the small, red, deep-set 
 eyes sparkled like live coals, giving 
 a peculiar air of fire to the worn 
 and battered mask in which they 
 were set. 
 
 The countenance belonged to a man 
 of medium height, but squarely and 
 powerfully built. His appearance of 
 fered not the slightest clue to his age, 
 which might have been thirty or one 
 hundred. He was a Greek necro 
 mancer, and his longing to seize Yusuf 
 was like the ferocity of a tiger. 
 [62]
 
 PR] NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 Yusuf was an athlete, and, like 
 nearly all athletic men, inclined to 
 be pitiless toward any man who was 
 not so strong, so agile as himself. 
 But though he overtopped the Greek 
 in height this man killed contempt 
 by his desperate determination. He 
 knew by the look he had seen in the 
 necromancer s eyes that if they met 
 again it would mean death for him, 
 and he shivered at the recollection. 
 The dogged passionate expression of 
 ferocity in the smaller man s face 
 far outweighed the difference in size 
 between the two, and the iron sound 
 in his voice cut into the soul of the 
 guilty man, so that he panted and 
 labored in his breathing when he 
 recalled the scene. 
 
 Nerea, the Greek s daughter, the 
 fairest and most exquisite of creatures, 
 631
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 had been loved and betrayed by the 
 Grand Mufti, and in despair had 
 killed herself. The Greek, absorbed 
 and unsuspicious, had not known of 
 the girl s serious infatuation and un- 
 happiness until too late. But in the 
 garden of that humble home that 
 pretty home wherein her fair dead 
 body lay the father and the cowardly 
 lover met, and it was then in a scene 
 of mingled grief and fury that Yusuf 
 was cursed into silence. 
 
 Before the Moslem priest could 
 gather sufficient courage to have the 
 man seized, the Greek had finished 
 his terrible execration and had disap 
 peared, and though Yusuf had searched 
 Egypt, he never found a clue to aid 
 him in discovery. 
 
 The Greek had absolutely vanished, 
 leaving no trace. This had happened 
 [64]
 
 I 
 
 T was in a scene of mingled 
 grief and jury that Yusuj 
 was cursed inio silence
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 many years previously, but the scene 
 was too horrible to forget; Yusuf 
 shuddered yet at the vividness, and 
 covered his eyes still at the bare 
 recollection. And the beautiful Nerea, 
 as she lay like chiselled marble in 
 her thin white shroud, was more 
 potent to him dead than she had 
 been in life. 
 
 She was such a young thing to lie 
 so quiet. She was as fresh and inno 
 cent as a flower when Yusuf sought 
 her out. Her youth had brought 
 the only joy, the only claim to 
 happiness, the Greek knew. Therefore 
 when he knew the truth, his grief 
 and rage were unbounded, maniacal. 
 Small wonder Yusuf trembled at the 
 recollection. 
 
 The marvel of it all was that such 
 a fragile, beautiful creature as Nerea 
 [65]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 had called the ugly Greek, father; 
 but she was typical of the pure white 
 lily that rises from the black slime, 
 for she had budded and bloomed in 
 her rough impoverished surroundings 
 to a type of perfect beauty. 
 
 As a child she had lived in perfect 
 freedom, born partly of her father s 
 poverty, and partly of his great con 
 fidence in her innocence. Without 
 companionship, she had never been 
 lonely. Their small home lay a little 
 back from the river - - that great 
 river that was a source of endless joy 
 to the maiden, thronged as it was with 
 native boats of all sizes and colors, 
 crowded with men, women, and chil 
 dren, camels, dogs, donkeys, and mer 
 chandise. It was always a busy 
 thoroughfare. Tiring of the sight, 
 she would climb the savage hills, 
 [66]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 wander to the shore and 
 dainty toes in the waters of the Nile, 
 always protected her 
 until one day the Grand Mufti s evil 
 eyes traced her out. How had she 
 sinned? Alasl why write it? Once 
 having learned the bitterness of illicit 
 love, there came a look of exile in 
 her face, a lassitude suggesting hope 
 less misery. She danced no longer, 
 but sat for hours watching the gleam 
 ing silver stream slip by her feet, or 
 raising her sad eyes, she caught the 
 purple shadows on the mountains until 
 the chill night breeze forced her home 
 wards. 
 
 Innocence once gone the beauty of 
 her flower-face changed, and the gleam 
 of fierce flame flared often in her eyes. 
 [671
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 passion 
 of love that purifies 
 founded on respect 
 fore for Nerea 
 
 heights. This poor child uncon 
 sciously realized the wrong that had 
 been done to her, and passion, beat 
 ing cymbals of monstrous fire, told her 
 she was no longer pure. In a fever 
 ish frenzy of misery she saw but one 
 escape, and like a cry in the night - 
 Despair the death wail sounded 
 in her heart. 
 
 Intolerable was the anguish of the 
 Greek when he learned the truth, 
 and revenge like a flame flared in 
 his breast, and as the father brooded 
 intensely over the injury, his thoughts 
 [68] 

 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 burned. Terrible in its intensity was 
 his desire for revenge. It filled his life, 
 it engulfed him, and with every beat 
 of his passionate pulse he swore the 
 death of the betrayer.
 
 CHAPTER SIX 
 
 THE night had come. Across the 
 heavens was drawn the glorious broi- 
 dered tapestry of stars. The constel 
 lations, shining in a violet-colored sky, 
 were brilliant and splendid. Majes 
 tically, slowly, they moved, swinging 
 around the celestial circle as though led 
 by angels voices. The distant moun 
 tains were bare crags of silver in the 
 moonlight. Their weird solitude and 
 their grim desolation were not appar 
 ent beneath the soft, silver glow of 
 the great night-lamp in the heavens. 
 They reflected only a wonderful and 
 strange beauty. The air glittered clear 
 as crystal ; and mystery, luminous yet 
 impenetrable as a desert mirage, hov 
 ered over all. 
 
 [70]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 The ambassador and his brilliant 
 suite, crossing the broad court, entered 
 the hall of ceremony, which was glow 
 ing with light. It was a spacious 
 room, containing a rich dais with 
 curtains of great splendor. Mag 
 nificent carpets and furnishings were 
 there. Three thrones awaited their 
 occupants: one for the Caliph, one for 
 the Princess, and between the two 
 one for the brother of the Emperor. 
 The Caliph had advanced to the centre 
 of the room to meet the distinguished 
 guest, and taking the Prince by the 
 hand, bade him welcome in suitable 
 words. The old Caliph possessed a 
 dignity born of generations of power; 
 his high crown of gold and silver, 
 his robe of rich brocade, and his silk 
 shirt with wide, flowing sleeves, gave 
 him a picturesqueness besides, which 
 [71]
 
 ^^^ 
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 the young Prince was not slow to 
 mark. Seeing the dignity of his bear 
 ing, he unconsciously bowed his head 
 more deeply than he intended in the 
 greeting, for he had not before been 
 impressed with the greatness of this 
 vassal-king. The Sultan saw before 
 him a young man of splendid stature. 
 Neither very dark nor entirely fair, 
 his countenance was impressive with 
 large intelligent eyes, which shone 
 with deep sincerity; and his brow 
 was high, his jaw was firm and square. 
 In presence and in bearing, he showed 
 himself of noble birth. Speedily the 
 exchange of courtesies was made be 
 tween the two men; then, turning, 
 the elder led the way to the Princess 
 and the throne beside her. Then for 
 the first time Prince Togral, glancing 
 upward, was conscious of the daughter 
 [72]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 of the Sultan. For a little space he 
 stood in silence, looking upon her face. 
 Priest though he was, she thrilled him, 
 for she rivalled in beauty any woman 
 he had ever seen. Tall and slender 
 she stood, poised like a beautiful lily, 
 before the throne. 
 
 A white gown, threaded with silver 
 and gold, in Oriental designs, clung to 
 her figure, displaying the sweeping 
 curve of her hips and the perfect 
 symmetry of her lovely form. From 
 the round, full bosom rose the white 
 column of her throat. The firm flesh 
 of her splendid arms glistened like 
 snow through the gauzy tissue, while 
 her dark hair, encircled with a jewelled 
 band, and braided in gold thread, 
 hung in two large plaits to her knees; 
 and the loose braids, falling across 
 her white gauzy dress, showed in
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 marked contrast to its snowy shimmer. 
 A long train of golden tissue hung 
 from her shoulders and glittered like 
 dew with the sun upon it. Blood- 
 red rubies clasped her white throat, 
 and a delicate love-knot, in frosted 
 silver, inlaid with precious jewels, en 
 circled her slender waist. Her jew 
 elled slippers peeped out from under 
 her robe. 
 
 The dignity of her bearing impressed 
 him more than aught else, for she was 
 young to carry herself thus. All this 
 he saw in a glance; but it was her 
 eyes that held him spellbound. He 
 would have known them anywhere. 
 She was the maiden who had entered 
 with the dancers, but who took no 
 part in their performance. Now that 
 he saw her fully, she was lovelier than 
 he had imagined. The paintings sent 
 [74]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 the Emperor had missed her wonder 
 ful beauty, he thought; surely they 
 had not done her justice. They had 
 charmed the eye, it is true, but they 
 had given no assurance of the wonder 
 ful fascination of the living Princess. 
 And as he watched, the changing 
 color mounted her cheek, first white, 
 then red. Wonderful and incompre- 
 hensive is the mystery of a woman s 
 beauty! Her eyes, dark as midnight 
 and luminous, set in the twin arches 
 of her brow, glowed like stars. Her 
 lips seemed the heart of a juicy pome 
 granate, and shone against the ivory 
 white of her skin. She stood before 
 his enchanted eyes a perfect bit of 
 womankind. 
 
 And what thought the Princess Say- 
 rane as she saw the king s messenger? 
 With all her lustrous beauty and her 
 [75]
 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 dignity of bearing, she was but a 
 young and inexperienced girl. She 
 saw before her a man of great stature 
 and wonderful physical beauty. His 
 garb was that of a priest, and upon 
 his shoulder was embroidered a crim 
 son cross; but his bearing was that 
 of an emperor. She said to herself, 
 "Surely this is the ancient soul of 
 man," and prayed in her heart the 
 Emperor would resemble him. Then 
 her feelings changed and she became 
 possessed of a tumult of strange 
 emotions. Something stirred in the 
 lethargy of her sleeping soul and lit 
 it with a dancing trembling light. 
 She said within herself: "Though he 
 pleases me, yet he too is hateful to 
 my sight. He has come in splendid 
 strength, to view the slave his brother s 
 power has bought. Oh, for a man s 
 [76]
 
 PRINCESS SA YR AN E 
 
 serpent and innocent as 
 dove." For an instant she too stood 
 as still as death. Her dark eyes rest 
 ing on him questioningly, entered into 
 his soul, which, till this moment, had 
 been a waste and empty of any woman s 
 smile. Now he was flooded with the 
 rapture of the sunlight. At last the 
 Princess started as from a dream, and, 
 in a low, soft voice, said, extending 
 her hand, "Surely, my brother, you 
 are welcome at our court." 
 
 Togral at these words advanced, 
 and kneeling, kissed her hand, saying 
 in salutation, "Fair Princess, I thank 
 you from my heart for your kindness 
 [77] 
 
 M
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 and your welcome. I come to you 
 from the mighty emperor of a great 
 country, where one travels for days 
 and yet fails to reach its border; 
 where the ranges of rock-bound moun 
 tains hold great treasures of such 
 magnificence that the world could 
 not exhaust them, and yield those 
 treasures only at the bidding of one 
 man; where a powerful emperor lives 
 surrounded by kings for subjects, and 
 by men who, while obeying his strict 
 laws, yet are inspired to brave deeds 
 by the courage of their leader, men 
 who follow him faithfully, whether 
 for war or peace, because, in conquer 
 ing his foes or in governing peaceful 
 countries, he possesses a personality 
 that binds all to him. He has won 
 his spurs in war, and is called the lion- 
 hearted; but to-day he humbly sues 
 [78]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 while he awaits 
 coming of his 
 
 1 
 
 country. 
 
 The Princess listened in silence to 
 these words. She showed no emotion 
 whatever, but her face was deathly 
 pale; and when Togral had finished, 
 she only bowed her head in response. 
 Then she sat upon her throne, motion 
 ing him to take the seat beside her. 
 Thus, in silence, they waited while 
 the slaves bearing the presents ad 
 vanced. 
 
 First walked ten young slave-girls 
 of remarkable beauty. Their eyes 
 were brilliant and black ; their teeth 
 gleamed like shining pearls, and their 
 straight lithe bodies moved with a 
 [79]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 splendid bearing. In their midst, 
 carried on a cushion between silken 
 banners, was a large golden ball, and 
 in the centre of this lay a tiny jewelled 
 box containing the gemmed ring of 
 King Solomon s son. The slave-girls 
 knelt before the Princess with their 
 priceless offering; then the ambassador, 
 stooping, raised it from its glittering 
 bed, and kneeling, placed it on a 
 finger of her left hand. 
 
 The flash of rubies, the sparkle of 
 diamonds, the iridescence of opals, 
 and the purity of the pearl were all 
 caught and held in this one superb 
 stone, which was so marvellous in 
 its wonderful light as it flashed upon 
 her finger that all other jewels paled 
 beside it. Sayrane knew that it was 
 her betrothal ring. She knew its 
 value and its history; but she also 
 [80] 
 
 E= 
 
 i
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 knew the penalty she paid in owning it. 
 It bore the words, The complete love 
 of one woman, but to her it seemed a 
 mockery, a horrid jest. It marked 
 her bondage to a man she knew 
 not, and as she gazed upon it she paled 
 and grew so faint that the Emperor s 
 brother gently held his arm about 
 her as she swayed a little toward 
 him. But Sayrane was no weakling. 
 At his touch she drew herself up 
 proudly, and though she bit her lips 
 to keep from crying out, she recovered 
 herself with dignity. 
 
 Then, at a signal from Togral, 
 the slaves brought forth the mag 
 nificent princely offerings. Curious 
 green turquoise, found in our day 
 only in the tombs of the kings, was 
 there; Persian and silken carpets of 
 the finest weave and rarest coloring 
 [81]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 and patterns; stained ivory, curiously 
 carved and cut; moonstones; brace 
 lets of jade; sandal wood and blue 
 enamel and shawls of finest wool; 
 robes of gold tissue, and jewels cut 
 by famous artists; curiously wrought 
 cabinets, inlaid with mosaic gold; 
 dark- veined onyx tables; amethyst 
 necklaces, and topaz, yellow as the 
 sun; pale poppies broidered on blue 
 silk in gowns for her to wear. 
 
 Never before had Sayrane seen so 
 many and such exquisite things. She 
 was young, and the mystery, the 
 magic of beautiful things attracted 
 her. Color, wavering and uncertain, 
 from pale violet to brilliant red, lay 
 before her. Embroidered butterflies, 
 alighting on flowers with gold-dust 
 powdering their wings, were wrought 
 on scarlet cloaks, so exquisitely they 
 [82] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 seemed real and alive; and as she 
 gazed at the long brocaded gowns and 
 mantles and the fluttering huge fans 
 of black and silver, she shielded her 
 eyes from the dazzling sight. For 
 the glitter was almost more than she 
 could bear. Her lips broke into the 
 border of a smile, and her white 
 teeth gleamed between their scarlet 
 lines, as she thanked the Emperor s 
 brother; for she was pleased with the 
 rich offerings. The gifts were so nu 
 merous they could not all be displayed 
 that night; new gifts were shown in 
 the days that followed and the Prin 
 cess continued to look at them until 
 she was breathless with amazement 
 and troubled with the magnificence 
 and the generosity of her future lord. 
 In truth it seemed to her that his 
 country had found the golden age. 
 [83]
 
 CHAP! ER SEVEN 
 
 NOR was her court wanting in hospi 
 tality and richness of display to honor 
 the strangers. Her father had devised 
 many amusements for their guests, and 
 for fifteen days and nights new en 
 tertainments delighted them. Ban 
 quet succeeded banquet. By day they 
 travelled through cities on horseback 
 for diversion, viewing mighty for 
 tresses, and examining the canal cut to 
 receive and carry the precious water of 
 the great river to the fertile fields. 
 They saw large covered sheds; in some, 
 artisans were employed making mag 
 nificent dresses for the court, and in 
 others they made engines of war; in 
 all they saw slaves chained at work. 
 [84]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 Sayrane s heart went out in sympathy 
 to those unfortunates toiling without 
 respite for a lifetime, their only hope, 
 if they had served faithfully, that in 
 their old age the fetters would be re 
 moved. Alas! such a fearful appren 
 ticeship would take all the fire of their 
 youth; when permitted to go free they 
 would lack a man s courage and would 
 rather continue to work as they had 
 always done than leave their chains 
 and depend upon themselves. 
 
 On these expeditions Togral rode 
 always beside the Princess; and in 
 their long and frequent conversations 
 he recognized with delight the purity 
 and beauty of her mind and heart. 
 She told him with sadness the history 
 of the unfortunate chained creatures, 
 and of how she had striven for their 
 betterment. But in her country a 
 [85]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 law was not easily changed, and she 
 had failed. She added with bitter 
 ness of spirit that his powerful brother 
 might alter all by a word; when he 
 promised to intercede for them, her 
 smile warmed his heart. 
 
 For fifteen days the priest-brother 
 of the Emperor lived in the delight 
 and worldliness of the court, making 
 no especial effort to speak of his own 
 Christian faith and teachings. It was 
 but courtesy to study theirs, and they 
 were so eager and proud to show him 
 their mysteries and customs. 
 
 When they asked with eagerness 
 if their worship seemed not better 
 than his, he told them that all things 
 done in love and truth and purity 
 were acceptable to his God. Their 
 way was good to them; but he loved 
 his own best. When the fifteen days 
 [86]
 
 PRINCESS SAYR ANE 
 
 were gone, he went about among the 
 people and preached and converted 
 many. Almost daily he preached 
 the Christian faith, and taught the 
 beautiful life of Christ. 
 
 Though he saw sometimes that the 
 Princess Sayrane had entered with 
 her maids to hear, he made no special 
 attempt to speak to her alone of this 
 subject nearest his heart. Why was 
 this? He could hardly explain the 
 feeling to himself; yet it was there. 
 Often he entered her presence, de 
 termined to tell of the one great 
 object of his coming to her court, - 
 the splendid hope of her conversion. 
 But somehow he could not strike 
 the higher key. He felt an indescrib 
 able strain whenever he attempted 
 to begin; so that, each time, he post 
 poned it. He pondered often and 
 [87]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 long over the difficulty; but always 
 it mystified and eluded him. It was 
 as though her clear soul stood white 
 and brilliant before him, challenging 
 him to call her pagan. In contact 
 with her, he felt the subtle thrill of 
 a mysterious current in her nature. 
 Something high and noble, that seemed 
 to say, "You cannot lift me higher 
 than I am. Why should you try?" 
 She puzzled, though she charmed him 
 always, so that he said to himself, 
 "Behold my cowardice! Why cannot 
 I speak to her as I do to the others?" 
 Then, gaining courage, he would bind 
 himself in full determination to speak; 
 but the young girl would turn her 
 clear and penetrating eyes upon him, 
 and they seemed to say, "Do you 
 desire to lead me to your faith ? Why ? 
 Is it for God alone? Think well! 
 [88] 
 
 fl
 
 PRINCESS S A Y RANE 
 
 Is there no self in your desire to see 
 me a Christian? Would I not then 
 be nearer to you in the flesh? Is 
 there the purity of the highest ideal 
 in your purpose to make me one of 
 your faith? Are there not some faint 
 thrills in the fibres of the body when 
 you desire to raise my immortal soul? 
 While there is an earthly germ in your 
 heart do not approach that sacred 
 and solemn duty, the preparing of 
 a soul for immortality, its consecra 
 tion to God. The Lord seeks to 
 win me, it is true; but, are you pre 
 pared to be his instrument? Can 
 such thoughts as you harbor of me 
 allow you to speak?" 
 
 Sayrane s clear eyes seemed to read 
 his innermost soul, until he would 
 shrink with cowardice, and say to 
 himself: "Not yet, not yet." It was 
 [89] 
 
 I 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 as though water had been thrown 
 on fire, and he said, "I will subdue 
 my thoughts better. I will control 
 my feelings, and when I come to her 
 with God s truth, I shall be strong, 
 and there shall be nothing personal 
 in my thoughts. The spirit of my 
 Master will speak for me, and into 
 the pure crystal of her mind still 
 so unsullied and innocent shall I bring 
 only the glory and the greatness of 
 God to win her. Light and peace 
 in a swelling wave of warmth shall 
 I envelope her, and the silent cry of 
 my heart shall not disturb her; only 
 the living waters of the spring of 
 truth shall appeal to her soul for the 
 faith of the White Christ!" 
 
 But there were other times when 
 he could not master himself so com 
 pletely, could not reason so calmly. 
 [90]
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 It would be when Sayrane would 
 look at him with frightened eyes, - 
 eyes that pleadingly seemed to say, 
 "Do not let your soul forsake me. I 
 have need of your strength." These 
 were times when Togral had seemed 
 to need all his courage for self-control. 
 She was so young, so lonely in her 
 great palace, and with all her self- 
 reliance so like a mere child in her 
 simplicity, that he was torn by con 
 flicting emotions. Down in his heart 
 he cried, "How I long to take her in 
 my arms; to confess my love; to beg 
 for the glory of hers! And this is 
 the fulfilment of my mission! This 
 is the end of my great ambition to 
 convert to Christianity the future 
 empress of a great kingdom! What 
 would not her influence as a Christian 
 mean to the people in her future home? 
 [91
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 And now this love that has seized me 
 threatens to ensnare and entrap me, 
 so that I shall forget and fail in my 
 purpose." 
 
 Never before had any woman so 
 filled his life. In his youth, before 
 his mind had turned to God, some 
 times women had flashed upon him; 
 but only as an evil breath. Now 
 that was past forever. He had felt 
 the sin of the world; and the repul 
 sion that follows and shrinks from it 
 had also come. He had found refuge 
 in embracing the Cross, and had been 
 strong since then to resist the crafty 
 forces of the air. Now, in the 
 presence of this pure unsullied girl, 
 his mind was tormented with a power 
 of love he had never dreamed of. 
 "Why has this happened to me now?" 
 he cried. "I had planned the con- 
 [92]
 
 PR] NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 version of Sayrane. To snatch her 
 from spiritual darkness was the object 
 for which I meant to strive; and now 
 when this human love has intervened 
 I feel afraid. Am I really fit to be 
 the instrument to bring even a Moham 
 medan to God-- I who feel all the 
 pulses of my body warring when I 
 think of her?" Day by day he post 
 poned all talk of his supreme object 
 in coming to the court, and in the 
 darkness of the night he fought 
 within himself for comfort and for 
 strength to subordinate this earthly 
 love to a higher purpose. But the 
 reticence he was obliged to preserve 
 with her on the subject of religion 
 troubled him. He felt, no matter 
 how exquisite Sayrane was in his 
 eyes, that the knowledge of the Son 
 of the Great Power that fashioned 
 931 
 

 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 was necessary 
 to make it perfect. In th 
 before he had seen her, he had felt that 
 to gain her for Christ would be the 
 greatest work of his life. Now that 
 he had fallen under her spell, not 
 only did he wish to win her for the 
 sake of the subjects in her future 
 kingdom, but day by day he grew 
 to realize that the salvation of her 
 soul was dearer to him than aught 
 else on earth. Often he pondered 
 and wondered how he should begin, 
 how he should tell her of his great 
 object in seeking her court. He would 
 reason to himself: "Exquisite in 
 character and form as she is, yet 
 she lacks the belief, the faith, that 
 will make her the one priceless pearl. 
 Why should I not be the instrument 
 to show her the beauties, the wonders 
 [94]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 of Christianity?" And then, strong 
 in determination, he would seek her 
 presence; only to feel at once the subtle 
 thrill of a mysterious presence in her 
 nature, telling him she was worthier 
 than he, and that he was presumptu 
 ous to try to teach her at all. Then, 
 baffled, he would remain dumb.
 
 CHAP! ER HIGH 
 
 THE court of Egypt received news 
 daily of Prester John s approach. 
 Surfeited with victory and success 
 the Emperor now had turned his 
 face toward Egypt for his bride. But 
 a feeling of fierceness overcame Say- 
 rane as she watched the preparations 
 for his reception; at every step he 
 made across the shifting sands of the 
 desert, he grew more repellent to her 
 mind. How swiftly the days were 
 gliding by and the purple shadows 
 slipping in between, with a midnight 
 all stars! In less than two months 
 now he would reach her. 
 
 Already the great tent \vas pitched 
 in the desert ready for his occupancy 
 [96]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 the last night prior to his entering 
 her city. The Tent of Death it was 
 called in spite of its silken draperies, 
 its luxurious bath, and its Oriental 
 comforts, for it was never erected 
 without causing the death of at least 
 two men. It was always carried 
 before Prester John the Conqueror, 
 and at his will was pitched. 
 
 With at least two tragedies always 
 attendant upon its erection, the Prin 
 cess argued, only a barbarian would 
 continue its use, yet he called himself 
 a Christian; and she trembled for 
 her future with such a soulless man. 
 
 What a mixture of arrogance and 
 greatness was his nature! Though 
 his victories pronounced him wise in 
 many matters, and his military tactics 
 commanded the respect of the civil 
 ized world, Sayrane felt that his pro- 
 [97]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRAN E 
 
 gress in other ways had not been equal. 
 She admired strength of mind and 
 purpose, but it must be joined with 
 forbearance and justice; and Prester 
 John seemed to her only obstinate, 
 with an overwhelming sense of his 
 own superiority. He did not commit 
 crime wantonly, perhaps, but he had 
 a great contempt for other nations, 
 in fact all tributary countries seemed 
 to him to exist only as breathing 
 fields for the benefit of Abyssinia, 
 and individuals were of small im 
 portance. He accepted the sacrifice 
 of a man s life as easily as he accepted 
 a basket of fruit. 
 
 With her high education Sayrane 
 had developed wonderfully; her love 
 of right and equality was strong. 
 What mattered it, then, that one 
 of the palaces that he would assign 
 [98]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 her was built by the Apostle Thomas 
 for the Indian King Gundoforus? She 
 would be ill mated and unhappy. 
 Though the ceilings and joints were of 
 sethym wood, and the roof of ebony, 
 and the gables of the palace studded 
 with golden apples, each of which 
 contained two carbuncles, so that the 
 gold shone by day, and the carbuncles 
 by night, she took no pleasure in the 
 thought. The portals were of ebony 
 too, and the windows of crystal; it 
 contained tables of gold and amethyst, 
 and its steps of porphyry were inlaid 
 with gems. Still she felt that once 
 within its walls, she would be only 
 a prisoner, for she would be allowed 
 no freedom of thought. 
 
 Yusuf s persistency in offering her 
 what he called liberty in marrying 
 him seemed her only escape. Once 
 [99]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 his, he argued, the Christian faith - 
 the Emperor s faith dared not sepa 
 rate them. No matter how violent 
 the Emperor might be, he could not 
 take even a Mohammedan s wife. 
 
 Yusuf had told her that her next 
 older sister could be substituted. Of 
 course the Emperor s brother Togral 
 must be reckoned with, now that 
 he knew her; but the others who 
 knew her (for the veiling of high- 
 caste women was essential in the 
 streets) could be almost counted in 
 a dozen names. There were ways 
 of stilling their voices, Yusuf muttered 
 to himself, but with Togral that was 
 not so easy. Yet even he could be 
 quieted once she gave her consent. 
 Yusuf was willing to take greater 
 risks than the murder of an emperor s 
 brother to possess Sayrane. 
 [100]
 
 CHAP! ;R NIN1 
 
 I 
 
 THE days slipped by. Togral was 
 still uneasy in mind. He was much 
 with Sayrane; she baffled him, yet she 
 enchanted him. At times she held 
 herself coldly aloof, and never by word 
 showed him even the slightest personal 
 kindness. Yet again he fancied, de 
 spite her manner, her glances belied 
 her words. And Sayrane felt these 
 subtle stirrings too. Her own mind 
 was not at peace, though she hated 
 him because he was the brother of the 
 man who had bought her freedom for 
 was she not enslaved if forced into 
 marriage? These were times when 
 she struggled with evil impulses. She 
 fought these feelings, for at heart she 
 1011 

 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 was pure, but when her father s blood 
 was high in her veins, evil thoughts 
 ran riot too. Was the only escape 
 from the dreaded Emperor a life with 
 the hated Yusuf ? Was that her only 
 chance of liberty? Even as she mused 
 she flushed, for with a woman s intu 
 ition she divined Togral s weakness, 
 his unspoken love for her. 
 
 Could she enlist him against his 
 own brother? Sometimes she deter 
 mined to fight and win, balancing 
 her power to subdue against his to 
 withstand. But what would she gain 
 after all if she succeeded? These were 
 her evil moments. Often he awed 
 her by his words of fire. Then he 
 seemed far removed and aloof. There 
 were times when, defiant of all, she 
 tempted him with physical charm. 
 Then the hot blood went surging 
 [102]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 through his veins; and as she stood 
 with wind-blown hair, showing a full- 
 lipped mouth scarlet as a pomegran 
 ate, and teeth white and gleaming, 
 she knew he trembled on the edge 
 of the mysterious gulf he had fixed 
 between them ; and through the banter 
 ing jest that passed, she felt the cur 
 rent of the truth, and that his heart 
 had leaped to meet her own. 
 
 Once, fully determined to be his 
 undoing and break the barriers he 
 had thrust between, she stood firmly 
 erect and splendid and in cool care 
 lessness fully conscious that she played 
 the temptress; but when she saw his 
 eyes bending steadily upon her, she was 
 frightened and suddenly moved away. 
 She meant him to love her that 
 was necessary to enlist his services, 
 but she was sure she did not love him. 
 [103]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 She was young, impulsive, and very 
 miserable; utterly alone save for the 
 loving support of Galla, she was with 
 out defence. This man with his grow 
 ing love might prove of use. As 
 yet she hardly knew how, but since 
 the Emperor trusted him his influence 
 might be great; and, as she argued 
 defiantly, she was not to blame, if, in 
 his love for her, he betrayed his 
 brother s trust. 
 
 The two months that thus slipped 
 by, Togral was much with her. Her 
 clear reason and intelligence were far 
 beyond her years, and there were 
 deep notes in her being he loved to 
 sound. Sometimes when he would 
 describe the beauty of his native land 
 her eyes would sparkle with sympathy, 
 and he would feel a mixture of bliss 
 and pain while he watched her, obliv- 
 [104]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 ious to all the world save her. But 
 if he ventured to whisper of her life 
 there, her blush and her soft sym 
 pathy vanished. Like a cloud on a 
 summer sky, her face hardened, and 
 he sensed danger as her eyes turned 
 from him. 
 
 Solitude often draws hearts together; 
 but no matter how Togral planned 
 and sought to be alone with the 
 Princess it was plain she was dis 
 turbed and troubled with him. He 
 often attempted to win her confidence, 
 for her frankness of disposition was 
 one of her greatest charms; but though 
 he sometimes got a momentary glimpse 
 of her heart, he had always the feeling 
 she was guarding her innermost secrets. 
 There was a wall of reserve he could 
 never break down, never penetrate; 
 and she gave him much food for 
 [105]
 
 16 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 thought. Once she had said to him 
 (and the music of her voice, caressing 
 and singularly soft, was in his ears 
 as he remembered), "Books alone do 
 not teach life, I know, but they make 
 you travel far and fast on the road 
 that leads to the divine throne which 
 holds it." 
 
 "And what is that great gift the 
 divine throne of life holds?" he asked 
 curiously. 
 
 "The love of one good man given 
 to the woman he chooses for his 
 mate and equal." 
 
 He was so astonished at her answer 
 that he could not reply. The creed 
 was strange to him. 
 
 "And," she continued, "the great 
 
 writers say there is a love founded 
 
 on love and equality, not the one 
 
 the Mussulman professes, where a 
 
 [106]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 woman stands only for self abnega 
 tion, where she must give all and 
 never ask aught in return. 
 
 "The men of my country say to a 
 woman, I love you, and then thrust 
 her persistently apart from their lives. 
 She is only a slave in a gilded palace. 
 It would be greater kindness to the 
 women destined for such matings to 
 be left in ignorance of what the 
 world could hold for them. Educa 
 tion, intellectual development, in such 
 cases is only refined cruelty. Why 
 was I educated and taught differently 
 from my sisters, then suddenly told 
 I must lead their lives? Why was I 
 allowed to acquire thoughts not in 
 accordance with the mode of life I 
 must live? 
 
 "Parents have no right to experi 
 ment with their children. My father 
 [107]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 saw I was capable of education, and 
 he gave it, not foreseeing the unrest 
 it would entail on me. Now that 
 he has done it, it is only fair I be 
 allowed to see men and choose my 
 husband." 
 
 Togral was overwhelmed at her 
 speech. When he recalled that she 
 was a Mussulman s daughter, and 
 came of a stock which for generations 
 had had only the principles of sub 
 mission instilled into it, he could 
 hardly believe he heard aright. The 
 blood of her foreign mother was 
 strong when it led to such thoughts, 
 and he said within himself, "She is 
 of a race apart." 
 
 He saw she felt the responsibility 
 of her future life as an Empress, 
 and that she chafed at her limita 
 tions. Once she said scornfully, "I 
 [108] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 think a man should give to the woman 
 he makes his wife at least the right 
 to count upon his companionship in 
 a life that should mean happiness 
 to both. She should be more strongly 
 assured of it if the marriage is to be 
 one constrained by position, one in 
 which love can never play a part. 
 
 "I believe two human beings who 
 come together for life should do so 
 from some higher motive, not from 
 the cold arrangement of one s parents. 
 It should be from the offering of mutual 
 heart-love. We all have within us 
 that divine spark. To my mind the 
 people who marry without it are moral 
 and physical cripples." 
 
 Another time she said to him, "Your 
 Emperor has the gift of influencing 
 men, that I do not deny; but has 
 he the nobility to use that influence 
 [109]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 for good? Is he not wantonly cruel 
 and selfish?" 
 
 "O Princess of Egypt," replied 
 Togral, "the passions of men of the 
 sunland are not those of the chill 
 north, whence your teachers came, and 
 who misjudge the Emperor. But the 
 charge you make of cruelty scarcely 
 deserves serious consideration. I 
 have only to refer to his conduct 
 toward prisoners of war, and to his 
 well-known sense of justice in his 
 treatment of his subjects, to answer 
 it." 
 
 "But," continued the Princess 
 hotly, "what of his tyranny over 
 Egypt, what" -and here her eyes 
 lowered, and her cheeks flushed - 
 "what of his treatment of me?" 
 
 For a moment the silence was in 
 tense, for Togral, who was watching 
 [110] 
 
 ;txc 
 
 t) 

 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 her closely, made not the slightest 
 attempt to answer. Then Sayrane 
 hastened to add, almost tumbling her 
 words together to hide her embarrass 
 ment, "Perhaps I am speaking to 
 you too frankly, but to my mind 
 there is but one excuse for marriage." 
 
 "And what is that?" he questioned 
 gravely. 
 
 There was deep breathing in her 
 voice as she answered almost solemnly, 
 "Love!" 
 
 His eyes flashed a moment, and his 
 long oval face, slightly tawny in color 
 from the sun of Egypt, flushed as 
 he listened, then his laugh rang with 
 the lightness of humor as he replied: 
 "Alas! Princess, to that thought I 
 fear my Emperor has never given 
 much heed." 
 
 As Togral answered, a faint sound of 
 [111]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 music was heard. They were standing 
 in the Princess s garden in the midst 
 of a wide-spreading grove of stately 
 palms. Between the branches they 
 could see the edge of the great desert 
 with its suggestion of all the wonders 
 it contained. As the sun went down 
 behind the Libyan Hills, the palms 
 stood out black and bronze against 
 a golden sky, and the Pyramids looked 
 gray and ghostly in the distance. 
 There was a strange tenderness in 
 the Eastern airs as though they 
 bubbled spontaneously from the heart, 
 and as the sound of the African melody 
 arose soft and wild they both felt 
 its spell. One long clear note sug 
 gested weird darkness; then came a 
 clear rhythmic sound like a sweet 
 soft breeze; presently a wild pathetic 
 utterance resembled the broken cry 
 [112]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 of a beating heart; then in the distance 
 a muffled beat of a strange instrument. 
 The music seemed to emanate from 
 some saddened soul in the desert; 
 but one caught in it the sound of 
 a prayer, too, for it soothed the spirit. 
 As the music trailed farther and farther 
 into the distance, the sense of mystery 
 seemed to envelop them both. The 
 notes rippled out from the flute, like 
 drops of running water, and suddenly 
 Togral s soul was flooded with a power 
 of passion that only love in the desert 
 can know. 
 
 Though the music softened the 
 spirit of the woman by his side, it 
 was with a feeling of intense sadness 
 that Sayrane listened. Her future 
 unrolled slowly before her. She saw 
 herself crowned a queen, surrounded 
 with luxury, flattered by sycophants, 
 [113] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 glittering with jewels, but denied the 
 one thing her heart most desired, - 
 an equal love with freedom of thought 
 and expression. She saw the long 
 years stretch out before her; she knew 
 that the inexorable sun would shine 
 at midday, and that its golden vistas 
 and shadowy dusks would repeat them 
 selves endlessly, and she was filled 
 with an immense sorrow that she 
 must live and feel it all. 
 
 Long they stood silent, impressed, 
 wrapped in thought; for Togral too 
 was bewildered, and with burning 
 shame he saw how lightly he had 
 hitherto held woman in his thoughts. 
 But with magic this Princess of Egypt 
 had taken his soul prisoner. She held 
 it in the hollow of her hand. Was 
 she conscious of it? Did she hold 
 it lightly? 
 
 [114]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 Fiercely under the palms of Africa 
 he asked himself the question, but 
 as he watched the beautiful face and 
 listened to the sad soft melody he 
 was unanswered. Her face gave no 
 index to her thoughts, and only mys 
 tery surrounded her. Presently she 
 moved and lifted her eyes, and he 
 seemed to see far down into her 
 innermost being. But there her soul 
 was like a crystal sheet, beautifully 
 pure but too dazzlingly white to pene 
 trate; a weird feeling came over him, 
 and he felt an overwhelming sense 
 of his unworthiness. The music had 
 ceased when they moved away, the 
 night was gathering about them; it 
 was like a sapphire and glowed 
 with a brilliant, bluish light, which 
 the white stars glistening overhead 
 only intensified. A breath of cool 
 115
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 wind swept by, and the palm trees 
 rustled with delight as it caressed 
 them. 
 
 To Togral, Egypt had proved a 
 land of enchantment. The mosques 
 were a source of endless delight, 
 whether examined as single speci 
 mens of architecture or considered 
 as beautiful objects in conjunction 
 with their surroundings. Christian 
 though he was, he lingered about 
 them, and his eyes rested with delight 
 and admiration upon the stately 
 minarets that rose far above all other 
 edifices. Tall, slender, and perfectly 
 white, in the clear sky of Egypt they 
 blazed in the rays of the sun. And 
 he never wearied of watching the 
 Muezzin take his lofty station to 
 chant the call to prayer. 
 
 Often the delicious softness of the 
 [116] 
 
 n
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 atmosphere tempted him abroad in 
 the brilliant night. One evening in 
 his wanderings he was attracted by 
 the sound of music and of loud 
 laughter; approaching, he found 
 a small crowd of people men, 
 women, and children squatted on 
 the ground. All were deeply engrossed 
 in watching a dance performed by 
 two women in the midst of a circle. 
 The dress of the dancers, loose and 
 flowing, was of very thin material 
 and not closed at the throat. Their 
 head-dress, tall and ornamented with 
 shining trinkets, ended with a veil 
 which hung down behind to the 
 waist. A broad sash wrapped the 
 body from bosom to hips. Ankles 
 and arms were decorated with many 
 bracelets and anklets which they 
 jingled in time to the music of two in- 
 [117]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 struments one a wooden drum, some 
 thing like a funnel in shape, with a 
 head of goatskin, the other a wind in 
 strument of two reeds so bound to 
 gether as to enable the performer to 
 blow into both at the same time. The 
 dance consisted of slow, measured 
 steps mingled with the sound of brass 
 trinkets or cymbals, which the dancers 
 held in their hands and shook briskly 
 above their heads as they swayed their 
 bodies backward and forward. The 
 spectators encouraged the performers 
 with cries in a chorus of approval. 
 The dancers from time to time stopped 
 to get breath, but soon resumed their 
 frenzied movements. It was a wild 
 and striking scene. 
 
 Again Togral would wander down 
 to the clear waters of the Nile to watch 
 with admiration the great river pul- 
 [118]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 sating its way to the larger waters of 
 the sea. Closing his. eyes he would 
 conjure the Blue Nile as it ran through 
 his own fertile lands. Or he would 
 bend his eyes upon the wide channel 
 of the river before him and recall 
 all the hundreds of miles of fertile 
 lands through which it flowed, to 
 which it gave their luxuriant growth 
 with the rich alluvial deposits from its 
 annual floods. To himself he would 
 say: "Egypt with all her marvels 
 of obelisks and temples of the olden 
 days, with all the splendor of its 
 shimmering mosques of a recent day, 
 contains nothing more wonderful than 
 this same river, born in the mountains 
 of my own land and bearing life and 
 sustenance to the countless thousands 
 that live along its banks. With the 
 long avenues of stately trees, with 
 [119]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 the rich fields and fruitful gardens 
 
 to which it gives their life, it blesses 
 this land with gifts that put all other 
 riches to scorn."
 
 CHAPTER EN 
 
 SAYRANE had established many 
 useful customs in her own palace, 
 for there she was free to act, and 
 Togral saw with amazement all she 
 had accomplished. In his freedom 
 to come and go as he chose, he spent 
 most of his evenings with her and 
 her charming court. At these times 
 he would enter the great reception 
 room, and passing the musicians, who 
 occupied the lower end of the hall, 
 approach the Princess and her bevy 
 of fair maidens who sat in the upper 
 part of the room. A thousand wax 
 candles shone overhead and the lustres 
 of colored glass hung in profusion. 
 Porcelain vases and paintings, and 
 [121]
 
 PRINCESS SA Y RANE 
 
 the hundreds of treasures of art and 
 antiquity, were spread lavishly around. 
 The Egyptian palaces were marvels 
 of costly carpets and rich tapestries, 
 with wonderful ivory work, carvings, 
 inlaid floors, and ornamented ceilings. 
 Everywhere one saw gold and silver 
 drinking vessels inlaid with jewels; 
 for the Egyptians lived in an excess 
 of luxury, and one might easily be 
 lieve the golden prime of the good 
 Haroun-al-Rashid had returned. 
 
 No evening of pleasure in mediaeval 
 Egypt was complete without music 
 and the voices of singing women. 
 Often only a single slave-girl, with 
 a form like a swaying willow and a 
 face enchanting in its languorous 
 beauty, would sing softly to entertain. 
 Sometimes it was the buffoon who 
 enlivened the evening; but no matter 
 [122]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 what was the amusement, always a 
 soft lute accompaniment was heard. 
 Whether the teller of tales would 
 recite famous exploits in history, or 
 the dancing-girls would entrance with 
 bewildering steps, there was always 
 some new fascination. In this relaxa 
 tion Togral was really happiest, for 
 he could put aside his conflicting feel 
 ings and entertain his listeners with long 
 stories of his country. Some member 
 of his following would relate exploits 
 of his famous brother; eyes would 
 flash as the voice rang out with elo 
 quence. Often the old Sultan would 
 join them, listening entranced to the 
 tales of war and valor, for though he 
 loved not the hero Emperor of whom 
 they were told, what man is proof 
 against tales of stirring war? 
 Sitting beside Sayrane, who broidered 
 1231
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 as she listened, Togral would hear 
 the stories of his brother. Always, 
 he noticed, her smile was forced at 
 praise of her betrothed, and her 
 face would cloud at mention of his 
 name. 
 
 One evening, after her dancing-girls 
 had entertained them with bewilder 
 ing steps, he was asked to speak 
 more of his great country. Then it 
 was he told a wonderful tale of a 
 palace of treasures reserved for the 
 future Empress. The great building 
 stood on the summit of a hill, com 
 manding a beautiful view of the valley 
 and mountains beyond. It was built 
 of pure white marble, and its pillars 
 were inlaid with gold and silver and 
 jewels. A garden of flowers and 
 wonderful plants surrounded it. But 
 the great chambers of the palace 
 [124]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 were filled with treasures for the 
 Empress. In one of the chambers 
 were two large chests. These chests 
 were of stone, and had belonged to 
 the Queen of Sheba; in them were 
 stored gifts of priceless value, kept 
 for her eyes alone. Breathless would 
 he become (so he said) if he tried 
 to describe all the glories and beauties 
 of this treasure house; and yet, he 
 added, it was but one of the many 
 gifts designed for the young wife. 
 
 Togral warmed with his narrative 
 and continued: Smiling is the climate 
 and fertile the soil of Abyssinia! Green 
 meadows, rich cultivation, troops of 
 horses, lofty trees with spreading 
 foliage, and gentle undulations of 
 field and dale distinguish it. Pic 
 turesque houses studding the land 
 scape, serene air, bright streams with 
 [125 
 
 I 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 lowing herds such are some of the 
 features of my charming land. In 
 the past the tramping of charging 
 horse was often heard. Now, because 
 of the coming of the Empress, all 
 shall be peace. 
 
 "In the beautiful palace the Emperor 
 has built on the banks of the Blue 
 Nile for his bride, he has determined 
 that she shall not hear the clamor 
 of war; and, so that she shall not 
 miss the beautiful home of her child 
 hood, he has had its garden and walks 
 planned as nearly like her own as 
 possible. Animals have been slain 
 that their beautiful skins may adorn 
 the floors, and wonderful ornaments 
 of ivory are carved for her use." 
 
 Togral could see that the Princess 
 was restless and nervous while he 
 was speaking. Somehow it was 
 [126]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 always so with her if the Emperor 
 figured in his talk. But he continued 
 with his tale, winding up with a stirring 
 anecdote of war. At this Sayrane 
 arose abruptly, as though tried beyond 
 endurance, and signalling the musicians 
 to play she led the way out into the 
 garden. 
 
 The moonlight was streaming clear 
 and white across the fluttering palms. 
 Long shadows from the marble pillars 
 fell athwart the gardens, and far in 
 the distance the rocky hills shone like 
 white icebergs in the northern seas. 
 The faint glimmer of a great pyramid 
 loomed darkly while the serenity and 
 monumental beauty of the vast desert, 
 that shunned contact with men, 
 seemed to envelop and shroud them 
 both. The moonlight only empha 
 sized its great solitude. Miles upon 
 [127] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 miles of silver sand stretched away 
 without a vestige of life of any kind. 
 
 " How wonderfully Nature prepares 
 for defence!" thought Togral. "How 
 she husbands arms for the great battle 
 of life that nothing in the world ever 
 escapes! Here in the desert only the 
 hardiest of plants makes its home, 
 but that, with all its limitations, 
 thrives and flourishes. The very 
 animals that seek its shelter must 
 often go for weeks without water; 
 and yet they, when discovering it 
 after long thirst, growl as though 
 declaring they did not need it, and 
 drink it with a snarl. But benevolent 
 or malevolent, it is always a vision of 
 mystery and beauty, with a hypnotic 
 charm I can never resist." 
 
 Sayrane and Togral stood silently 
 watching its immensity, its solitude, 
 [128]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 thrilled by its solemnity and silence. 
 The scarf the Princess had snatched 
 as she arose was drawn lightly across 
 her bosom, but her face and her head 
 were bare. Togral could see the pure 
 profile, the clear-cut brow, and the 
 dark shadow of her hair. For a time 
 neither spoke, but it was the man 
 who broke the silence, and his voice 
 was low and grave as he asked Sayrane, 
 "Why do you hate the Emperor?" 
 For a moment there was no reply. 
 1 1 seemed as though she had not heard 
 him, but as his eyes rested upon her 
 questioningly, her lips moved in answer. 
 Tense and strained was her voice, 
 as though she held herself in leash, 
 yet her tones were vibrant and her 
 words were clear. "What cause have 
 I to love him?" and with a fierce 
 gesture, stretching out her arms, she 
 129] 

 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 continued: "See our broad lands; they 
 are populous, and our revenues are 
 large. Once these teeming, fruitful 
 gardens were all my father s. For 
 generations his people worked and 
 toiled. Protecting them from the 
 desert that ever encroached upon them, 
 we gloried in their beauty. Their 
 prosperity and their freedom were 
 our delight; but, to-day, your cruel 
 Emperor with savage strength has 
 taken them. My father holds his 
 throne only to pay tribute to this 
 autocrat. My hand in marriage is 
 the proof of his generosity. As the 
 daughter of his vassal-king, I am after 
 all only a slave-girl ! Everything about 
 us as far as eye can reach, proclaims 
 your Emperor s mighty power. Is 
 this just cause for love?" she asked 
 him bitterly. Then as her hurrying 
 [130] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 thoughts filled her with indignation, 
 she suddenly held up her hand, con 
 tinuing passionately, "See my sign 
 of bondage!" and Togral caught the 
 flashing lights of Solomon s gemmed 
 ring gleaming like fire against the 
 whiteness of her hand. 
 
 "Oh, there are times when I grow 
 so desperate that despite all awful 
 consequences to my people, I feel 
 I must fling back this hateful ring 
 and tell your Emperor contemptuously, 
 I prefer death to his embraces." For a 
 moment it seemed she had forgotten 
 who he was, the beloved brother of the 
 Emperor. And he, had he forgotten 
 too? for he showed no anger as he 
 listened. Save for the sudden white 
 ness of his lips, one would have thought 
 he had not heard. Sayrane had seemed 
 to lose all her fire as she finished, 
 [131]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 and her head sank listlessly upon 
 her arms as she leaned against the 
 railing. 
 
 She looked so pathetically young 
 and so utterly alone as she lay there, 
 that all the man in him rose in protest, 
 and a mist in his eyes blinded him 
 for a moment to her beauty. Her 
 pitiful confession had cut him to the 
 quick; and, as he watched her trem 
 bling, she could not guess his own 
 heart was beating wildly. For a little 
 space he did not speak, and when he 
 did he had steeled all passion, and his 
 voice sounded strange even to himself. 
 He said, "Have you ever written 
 the Emperor aught of this?" 
 
 She raised her head to answer him, 
 and even in the moonlight he could 
 see her eyes were like stars shining 
 through mist. She answered nega- 
 [132] 
 

 
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 lively, " Why should I ? What would 
 a girl s feelings count with him?" 
 
 "But," he persisted, still watching 
 those misty star eyes that drew him 
 and made him long to crush with 
 kisses her red mouth, " the Emperor 
 is a man with a fine sense of justice. 
 He would take no woman against 
 her will." 
 
 "I have thought of that too," 
 she answered bitterly, "but I have 
 fought it out alone and shall submit 
 because of my country. My freedom 
 for its freedom! That is what the 
 treaty meant. Only there are times 
 when the horror of it all overmasters 
 me; for slave-girl as I am, I have a 
 soul." 
 
 "But, Princess," persisted Togral, 
 " you are no slave. Wealth and posi 
 tion are yours. Power unlimited will
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 be given you in Abyssinia. What 
 more could woman want?" 
 
 "Men never truly understand a 
 woman s nature," replied Sayrane 
 bitterly. "Wealth and power alone 
 do not give happiness. Freedom of 
 thought, liberty to plan, --that is 
 what woman craves. The test of true 
 manliness should not be a hero s 
 behavior in battle, but his regard 
 for women. If he holds her reverently 
 in his mind, if he considers it infamous 
 to subject her to dishonor, if he regards 
 it as the highest distinction to pro 
 tect her from wrong, then is he truly 
 great. But as long as women are 
 treated as playthings, drudges, worth 
 only their beauty to be enjoyed, or 
 their strength to labor; then surely 
 he and the nation which gives him birth 
 are despicable." 
 
 [134]
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 "What then would you ask for 
 your sex?" Togral s grave voice was 
 cold and cutting as he listened to this 
 arraignment of the Conqueror, Prester 
 John, for surely she meant him. He 
 spoke slowly: "Would you boldly 
 sweep away the traditions of cen 
 turies and give woman the same priv 
 ileges as man?" 
 
 "Yes," replied Sayrane quickly, 
 almost interrupting him in her anxiety 
 to justify her words. "Indeed, in 
 most things she should be his equal. 
 First, I would unveil women; then I 
 would allow the intermingling of the 
 sexes, thus taking from the woman 
 the degradation she now suffers. The 
 home life of a people depends on 
 the position assigned the woman. If 
 the mother is ignorant, and soulless, 
 and vicious, you cannot expect the 
 [135]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 son to reach great heights. If only for 
 the sake of the betterment of those 
 men who rule the world," she added 
 scornfully, "woman should be held 
 in high esteem." 
 
 "But you would revolutionize the 
 world," Togral answered, aghast at 
 her vehemence. 
 
 "I would but civilize it," she replied 
 coldly. "The man and woman should 
 rise or sink together. Their cause 
 is common, why then in the name of 
 humanity should they separate?"
 
 CHAPTER ELEVEN 
 
 ONE member of the Caliph s council 
 lived in kingly magnificence almost 
 as great as that of Prester John. 
 Yusuf s wealth could not be computed. 
 His palaces were many, his possessions 
 so vast that had he chosen to hide 
 himself, it would have been difficult 
 to trace his whereabouts. As the active 
 head of the Mussulman Church, for 
 the Caliph as the Commander of the 
 Faithful was but its nominal chief, 
 Yusuf ranked in importance with the 
 reigning monarch. A niece of Say- 
 rane s age shared his home. In a 
 way he was fond of her. She was 
 one of the dancers in the ceremonials 
 with which Togral was welcomed to 
 [137]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 Egypt. But Yusuf cherished her 
 chiefly because of her friendship with 
 the Caliph s daughter. He felt he 
 would strengthen himself in Sayrane s 
 esteem by kindly treatment of Amina. 
 
 Years before, when the Caliph em 
 ployed foreign teachers for his beloved 
 daughter, he looked about for a suitable 
 companion to share her studies. His 
 eyes fell upon the young Amina, and 
 always since that time the maidens 
 had remained fast friends. The old 
 Caliph hugged himself for his wisdom 
 because their girlish intimacy tended 
 to cement the bond between the power 
 ful Yusuf and himself. The Moslem 
 priest said little, but he was not dis 
 pleased; and later, when he awak 
 ened to the possibilities Sayrane held 
 for him, he too felt glad. 
 
 Frequently before Sayrane had wit- 
 [ 138 ]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 nessed the graceful dancing of Amina. 
 No woman was allowed to participate 
 in the Moslem ceremonials at the 
 mosque, but in their homes and palaces 
 the rich kept dancing-girls, and many 
 maidens of high degree were taught 
 the step. But Sayrane could never 
 be induced even in play to take a 
 part. The spectacular in the dance 
 appealed to her, for she could not have 
 had Oriental blood and have denied 
 its seduction. 
 
 Despite her affection for Amina her 
 visits of late had been infrequent. 
 She dreaded the intimate contact 
 they gave with Yusuf; and though 
 he strove by every art he knew to 
 win her esteem, an indefinable some 
 thing made her shrink from him. 
 
 She had been present, as Togral 
 knew, at the dance in the palace of 
 [139]
 
 
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 the Grand Mufti and he still often 
 recalled the terrible depression he felt 
 then concerning her, for to him even 
 the earlier worshippers of false gods 
 seemed no further removed from 
 Christianity than the devout Mussul 
 man! Togral was also undergoing a 
 marked change of thought. The 
 Princess s eloquence had undoubtedly 
 influenced him, carrying him, as it 
 were, into her own world of dream- 
 life, as he called it. Moreover, he 
 could not help seeing the beauty of 
 her argument. She embodied the 
 ideal woman, one of intellect and 
 physical beauty combined, one that 
 had hitherto seemed always an im 
 possibility. But now, gazing on this 
 sunlit Egypt by day, and watching 
 its glorious tent of heaven by night, 
 he asked himself the question: " Is she 
 [140] 
 
 
 I
 
 ^H 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 not right? Would not the world be 
 the gainer by the woman s uplifting?" 
 
 The Princess of Egypt had spoken 
 as a woman whose whole heart is bent 
 on convincing, and he carried with 
 him the impassioned vehemence of 
 her voice. He sought to seek her 
 level; to understand her mood. Some 
 times when he awoke at early 
 dawn to see the gray-green palms 
 outside majestically bowing their 
 plumed heads toward each other, or 
 caught sight between the pillared stems 
 of the stately giants of a shade of 
 rusty gold the color of a distant 
 mountain, or nearer still saw a lat 
 ticed house where a veiled woman 
 walked on a wide veranda in the 
 midst of a cloud of pigeons, he would 
 say to himself: 
 
 "How can the Princess Sayrane 
 [141] 

 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 be dissatisfied? In this land of per 
 petual beauty where color glows and 
 dazzles; where the amber sheen of 
 the sand islands in mid-river, and 
 the soft green of the palm groves, 
 contrast with the turquoise blue of 
 the sky; where the mountains, clothed 
 in a mysterious light, blush like some 
 miraculous aurora, why should she 
 not be content, and cease to long for 
 the impossible?" 
 
 And then a vision of Princess 
 Sayrane would arise mutinous in pro 
 test to answer him. Again he would 
 see her soft pliant figure with its 
 sinuous curves, her dark luminous 
 eyes alight with intelligence, and she 
 would say, gazing at him reproach 
 fully: "Because I am not soulless 
 as my sisters are, would you have 
 me otherwise?" And he would feel
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 again the indescribable charm she 
 possessed, and he would know in 
 his heart he loved her because she 
 was different from and infinitely 
 superior to the women he had known.
 
 CHAP! ER TWELVE 
 
 THOUGH it never rained in Egypt 
 storm clouds occasionally gathered like 
 a host of angered genii. One moment 
 they were deep purple, again burnished 
 copper, and later, with the sinking 
 sun, they became glorious with crim 
 son and gold. But they invariably 
 floated away before morning, and 
 when the brilliant shafts of sunlight 
 darted over the horizon, it was always 
 through a violet or pale green or rose- 
 colored sky. 
 
 So, one morning when the gleaming 
 surface of the Nile was just changing 
 its steely waters to a bright silver, 
 and the blooded Arabian horses sent 
 [144]
 
 B^BI 
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 by the great Emperor to his bride 
 were being led forth from the stable, 
 Sayrane and Amina awaited them 
 with impatience. Yusuf had planned 
 a visit to a cavern recently unearthed 
 by workmen in excavating for the 
 foundations of a mosque, in which 
 an ancient Egyptian notability was 
 supposed to be buried. Ostensibly 
 the fete was given in honor of the 
 ambassador, but in reality it was 
 intended by the crafty Yusuf to give 
 him opportunity to speak to Sayrane 
 of the one object so near his heart, 
 more openly than he had yet spoken. 
 The Princess could not evade him 
 so easily on such a trip. 
 
 The maidens, like youth in all ages, 
 were bubbling with the anticipated 
 pleasures of the day. Sayrane seemed 
 to have forgotten her confession of 
 [145
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 hopeless sorrow on the balcony a 
 few nights before, and her face was 
 as serene as the skies above her. 
 Togral as he rode by her side, let 
 his gaze sweep across the barren rocks 
 and burning sands over which they 
 galloped. 
 
 "They talk of the monotony of 
 the desert!" he cried. "It is because 
 they do not understand it. This great 
 quivering silence is not monotony, 
 it is only a splendid calmness. These 
 soft, shifting, shimmering sands like 
 a yellow sea have a strange, barbarous 
 splendor. They must lead to the 
 dazzling portals of the sun. The 
 magic influence of the desert is like 
 the glittering shower of golden pieces 
 the juggler brings forth from an empty 
 urn to fascinate his audience. It is 
 wonderful, it is marvellous, and its 
 [146] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 witchery is intensified the more we 
 study it. Nature in her many moods 
 has never shown greater power than 
 in the tremendous spectacle afforded 
 by the endless stretch of these tawny 
 sands. Something doubtless akin to 
 the contact of the naked soul with 
 its God is the feeling of nothingness 
 that envelops even the greatest, the 
 mightiest, when he finds himself in 
 this awful, this appalling presence. 
 Here a man has leisure for calm 
 thought, for introspection. In the 
 world, if he be a worker, he is often 
 blinded and battered out of all sense 
 by the turmoil of activity about him. 
 It is only by clinging to the wheel 
 of life with a grip that leaves him 
 bruised and weakened that he is able 
 to hold his place. Life is at best a 
 fearful strife, and those who master 
 [147]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 it are valiant fighters; but here in 
 this silent waste all is peace." 
 
 The Grand Mufti was a worker. 
 He had lived the life of an ordinary 
 man thrice over. He was dominant, 
 he was accustomed to success, and he 
 chafed with an angry fire he could 
 ill conceal, that a mere slip of a maiden 
 like the Princess had the power to 
 annoy and withstand him as she did. 
 That he would ultimately succeed 
 with her he scarcely doubted. He 
 had never been thwarted in all his 
 evil life; but that she with strange 
 persistency refused to listen, even when 
 he knew she hated the Emperor and 
 longed to remain in Egypt, was to 
 him inconceivable. The time was 
 shortening. He must bring greater 
 force to bear to win her. He swore to 
 himself by the great Prophet she was 
 [148]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 worth it, yet in the same breath he 
 cursed her that she, a mere woman, 
 thwarted him. 
 
 It all came of that foreign education. 
 No woman should be taught the creed 
 of independence. It did not hurt 
 Amina. She had heard, but not under 
 stood; she was not capable. But the 
 Princess, she had understood; she had 
 quickened and drunk in the meaning 
 of it all, and behind her veil she peered 
 out with expressive eyes, curious to 
 penetrate the outside world. Too 
 much learning was not good for 
 women, and women of the East were 
 happier in their luxurious life, and 
 were better wives and mothers for 
 their very ignorance. 
 
 The day was well advanced. Yusuf, 
 who at first apparently paid no heed 
 to Sayrane, deftly managed now to
 
 mm^^mf 
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 find her alone. Almost at once he 
 told her of the secret news that the 
 Emperor was nearing Egypt. Very 
 rapidly and earnestly he urged her to 
 listen and heed his offer of liberty. 
 He dwelt but lightly on his own 
 wishes, but painted her life with a man 
 who, though calling himself a Chris 
 tian, by every act proclaimed himself a 
 barbarian, and Sayrane felt he spoke 
 the truth. What manner of man was 
 this Prester John, who, though he 
 claimed souls for Christianity, claimed 
 them so brutally? Yusuf recalled to 
 her one demand he enforced that had 
 always filled her with indignation. 
 
 Each year a Mohammedan maiden 
 must be sent him, so that her soul 
 should be saved to Christianity. This 
 custom was in accordance with a 
 treaty he had made when conquering 
 [150]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 her country, and her people observed 
 it only because he was the stronger. 
 
 Each year the Emperor s people 
 came for the maiden, and well the 
 Princess remembered the ceremony 
 of the last year, for the maiden selected 
 was one of her own household, one she 
 knew well. Fun-loving and gay, the 
 girl s nature had been changed by the 
 selection, and she had rebelled and 
 fought angrily. But it had availed 
 her nothing and she had been sent 
 away. 
 
 The girl had been washed and dressed 
 and put on a bed and covered with 
 a cloth, then carried to the door of the 
 house; prayers for the dead were 
 chanted over her, and she was given 
 up to the Emperor s people. 
 
 Sayrane had been anxious to know 
 what would be her fate, and so had 
 [151]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 exacted a promise from the girl to send 
 her word. The year had almost passed 
 when the message came. Sayrane 
 pondered long, but only half under 
 stood it. The girl, she learned, had 
 become a Christian and was very 
 happy. She was soon to be married 
 to one of the noblemen attached to 
 the Emperor s court. Of Prester 
 John she said: "He is a mystery. He 
 wears always a thin mask; there is 
 no one who can boast of friendship 
 with him. Of me he takes no notice, 
 nor does he choose ever to see the 
 maidens who become his Christian 
 subjects." 
 
 What a combination of arrogance 
 and mistaken good the man s nature 
 must contain! If he desired to save 
 these souls, as he termed it, why did 
 he not adopt a more humane means 
 [152]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 than by separating them from their 
 kindred? 
 
 From one of Yusuf s palaces a secret 
 passage led into the Mokattam Hills; 
 this subterranean connection made the 
 desert easy of access, and once there 
 escape was not hard; even at the last 
 moment she could seek this and thus 
 escape. Once in the desert, camels 
 would bear her to safety, far beyond 
 the powerful tyrant s reach. Besides, 
 the head of the Ulema had planned 
 things so well that he now offered 
 to substitute one of her sisters for 
 her; one of these resembled Sayrane 
 so greatly that fear of detection would 
 be but slight. The resemblance was 
 often spoken of in the palace; Togral 
 alone would need to be reckoned 
 with, and at the proper time in case 
 of necessity he could be silenced. 
 [153]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 Amina would accompany the 
 Princess, Yusuf continued, and once 
 pledged to him she would be free 
 to act as she chose. He should not 
 follow her unless she called him- 
 this he swore. Sayrane listened and 
 breathed heavily. She was sore at 
 heart; to escape from the Emperor, 
 to remain with her father, seemed 
 like a promise of heaven. 
 
 She closed her eyes. She could 
 not decide so quickly, she whispered 
 faintly. He, seeing her hesitation, 
 felt emboldened, and leaning closer, 
 urged haste. "The time is very short," 
 he whispered. "A quick decision will 
 mean life here with your father in 
 your beloved country. Why do you 
 hesitate?" 
 
 Suddenly opening her eyes, Sayrane 
 caught him unawares. He had meant 
 [154]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 to control himself better, but with 
 the confidence gained from her hesita 
 tion calmness had forsaken him. He 
 was too near her in bodily contact. 
 He scented the sweet herbs rubbed 
 into her skin after the bath, and the 
 fragrance robbed him of his self-con 
 trol. She caught his expression and it 
 frightened her. With hot cheeks she 
 felt the insult of the fierce love thus 
 suddenly revealed, and impulsively she 
 arose and wrathfully bade him leave 
 her and go. 
 
 Thus Togral found them. He saw 
 her perturbation, but gave no open 
 sign of having noticed it. If he 
 guessed the cause he did not betray 
 it. Yusuf scowled as he left them 
 together. 
 
 It was the golden noon of Egypt. 
 The garish sunlight beat down upon 
 [155] 
 
 ea=a 
 
 I 

 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 the tawny hills, until they shone like 
 burnished brass against the pale blue 
 sky. A few clouds lay across the 
 west, like woven skeins stretched across 
 the turquoise blue, and barely stained 
 the limitless field of color. 
 
 In giving the Princess time to collect 
 herself, Togral watched in admiration 
 these sky effects. The sun-shafts 
 were falling in a burning shower upon 
 rock and sand below, and the sublimity 
 and lonely desolation of the desert 
 were overwhelming. The impalpable 
 dust particles gave a peculiar coloring 
 to the air, an effect of a pink, a lilac, 
 a yellow haze. Nature had been 
 prodigal with her colorings there. 
 
 Even on the threshold of the glaring 
 
 trackless immensity the silence was 
 
 intense, oppressive. In tier after 
 
 tier stretched away the bare ridges, 
 
 [156]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 the naked peaks; the air shimmered, 
 pulsating with blue and purple and 
 yellow lights. A mysterious veil of 
 gold stretched far across the yellow 
 sands, while between the peaks and 
 beetling cliffs a deep violet color 
 lingered. The enervating, dust-laden 
 air of the desert was heavy, though 
 from time to time a cool, sweet breeze 
 moved in from the distant sea. Togral 
 felt again the seductive fascination 
 of the desert, its witchery, its hypnotic 
 influence. He saw it all and felt its 
 charm; but for all the wide- spread 
 chaos and the splendor and glory 
 of the light, he thought only of the 
 woman at his side, trembling in ner 
 vous agitation. 
 
 She was surely cast in a finer mould 
 than the majority of her sex. That 
 was manifest in every utterance of 
 [157]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 her life. She was on a man s level 
 mentally; a man might defer to her 
 and feel no shame. Of late he had 
 dared to think she looked more kindly 
 on him, though to her mind he 
 knew he bore the taint of blood, that 
 taint which clung to all connected with 
 the Abyssinian monarch. Standing 
 trembling on the edge of a new world, 
 she was clever enough to see the 
 possibilities the future might hold for 
 her. Yet he read only despair in 
 her eyes as he turned to speak. Again 
 the man within him longed to take 
 her in his arms, to kiss away her 
 fears, to fight her battles.
 
 CHAPTER TH I RTEEN 
 
 THE lovely sameness of golden light 
 in Egypt always struck Togral with 
 great force, his own land carrying 
 such great contrasts in storm-tossed 
 clouds and wailing winds. The won 
 derful light in this country of Sayrane s 
 pervaded and softened everything. 
 The delicious air, the silence, the mar 
 vellous architecture of its temples, 
 were more impressive now that he saw 
 them, than he had supposed conceiv 
 able; and though other African lands 
 were grander and more magnificent, he 
 felt as he gazed upon the tawny waters 
 of the Nile, with the amber lights and 
 sunburned sands, that after all this was 
 a land that would endure, as it had 
 [159]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 endured through countless ages. It 
 was a thing supreme in the spell it cast 
 upon humanity. The color of the pale 
 brown temples in the sunlight where 
 the sphinxes kept solemn watch, and 
 the darkness of their narrow doorways 
 and labyrinthine corridors, hiding the 
 secrets of the past, had their tre 
 mendous effects upon his soul. The 
 mysterious chambers of the dead 
 kings, adorned with hieroglyphs and 
 cartouches and brilliant paintings, 
 terminating in the inner sanctuary, 
 where he seemed to glimpse the very 
 heart and secret of former greatness, 
 held him, though he could not con 
 centrate all his thoughts upon his 
 surroundings. Despite his awe, his 
 reverence for the great past, his soul 
 was ever dominated by the myste 
 rious presence of one fair woman s 
 [160]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 face. He told himself it was only 
 the message that had come to him 
 to save her soul to Christianity; yet 
 if this were the reason, the sole reason, 
 that she filled his thought, why was he 
 so troubled? 
 
 They had left the burial ground 
 far behind and were riding toward 
 the Nile. To the right and left the 
 weird rocks stood like sentinels and 
 took strange shapes of the obelisks 
 and sphinxes. Some worn at the base 
 and towering like ruined pyramids 
 bore the semblance of tombs of the 
 Egyptian past. The valley narrowed, 
 the limestone walls rose higher, the 
 chalky track glared underfoot. Piles 
 of shivered chips sparkled and scintil 
 lated at the foot of the rocks. The 
 cliffs seemed to burn at a white heat 
 and the atmosphere palpitated like 
 [161] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 gaseous vapors. It was like riding 
 into the mouth of a furnace. There 
 was no sign of life except the riders; 
 not a blade of green since the earth 
 began had grown in this desolation, 
 a desolation as of a world scathed by 
 fire from heaven. Fortunately for the 
 riders, this awful heat did not last 
 long, for with the sun s decline came 
 a refreshing coolness, and a breeze 
 was wafted through this valley of 
 death. A wonderful haze came up 
 toward evening, a haze quite different 
 in color from that of noonday, when 
 the sun s rays were streaming on the 
 rocks. As the sun set and the light 
 died out, the haze crept up and thick 
 ened; swiftly the intensity of the 
 light decreased. A mountain loomed 
 suddenly in the distance gold-rimmed 
 against the sunset in a sea of sand, 
 [162]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 then another, and another. No two 
 were alike: one was golden with level 
 sand, another, like a fortress with 
 huge boulders rounded by the friction 
 of the centuries and their sand-laden 
 winds; another so highly polished it 
 reflected the sky like a mirror. 
 
 An abrupt turn in the path from 
 the gaunt desert, and the party had 
 reached the green line of cultivation 
 that showed the great river was near. 
 They approached the outskirts of a 
 town. Togral and Sayrane were rid 
 ing in advance. She had been kinder, 
 more gentle this day than was her 
 wont, and he was listening to tales of 
 her childhood as they rode side by side. 
 
 He was surprised at the quality 
 
 and fineness of her thoughts, of her 
 
 ideals, of her strength of purpose. 
 
 Raised as she had been among soulless 
 
 [163] 
 
 I
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 women, it was the more remarkable. 
 The foreign teachers, brought to edu 
 cate her, had broadened and developed 
 a naturally brilliant mind. He saw 
 that she was slightly pale, and the 
 scarlet line of her mouth seemed redder, 
 more luscious. Her eyes were heavy 
 with fatigue, though they flashed once 
 as if dashed with fire, when he said, 
 "The Emperor Prester John comes 
 in six short weeks!" 
 
 Her face was passive except for 
 this sudden fire, and how could he 
 know her heart yearned with intolerable 
 bitterness for the freedom she would 
 not ask, and that her soul was sick 
 with shame at the thought of her 
 future? Though she did not flinch, 
 he saw he had given her pain and 
 his heart reproached him. He leaned 
 closer as he softly added: "There is 
 [164]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 yet time, Sayrane. Why will you not 
 write to the Emperor freely?" But, 
 though her mouth trembled, her face 
 hardened a little, and she shook her 
 head negatively. 
 
 "Too late. He would harm my 
 father and my people. He is never 
 thwarted, that Emperor of yours," she 
 continued, "and I would count too 
 little in the asking." 
 
 Togral heard her answer as if in 
 a dream. His eyes were fascinated 
 by her beauty as he leaned toward 
 her. Oh, how the thought of her 
 obsessed him! But he said aloud, 
 calmly: "You too are cruel, you accuse 
 and judge him, giving him no chance 
 of defence. In war a man makes 
 terms. You were the price of peace; 
 but I know my Emperor, and he is 
 counted brave with men; he would 
 [165]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 take to his breast no woman who came 
 unwillingly." 
 
 Togral spoke hotly, almost angrily, 
 and Sayrane was surprised at his 
 vehemence. Before she could reply, 
 if indeed she intended to reply, 
 all answer vanished at the appear 
 ance of a man who seemed to have 
 arisen from the ground, but who in real 
 ity came from a low clump of bushes 
 beside the gleaming river. Astonished, 
 the two riders drew rein, and waited 
 for the stranger, who approached. 
 Togral was inclined to question him 
 roughly, but one look at the pale 
 face showed no harm was meant to 
 the Princess, for the man knelt humbly 
 in the sand before addressing her. 
 Then he spoke respectfully but hur 
 riedly, as though fearing interruption. 
 
 "I am an alien, and you would 
 [166]
 
 ^MHD 
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 have no knowledge of me should I 
 identify myself. Yet poor as I appear 
 I have wealth. I have struggled for 
 years to gain power sufficient for the 
 avenging of the crime that wrecked 
 my life, in destroying all I loved best. 
 I have men who serve me, who are 
 I closing in on the man. I mean to check 
 his evil deeds, to prepare the way for 
 his punishment. I am often near you 
 because I watch this enemy of mine 
 and yours. Beware of the man I 
 mean, Princess. You hate him, but 
 he hates with a bitter hatred one you 
 love. Watch, never cease to watch, 
 for he is powerful, as wise as unscrupu 
 lous, and he will stop at no crime to 
 gain his end." 
 
 The man spoke rapidly and in a 
 voice so low Togral could not catch 
 all the drift of his words. But the 
 [167] 
 
 
 
 I
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 Princess appeared to have understood, 
 for she whitened as he disappeared. 
 The Abyssinian, noticing her agita 
 tion, started to follow to chastise 
 the fellow for his impertinence in 
 alarming her; but at that instant 
 he heard the Princess softly call his 
 name. He could hardly believe that 
 he heard aright, she spoke so gently; 
 yet when he turned to join her, she 
 struck her Arabian horse violently, 
 whether unconsciously or not. The 
 high-spirited creature was unused to 
 the whip, and, startled and frightened, 
 sprang forward madly. In an instant 
 it was speeding at a terrible rate down 
 the hard road leading to the city. 
 The use of the whip on the sensitive 
 blooded animal was such a surprise to 
 Togral that for a moment he hardly 
 realized the enormity of the danger. 
 [168]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 But in another moment alarm seized 
 him and he followed, terrified at what 
 might happen. Should Sayrane faint, a 
 fall would mean death. He was confi 
 dent that in a short while he could 
 overtake her. His horse had served 
 him too long to fail now, but could 
 she keep her saddle? His heart leaped 
 in fear as he recalled the pallor he 
 had noticed, and once he thought 
 she swayed in her seat. He prayed 
 as he had never prayed before, that 
 he might reach her side before she 
 fainted; and as he came near and 
 rode abreast, he saw her eyes were 
 closed, and he shuddered lest he 
 should fail. But he spoke soothingly 
 to the maddened horse, and gradually 
 the control of the human over the 
 animal was visible in a slightly slack 
 ened speed. Then Togral, at the 
 [1691
 
 PRINCESS SAYRAN E 
 
 proper moment, stood firmly in his 
 stirrup, and leaning across, lifted Say- 
 rane clear of her saddle. Powerful as 
 he was it was a great strain upon his 
 strength, and as she lay helpless across 
 his knees, he trembled and panted be 
 fore he had the strength to lift her to 
 his breast. There he held her close, 
 for she had fainted. He hardly real 
 ized that she was unconscious. The 
 revulsion from fear was so great that 
 just to have her in his arms, to know 
 that she was safe, sufficed. But as he 
 clasped her close and warm against his 
 breast, and gazed upon her closed eyes, 
 his thoughts overwhelmed him. 
 
 Suddenly he awoke from his mad 
 ness, and his heart smote him to see 
 her great weakness; he laid her upon 
 the ground, chafed her hands, and 
 moistened her face with the water he
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 was quick to bring from the river. 
 Soon he was rewarded with a faint 
 stirring of the eyelids and a long 
 sigh. When she saw him bending 
 anxiously above her, her pale face 
 reddened and she struggled to rise. 
 
 Gloomy and forbidding were the 
 looks Yusuf cast on her, when with 
 her companions he joined them and 
 she recited her adventure. But though 
 she told of her mad ride and of the 
 strange man who had frightened her, 
 she was careful to conceal the message 
 he had borne. 
 
 That night she did not sleep, and 
 through all the weary hours old Galla 
 knelt outside the door listening to 
 her suppressed sobs. In the heart 
 of the Princess the fear born of the 
 man s warning was as naught before 
 the words in which the head of the 
 [171]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRAN E 
 
 Ulema had bade her good-night. Slow 
 were those words but distinct; and, 
 though his voice was like velvet, each 
 had burned into her soul, for he was 
 powerful and she was helpless: 
 
 "Think well again before you deny 
 me. The Emperor s brother looks 
 upon you with eyes of passion, and 
 you have lain unconscious on his 
 breast. Let him beware, for if a 
 single glance of yours encourages him, 
 he shall surely go to meet his Christian 
 God!" 
 
 [172]
 
 CHAPTER FOURTEEN 
 
 MEN and deeds are obliterated, races 
 fade, but Nature goes calmly on with 
 her projects. She makes the fat 
 lands of the earth with all their fruits 
 and flowers and foliage, and she makes 
 with no less care the desert with its 
 sands and cacti. 
 
 Again the annual festival of the 
 Nile had come. Feasts were planned, 
 games were played, and decorations 
 filled the streets. The Emirs con 
 tributed largely of their wealth to 
 make the festival a success, and the 
 Sultan s Muhtesib, or inspector of 
 markets, reported that the land was 
 overflowing with plenty. The occa 
 sion was brilliant in every respect. 
 [173] 

 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 The fabulous prodigality of the Egyp 
 tian nobles made a gorgeous display 
 by day, and at night the magnificent 
 mosques were lighted, till the city 
 looked like fairyland. 
 
 The great climax of the fourth 
 day was the polo games; and Togral, 
 who had entered into the spirit of the 
 people since his arrival in Egypt, en 
 tered the lists. 
 
 Amid the greatest enthusiasm the 
 games were played. All the nobility, 
 all the splendor of the court were 
 present. Slave-girls stood about with 
 silver cups and spoons to minister 
 comfort with cooling drinks and sweet 
 meats. 
 
 Sayrane and her women, closely 
 veiled, watched the games and were 
 not the least interested of the spec 
 tators. But the Princess was con- 
 [174]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 scious of a feeling of depression she 
 could not dismiss. Amid all the gayety 
 she felt strangely aloof. Something 
 ominous weighed heavily on her spirits. 
 In the early morning she had stood 
 before one of the windows of the city 
 palace watching the crowded streets. 
 The pavilions decked with flags of 
 brilliant color, the red and yellow em 
 broideries gayly flaunting themselves 
 against the duller blues and greens, 
 made an attractive picture. The 
 shops and windows were decorated 
 with silks and satins; drums were 
 beating, and all the world thronged 
 the streets in fine array in honor of 
 the festival. 
 
 But her heart was blazing with 
 emotions too deep to care for clashing 
 music and the uniforms and turbans 
 of the passers-by. Life held so little 
 [175]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 hope for her, she was sick at heart. 
 Suddenly a tall unveiled girl advanced. 
 Her thin draperies exposed her limbs 
 far above her knees. Her face was 
 very beautiful, for her features were 
 regular and small, with luminous ex 
 pressive eyes. Her figure was not 
 fully developed, but the soft swell of 
 her bosom was plainly visible, and her 
 body seemed to vibrate with the spirit 
 of youth. The tint of her skin was a 
 rich dark brown, and a suggestion of 
 the panther was in her movements. 
 
 Sayrane leaned forward through the 
 open casement to see her better. The 
 girl looked up, and their eyes met. 
 The admiration and envy in the 
 humbler girl s eyes were unmistak 
 able. The Princess, in her youth 
 and beauty, seemed truly enviable, 
 but as she drew back quickly she 
 [176]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 knew in her heart that she, the envied, 
 was the prisoner, and that the humbler 
 girl was really free. Then she turned 
 suddenly and, dismissing her women, 
 called for Galla. Putting her arms 
 around the faithful creature, she leaned 
 her young head against the slave s 
 true heart, and to her she poured out 
 her secret fears, her grief, her fore 
 bodings. How often in the past had 
 Galla shielded her! How often as 
 a little child she had clung to her 
 hand to be guarded from some imagi 
 nary danger! And now it seemed as 
 if depression would seize her utterly 
 unless Galla would comfort and pro 
 tect. Of late the position had been 
 reversed. With the passing of years 
 Sayrane had become the adviser, had 
 tried to sustain the elder woman, but 
 somehow to-day she felt unnerved as 
 [177]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 though she could no longer stand alone. 
 She needed help; she was afraid; she 
 felt certain something threatened her, 
 some grave danger, and she lacked the 
 courage to go forward. In her agita 
 tion she felt she was doomed there 
 was no escape. It was as if she were 
 trying to hide and found herself alone 
 in the hot desert, and the blazing sun, 
 beating down pitilessly, were defying 
 her to find shelter. 
 
 Silence and fear brood like reptiles, 
 and in the minutes during which 
 Sayrane waited alone for Galla she 
 was growing desperate. But the old 
 slave s calmness and soft quiet voice 
 cooled her feverish thoughts. It was 
 as if under the pitiless sun in the 
 parching heat she had suddenly seen 
 fig trees, and beyond, the cool shaded 
 river; and as Galla caressed and petted 
 [178]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRAN E 
 
 her, the excitement faded. She re 
 gained her composure, and when she 
 came forth again she was serene and 
 dignified, ready to take her part in 
 the day s festivities. Still, in spite 
 of determination, she felt as though 
 something she could not foresee would 
 seize and enwrap her. 
 
 The day had been as are all days 
 in Egypt, perfect in sunshine. The 
 sheen and sparkle in the atmosphere 
 had been so alluring it was like witch 
 ery. Though the skies were cloudless, 
 the air was crisp and cool, now that 
 the sun was descending, for evening 
 was near. 
 
 Togral, who had played brilliantly, 
 now rested in the royal box, because 
 his game would not be finished until 
 the morrow; together they watched 
 the others in the game. Though he 
 [179]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 was privileged always to approach 
 the Princess, though his rights as 
 brother of the Emperor and as member 
 of her future household were un- 
 denied, Yusuf in the distance eyed 
 him with disapproval and with jealous 
 suspicion, but with his crafty dis 
 simulation no one suspected his hatred 
 of the Abyssinian, save Sayrane. 
 
 Something in the girl s face held 
 the ambassador s gaze that day 
 longer than deference dictated. Her 
 eyes were uncovered and he saw them 
 now soft and luminous, and the black 
 lashes touching her cheeks lent tender 
 shadows. Despite her veil he could 
 see the mouth firm and yet tender. 
 Two thick braids of glorious hair 
 reached almost to her knees, and he 
 could see the youthful charms and 
 curves of her young body even through 
 [180]
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 the folds of the burnous she wore. 
 But there was something beyond the 
 beauty of feature and color that held 
 him, something suggesting the power 
 of her mind, the strength and purpose 
 of her life. It was a certain barbaric 
 note held in check by her steady eyes, 
 that puzzled, yet charmed him always. 
 Warm from his exercise Togral 
 beckoned a slave-girl to bring him 
 the cooling drink she served. The 
 girl disappeared for a moment and then 
 reappeared near the box; at that 
 instant the Grand Mufti arose and 
 moved leisurely forward until he stood 
 close beside the Princess s box. Appar 
 ently he was absorbed in the game; 
 his eyes followed the players, and it 
 seemed as if unconsciously he had 
 wandered and stood where he did. 
 Togral had not observed him, for he 
 [181]
 
 too was watching the game; but he 
 was thirsty and longed for the cool 
 ing drink. As he turned impatiently, 
 wondering at the slave s delay, he saw 
 that she was standing beside him. He 
 took the jewelled cup from her hand 
 and courteously offered it first to the 
 Princess; and she accepted it with a 
 smile. But though she raised it to 
 her mouth, the cool beverage never 
 touched her lips, for Yusuf suddenly 
 staggered and caught her by the arm. 
 The liquid spilled, staining her gown, 
 and the Princess, astonished and 
 startled, turned to find the priest pale 
 and faint. "It is only a touch of diz 
 ziness," he explained in answer to her 
 query. But when she saw his face, his 
 embarrassment, and his wild look, she 
 understood; then turning from him, 
 she poured the contents of the cup 
 [182]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 upon the ground. The poisoned drink 
 prepared for Togral had thus failed, 
 but she shuddered when she thought 
 how it might have been drunk by him 
 before her eyes. 
 
 The game was still at its height, 
 but Sayrane had no spirit left to enjoy 
 it. Togral, if he understood, gave no 
 sign. He was politely solicitous of 
 Yusuf s health, but as the priest moved 
 away he spoke no word of him again. 
 Sayrane, though the poisoned cup had 
 failed, felt a thrill of terror at the cold 
 treachery and the audacity of the 
 attempt. She must warn Togral, she 
 told herself, for if Yusuf had once 
 attempted the life of the brother of 
 the mighty Prester John, the life of 
 one who was her father s honored 
 guest, would he not make the attempt 
 again ? 
 
 [183]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 Whatever Yusuf s vices, she knew 
 he was no sybarite; she knew that 
 he was full of energy and power for 
 work. He must know that the steps 
 he had climbed others could climb 
 too. Where his suspicions were once 
 aroused, where he once learned that 
 some person interfered with his plans 
 or stood in his way, she knew that 
 there was but one course he would 
 follow; he would remove the obstacle 
 at whatever risk. Secretly, warily, 
 he would either trick his enemy to 
 his death, or if need be murder him 
 in cold blood. Sayrane had often 
 heard how Yusuf mistrusted his very 
 agents, how he watched them unseen, 
 and now she felt confident he had 
 determined that an accident should 
 remove the brother of Prester John 
 from his path. It would be a bold 
 [184]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 stroke, but Yusuf loved the daring, 
 the spectacular. This was evidenced 
 in one thing in particular the gor- 
 geousness of his dress. On every occa 
 sion when it was possible to do so he 
 laid aside the simple garments of the 
 Moslem to appear in the magnificent 
 ones formerly adopted by the Egyp 
 tian priesthood. He might well fancy 
 that no suspicion would point to him, 
 the head of the Moslem Church. 
 Sayrane trembled and grew sick at 
 heart at the thought that, save for 
 the accident of her having accepted 
 the drink, Togral s death would have 
 been accomplished and no suspicion 
 would have pointed to Yusuf.
 
 CHAP! ER FIFTEEN 
 
 SAYRANE had much to make her 
 miserable; but youth is buoyant, and 
 she was very young. There were times 
 when she almost forgot the burdens 
 she was forced to bear. Her hatred 
 of Yusuf and of her future life faded 
 in the brilliancy of the Egyptian sun 
 shine, and only the joy of living 
 remained. She had warned Togral 
 of the poisoned cup; and while he 
 admitted his own suspicions of the 
 peculiar incident, he impressed her 
 with his fearlessness and his confidence 
 that Yusuf would hesitate to renew 
 the attempt, now that suspicion had 
 been aroused. 
 
 Still, the intensity of the Grand 
 [186]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 Mufti s hatred was a thing to be feared, 
 and it was with a certain solemnity 
 of voice that she warned him. She 
 did not tell him the cause of Yusuf s 
 hatred, yet she half suspected that 
 Togral had divined the man s inten 
 tions toward her, and he was con 
 scious of her horror of the Moslem 
 priest. 
 
 He listened to her quietly, for he 
 loved the timbre of her voice, and 
 though the burden of her words did 
 not escape him, he did not reply 
 at once. He was longing to open 
 his heart to her, to let her understand 
 that a subtle something in her had 
 changed his life, that unseen things 
 were coming to him, that his soul 
 was receiving mystic messages which 
 he was struggling to understand. 
 Should he speak openly? Should he 
 [187]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 tell her all his innermost thoughts? 
 Would frankness help? What if she 
 should scorn the confession of his 
 weakness? He hesitated; it would be 
 blood and agony if he failed, he told 
 himself passionately. And surely the 
 assumption was absurd that she would 
 care. A shiver ran over him when he 
 thought of the possibility of failure; 
 yet why did he fear? why should he, 
 who in ordinary life was devoid of 
 all semblance of fear, find his confidence 
 desert him in the presence of this 
 young girl? why did he feel himself 
 fantastically dwarfed? He felt the 
 sudden need of an access of new courage 
 before he could betray his inner self. 
 In her presence he felt always as 
 if he were in a dream life, and shyness 
 overcame him him who was accus 
 tomed usually to command, who had 
 188] 

 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 seldom considered the feelings of others. 
 But Sayrane like an enchantress had 
 waved her wand, and he had come 
 within its magic circle. 
 
 It was too soon, he dared not yet 
 trust himself to speak. He stared 
 fixedly, unseeing, as he listened to 
 her voice. Gradually a sensation of 
 joy swept over him as he realized 
 she feared for him, but he steadied 
 his voice to answer calmly; and when 
 he finally spoke, the Princess suc 
 cumbed to the lulling influence of 
 his fearlessness, and ended by almost 
 forgetting the fearful scene at the 
 polo grounds. 
 
 They were riding on the edge of the 
 desert, along the banks of the Nile, 
 which was coursing like quicksilver in 
 the sun. On either side a long strip 
 of fertile green stretched like creep- 
 [189] 
 
 oea 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 ing lizards, marking in sharp contrast 
 the desert waste beyond. Sayrane 
 wore a floating green robe that morn 
 ing, and her wonderful hair was caught 
 and bound with a slender gold fillet; 
 while fastened about her head was a 
 silken snood stiffening about her face 
 to protect her eyes from the too 
 glaring sun. As they rode along, the 
 yellow sand seemed a bed of shimmer 
 ing gold beneath their feet, and when 
 they passed green fluttering palms, 
 patterns of enchantment and of myste 
 rious beauty were woven on the golden 
 carpet. Their ride had brought them 
 face to face with absolute perfection. 
 They had seen a building calm in 
 its faultlessness, overwhelming with 
 its stupendous size. They had seen 
 force and dignity and symmetry, and 
 their spirits had been impressed as 
 [190]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 they passed under the polished granite 
 columns, feeling themselves privileged 
 to tread these colonnades and receive 
 within their souls the message it 
 always brings, a message of rever 
 ence and awe. 
 
 Their companions were far behind, 
 following at a respectful distance that 
 they might guard and watch without 
 disturbing them. They were apart 
 from all the world. 
 
 His heart, at first oppressed, had 
 overleaped all boundaries to answer 
 the call of her entrancing beauty and 
 her teasing mood. Her cheeks were 
 flushed from her long exercise. Her 
 scarlet lips parted frequently in smiles, 
 revealing her perfect teeth, and a stray 
 dimple showed saucily, while her eyes 
 were dancing stars, full of mischief. 
 The cold stately Princess he had first 
 [191] 
 
 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 seen was to-day a dimpling girl. She 
 seemed to have forgotten her reserve 
 and her dislike for him. Since the 
 day of the poisoned cup there had 
 been a bond between them in a mutual 
 dislike of Yusuf. Under her change 
 of feeling he felt his emotions were 
 bearing him swiftly beyond self con 
 trol. Somehow this smiling girl with 
 her entrancing loveliness at times 
 mastered all reason in his being. To 
 day she led the way over the sand 
 straight and firm in her saddle and 
 bubbling with the joy of youth. He, 
 happy in her companionship, let his 
 imagination play at will as he followed. 
 Had he forgotten his Christian calling 
 and his mission? It seemed nothing 
 mattered to him but this girl; that 
 together they had reached the summit 
 of the world, where Eden lay before 
 192
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 them. He was the first man, and she 
 his Eve. 
 
 His heart determined over and over 
 again that this one day should be 
 his without regret. "It is too perfect, 
 too splendid to lose," he argued; and 
 so when they reached the swaying 
 mystery of a cool palm, he halted. 
 " Let us rest here," he said, "the shade 
 is so inviting." And as Sayrane was 
 not unwilling, a slave led away their 
 horses, and they stood alone beneath 
 the shadows. Then wandering on, he 
 realized he had never before thoroughly 
 appreciated the restful shade beneath 
 the palm trees. He had needed the 
 glaring yellow sand of the desert to 
 teach him the beauty of their soothing 
 green. Down the paths of the trem 
 bling palms they went, and saw the 
 sunbeams darting tongues of pale fire 
 [193] 
 
 1
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 between the broad leaves. As they 
 walked a sort of ecstasy possessed his 
 being. Beneath leaves of the heaviest 
 palm he found a cool shadowed place. 
 "Come, Princess, let us sit here while 
 we imagine ourselves out of the world, 
 just you and me on earth." His 
 words were jesting and his tone was 
 light, but his eyes flamed into hers 
 as he spoke, and she, catching the 
 spirit of his mood, consented. Not 
 a sound reached them; and as they 
 sat in the soft green shade, he felt 
 the powerful spell she had woven 
 over him. It seemed that sitting with 
 her alone he had at last fulfilled his 
 destiny. He thought that all his life 
 he had waited and watched for her; 
 that could he keep her thus away 
 from all the world, he would be in 
 paradise and content. She was watch- 
 [194] 
 
 if
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 ing him steadily, but without surprise. 
 She, too, was drawn irresistibly. The 
 realities of life had slipped away from 
 her. She had almost a feeling of 
 defiance as she flung them aside. 
 The enchanted stillness and privacy 
 of this domain increased the sense 
 of mystery born of the desert. Far 
 up in the palm branches a faint wind 
 began lightly to stir, but save for 
 this, all was silence. Surely this was 
 a place of dreams.
 
 CHAPTER SIXTEEN 
 
 TOGRAL had seated her with her 
 back to the palm, and he was resting 
 on his arm lying at full length before 
 her. She had removed her snood and 
 sat with half-closed eyes, silent, dream 
 ing. Of what was she thinking? She 
 was a woman on the edge of myste 
 rious possibilities. Surely she possessed 
 a heart worth winning, and she would 
 give all forever to the man she loved; 
 of this he felt convinced. But she 
 would not be won easily, he also felt 
 sure. The man who loved her had best 
 beware of those sleeping fires, because, 
 if once aroused, they would flame to 
 tremendous heights. 
 Sayrane, watching him through half- 
 [196]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 closed lids, was also weaving dreams. 
 She wondered if all men in his country 
 were so good to look upon. Physical 
 strength appeals to woman, and she 
 took pleasure in watching the elastic 
 grace of the man before her. But 
 it was not that alone which touched 
 her: she had forgotten her first dislike. 
 She had learned he was different, 
 vastly different, from her country 
 men. With all his strength and man 
 liness, he was gentle too; and his 
 deference to her, his tender manner 
 to all women, was unusual. It showed 
 a finer nature than she had dreamed 
 man could possess. Was it born in 
 him, or did his Christian faith teach 
 all men gentleness? She remembered 
 his arrival, the spell that had enveloped 
 her when he first entered her presence 
 and put upon her finger the priceless 
 [1971
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 ring of Solomon. She remembered 
 too how she had trembled and her 
 soul had seemed to sink into an abyss 
 of sorrow that she must carry this 
 sign of bondage; and yet with it had 
 been a sensation of triumph that 
 the messenger beneath his calm had 
 shown her a momentary glimpse of 
 his heart. But the personal sense 
 of triumph in her breast when he 
 looked upon her, passed quickly, 
 only a furious rebellion remaining, 
 and it was by a great physical effort 
 that she controlled herself at all. 
 
 But since then her thoughts had 
 altered. She was startled, alarmed, 
 that such a short time could so change 
 her feelings toward the ambassador. A 
 sense of confusion and pain beset her 
 each time she stopped to reason. Was 
 it fated she should take an unsisterly 
 [198]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 interest in the brother of her future 
 lord? A terror overcame her as she 
 pondered, the shadows deepened in her 
 eyes, and all the strength of her char 
 acter was roused so that she fought 
 these subtle thoughts, lest they might 
 enthrone in her heart the image of 
 this other man. Sayrane had a soul 
 made for great things, she had been 
 gifted too at birth with a courage 
 few women possess. Yet in her narrow 
 sphere she could have no chance to 
 show strength of character; only the 
 sacrifice of a woman s heart would 
 be required, and in her world that 
 was counted naught. She chafed that 
 in the little span of years called life 
 she was so keenly aware of what was 
 denied her; could see opportunities 
 only to know them impossibilities. 
 Yet, with all her youth crying aloud 
 199
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 for happiness, she could not deceive 
 herself, she knew she could never take 
 happiness at the expense of nobility. 
 Never could love come to her to be 
 enjoyed at the sacrifice of honor. She 
 belonged to another; the knowledge of 
 it might weigh her down with sorrow, 
 but the golden talisman on her finger 
 bound her as though it were a chain 
 of steel. And she knew as she stood 
 pledged to Prester John, honor com 
 pelled her to give him her allegiance. 
 The man s eyes were on her face. 
 His heart was pulsing rapidly, and it 
 was under warring influences. Was 
 she conscious of his thoughts, as her 
 bosom rose and fell ? Was that quiver 
 ing flutter the magic of passionate 
 wings folding themselves about her? 
 The blood streamed in her veins, 
 and she seemed suddenly shrouded 
 [200]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 in fire. Then she opened her eyes 
 wide and looked full upon him, just 
 as he leaned toward her and whispered: 
 
 "You are so wonderful, Sayrane! 
 Cannot you guess my thoughts?" 
 
 But though she flushed and warmed 
 at his words, she started to rise; 
 and he, seeing her agitation, interpreted 
 it as only a lover could, for his pulses 
 beat the more madly and he rose 
 with her, saying, "Sayrane, my whole 
 being is flooded with delight because 
 of you. You possess my mind as 
 you possess my heart. I think I 
 shall go mad unless you love me in 
 return." Then, as love ran riot in 
 his veins, his arms closed about her 
 and the shrouded fire within her burst 
 into full flame. But only for a moment 
 did he hold her, warm and palpitating, 
 against his heart; for, when he found 
 [201]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 an instant 
 
 felt as though he had been driven 
 from Paradise, and that an angel 
 with a flaming sword stood between 
 them. There was wounded pride in 
 her face; the timid look he had caught 
 but a moment before was replaced 
 by an imperious shyness that held 
 him motionless, and though she still 
 lay against his breast, he felt as if 
 she were fighting him and holding 
 herself aloof. 
 
 There were passionate protest and 
 surprise in his voice when he asked, 
 " Do you not love me, then?" 
 
 The heave of her bosom showed 
 her agitation, and there flared a fierce 
 ness in her eyes as she replied, "What 
 right have I to love?" and then in 
 [202]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 a lower voice, "Would it not be a 
 stain on you to tempt further the 
 promised wife of another man?" 
 
 Togral gazed upon her with admira 
 tion and amazement. This maiden, 
 whose virtue he had roused until 
 she spoke with the dignity of an 
 insulted queen, was more wonderful 
 than ever, and as she leaned upon 
 his breast weeping, he reproached him 
 self for causing her such pain. But 
 his heart was trembling because she 
 no longer fought him, and he said 
 to himself, "I will test her like gold 
 in the fire. What if she should not 
 stand the test? Then I cannot be 
 angered, or censure her for yielding, 
 because it will be for love of me; 
 but if she stands firm, then she is 
 my pearl of priceless value." But 
 aloud he spoke, "Why do you resist 
 [203]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 ^^^ 
 
 I 
 
 Do not tempt me." And she turned 
 pale and trembled so that he was 
 alarmed. Breaking into a laugh that 
 was mingled with sobs and indig 
 nation she said, "It is true I do not 
 love the Emperor," and her eyes 
 flashed like flame as she gazed out of 
 the shadows of her dark lashes, "but 
 I shall keep my father s pledged word." 
 Holding up her hand she continued, 
 "See my ring. Is it not the sworn 
 pledge of the purity of one woman? 
 When I received it, it seemed a mock 
 ery, a horrid jest; but your Emperor 
 was wise oh, so wise for the ring 
 has effected his purpose and proved 
 [204]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 talisman. He trusted 
 lot be wanting ir 
 
 look bespeaking pride because of what 
 she said. With dignity he bowed his 
 head, saying, "Forgive me, Princess, 
 beloved and adored! I alone am un 
 worthy." 
 
 When she looked up, white and 
 trembling, to deny what he had said, 
 he continued, "Beloved Princess, un 
 worthy as I am, I still claim your 
 mercy. I have a story to tell, one 
 which I know now has been too long 
 delayed, for it should have been con 
 fessed the day I sought your court."
 
 CHART ER SEVEN^ EEN 
 
 "SAYRANE, once there lived a man 
 who was all-powerful, whose will was 
 law, and whose heart was cruel. His 
 ancestors had been taught Christi 
 anity by the Apostles, and his house 
 had always been faithful to that 
 creed until he, with the arrogance of 
 a dissipated youth, forswore it. He 
 gloried in his life of pleasure and 
 wickedness. He was bold, he knew 
 not fear, and he said, This life is 
 enough for man. What greater happi 
 ness can he want than power and 
 success in battle? So for years he 
 lived. All bent before his strong 
 will, until he was surfeited, satiated 
 with success. He was tired. Nothing 
 [ 206 ]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 pleased him, and he became, if pos-. 
 sible, more arrogant than ever. In 
 this state of mind he was finally beset 
 with doubt. He had no friend on 
 earth; powerful as he was, he stood 
 alone. Then he saw the hollowness 
 of the life he was leading, and the 
 futility of his aims. What, after all, 
 did it profit him to win kingdoms 
 and countries, if death was inevit 
 able? Suddenly he was seized with a 
 desire for knowledge; something cried 
 out within him that he was made 
 for better things. The pain became 
 unbearable. At night he could not 
 sleep. His arms stretched out towards 
 the distant blue of the starlit skies, 
 and he said, Why should I not be 
 content with my life? He strove 
 against these first stirrings of nature; 
 but to his inward cry, I will be con- 
 [207]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 tent, the small voice within him 
 answered, Shake off these fetters of 
 superstition! Seek knowledge! It can 
 do no harm. At last, one day he 
 sought the silence of the mountains. 
 He toiled over them. Looking down 
 on pits of mists he would set his feet 
 against the steep and struggle upwards. 
 Sometimes the accursed fog shut out 
 the world, but he fought on. It 
 closed in on him like an impalpable 
 wall, and its whiteness overwhelmed 
 him, obscuring the mountains as it 
 closed his eyes. But that evening the 
 fog lifted and he saw the world again. 
 The distant mountains rose purple and 
 glowing to the sky; they changed to 
 gold beneath the setting sun; the dye 
 of crimson-colored cloud melted their 
 golden mists to blood-red hue, and he 
 had a feeling he was gliding toward 
 [208] 
 
 1
 
 PR I NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 an unknown world. The sensation 
 frightened and yet fascinated him. It 
 seemed leading him to depths he could 
 not fathom, leading him to waters far 
 beyond those changing mountains with 
 their clinging clouds. Then it was he 
 sent for the Christian priests and 
 learned their faith anew." 
 
 The Princess had sunk down and was 
 leaning forward slightly as she listened. 
 Her dark luminous eyes were still 
 glistening with recent tears, and her 
 face was slightly flushed. At these 
 last words she caught her breath 
 quickly. At the sound Togral looked 
 inquiringly at her, and she, answering 
 his unspoken question, replied: "Yes, 
 I understand, he became a Christian 
 priest. But what then?" 
 
 Togral gazed at her mournfully, 
 and for an instant he covered his face 
 [209]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 with his hands. Before the beauti 
 ful purity of her eyes his story halted 
 in confusion. In a moment, though, 
 he had recovered his poise, and re 
 sumed. 
 
 "The man became a Christian, 
 Sayrane, and happiness and content 
 filled his life for a while. But he 
 was ambitious, and he was still an 
 egotist. He knew the Emperor well, 
 he knew of the Mohammedan princess 
 he was to marry, and he determined 
 to seek to win her to the true faith." 
 
 At these words Sayrane paled and 
 drew back. 
 
 "And so he planned, in supreme 
 egotism, to come to her country to 
 teach her by his superiority the right 
 faith, and in his anxiety to reach his 
 end he wandered from the road. He 
 forgot that truth was the foundation 
 [210] 
 
 1
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 He stumbled and fell, 
 he came to her with a 
 lie on his lips he failed." 
 
 A lie! Sayrane trembled so she 
 could hardly whisper the question, 
 "What do yoi 
 
 "I am not 
 peror." 
 
 For a moment the Princess was 
 stunned by his avowal. Not the 
 brother of the Emperor! Her brain 
 was in a whirl. She could not reason, 
 but for a wild moment her heart 
 was flooded with joy. At least he 
 had not betrayed his brother in lov 
 ing her. He was worthy still. This 
 thought so completely obsessed her 
 she could not shake off the sense of 
 relief it gave; then she realized that 
 as the Emperor s betrothed wife it 
 should make no difference to her 
 [211]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 what he was. She steadied her voice 
 to ask, "What mariner of man are 
 you to seek even the salvation of a 
 pagan?" 
 
 "Oh, Sayrane, I have not yet the 
 courage to tell you all. Already my 
 deceit has overwhelmed me with un- 
 happiness; and now, because of the 
 scorn you feel, I am crushed. There 
 is no priest brother of the Emperor, 
 and I impostor that I have been- 
 lied to reach your side; to gain you for 
 Christianity, I challenged your pure 
 spirit with untruth! Can you forgive 
 and let me in all humbleness tell you 
 who I am?" 
 
 Sayrane and Togral had been so 
 absorbed they were not conscious of 
 the velvet footfall, nor of the bright 
 cruel eyes of Yusuf, the Moslem priest, 
 who watched them through the palms, 
 [212] 
 
 B
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 and who heard the last words of Togral. 
 He had waited long for the delayed 
 pleasure-seekers in the city, and, grow 
 ing impatient, finally had gone to 
 meet them, only to learn of the secluded 
 spot the Princess and Togral had 
 sought. Jealousy prompted him to 
 follow, and so for several minutes he 
 had watched and listened. He had 
 been conscious too long of the ambas 
 sador s admiration of the Princess to 
 feel surprise, but, though he hated 
 him for it, he had not dared take open 
 steps to prevent their being together. 
 The Emperor s brother must of ne 
 cessity be protected; but the savage 
 glitter in the priest s eyes when he 
 heard Togral s confession boded no 
 good to him. 
 
 The beauty of Sayrane as she 
 sat eagerly listening to Togral, only 
 [213]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 enhanced the hatred Yusuf felt for 
 the handsome Togral who had called 
 forth" her tears and her absorbed 
 interest. The Grand Mufti felt with 
 savage joy he now could work his 
 vengeance openly on the man who 
 stood before him. Long as he had 
 desired to remove him from his path, 
 he had been beset with a lurking 
 fear of the unknown Emperor; and 
 since his failure with the poisoned 
 wine-cup he had feared to call another 
 accident to his aid. 
 
 After Togral had made his confession, 
 he stood looking upon Sayrane with 
 sadness, but with adoration too. For 
 a moment she returned the look, but the 
 ardor of it compelled her gaze to falter, 
 and she half turned away. At this 
 moment, though the sun enveloped 
 her, she felt a chill as if of death, and 
 [214]
 
 PR INCESS SA YRANE 
 
 shuddering, she arose. Unconsciously 
 the presence of Yusuf was affect 
 ing her. Melancholy and depressed, 
 Togral waited for her to speak, to 
 answer his question as to whether 
 he should now disclose his identity. 
 He wished, though he dreaded, the 
 disclosure. 
 
 She drew her scarf more closely 
 about her, like a frightened child, 
 for protection, and answered his look 
 of anxiety with a faint smile. When 
 her countenance was serene again, 
 she said: "Perhaps we have both 
 been to blame. Who am I that I 
 should judge you? I, too, have con 
 cealed something, and I must confess 
 it, but not now. We may be inter 
 rupted at any moment. Come to 
 me to-morrow. I shall send Galla 
 for you, and she will arrange a time." 
 2151
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 Then a timid shyness overcame her, for 
 as her cheek changed from white to 
 red she continued, "You are not a 
 prince,"- at these words Togral winced 
 and flushed to the roots of his hair, 
 "and I am the betrothed of an Em 
 peror, but I trust you. Whoever you 
 are, I know you are worthy." 
 
 Togral started forward impetuously 
 at these words. "Even though in 
 this one thing I have deceived you, 
 I swear I can explain. Listen and 
 learn who I am, and even though 
 you hate me for it afterwards, you 
 shall know the truth." 
 
 "No, I forbid you," she interrupted 
 imperiously. "I will not listen," and 
 the tears in her eyes trembled like 
 moonlight on the water. "What does 
 it matter, when we must separate 
 forever? Your Christian faith teaches 
 [216
 
 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 
 
 YUSUF, the Moslem priest, sat alone. 
 He had given orders to his slaves that 
 nothing should interrupt him that 
 evening. He had food for thought, 
 and he wished to feel freedom from 
 restraint. Here in his own home, be 
 hind closed doors at least, he felt he 
 could allow the expression of his face 
 to show his mind. Concealment was 
 not necessary. All the serenity and 
 composure he assumed in public could 
 be laid aside fearlessly; and surely 
 he had done it, for the wickedness his 
 evil mind was planning lay written 
 on his brow. Raging with fury at 
 the thought of Sayrane s love for the 
 stranger, it seemed as if a thousand 
 [218]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 devils possessed him. In his agita 
 tion he clenched his hands and the 
 veins in his face were near to bursting. 
 The Princess hated him, he knew, 
 but she also feared him; and now he 
 had a weapon to use that he believed 
 she could not withstand. Yet the 
 thought gave him no pleasure. Not 
 that he scrupled to demand her for 
 himself at any price; but the thought 
 that Sayrane would yield herself to 
 him only because her love for the 
 stranger impelled her in its overwhelm 
 ing strength to do so to save his life, 
 maddened him. It was intolerable to 
 contemplate, but he would take her on 
 any terms. He had too long desired 
 to hold her beautiful young body in his 
 arms; to press his mouth against her 
 ripe, red lips; to watch the light in her 
 brilliant eyes soften with the love he 
 [219]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 would teach her to let a single chance 
 escape him. To scent the sweet per 
 fume of her hair against his breast, 
 as she leaned against him in an attitude 
 of affection, he would barter his soul. 
 Women are all alike. Love is never 
 compelled, and therefore, given time, 
 he still might win her. 
 
 As he sat musing thus in savage 
 thought, he trembled in anger at what 
 he had discovered, for though Sayrane 
 had not confessed her love for Togral 
 he felt instinctively she cared. Her 
 tears, her agitation showed it. There 
 fore death in horrible form was to be 
 the portion of this deceiver. His life 
 was a small matter to be considered, 
 since he had dared to interfere with 
 Yusuf, the high and mighty priest. 
 That were crime enough, but if Sayrane 
 could be gained by the promise of 
 [220]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 his life, well, he should live, for a 
 time at least. After her irrevocable 
 vow to him had been taken, of what 
 use would be the life of the stranger? 
 An accident could remove him; no 
 open violence should be employed. 
 With an ugly look in his eyes as he 
 smiled, he said aloud, "I shall not fail 
 this time." Then he drew from his 
 pocket a gold key, and laid it on the 
 table before him. A glittering thing 
 it was, innocent in appearance, but 
 how many fatalities it had hidden from 
 view! After a few moments Yusuf 
 picked it up, and approaching a great 
 statue of white marble that stood 
 conspicuous in a corner of the room, 
 swung it slowly on its base until a 
 small panel in the wall was disclosed. 
 This he carefully felt, for it was so 
 skilfully made no opening could be 
 [221]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 seen. He touched a spring and it 
 opened slowly, revealing a door, and 
 into this the key was inserted. 
 Another second, and the door had 
 swung open as if by magic, showing 
 a long, low-roofed corridor. Seizing 
 a taper standing near, he lighted it, 
 and passed through. 
 
 The walls of the corridor were 
 covered with pictures, and one could 
 vaguely distinguish allegorical scenes, 
 explained doubtless by the hiero 
 glyphics under them. The atmosphere 
 of the corridor was stifling with the 
 stored-up heat, the accumulation of 
 the centuries during which the hot 
 glare of Egypt s sun had beat down 
 upon the sands that covered it. For 
 a second Yusuf hesitated and looked 
 back. His whole body felt the depres 
 sion of his surroundings, but his indom- 
 [222]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 liable will arose to aid him, and he 
 proceeded. He passed from the 
 corridor into a wide room. This was 
 decorated with figures in postures of 
 adoration before the sacred scarab. 
 Serpents, too, were traced in azure 
 blue, all symbolic, and telling the his 
 tory of the unknown past. He skirted 
 the walls and entered a low gallery with 
 two turnings. Choosing one Yusuf 
 quickened his steps, for the heat was 
 becoming almost unbearable. The 
 flicker from the taper lit a space of 
 several feet about him, and he moved 
 along almost without looking. Sud 
 denly he stopped and, leaning for 
 ward, held the light straight in front 
 of him. Not a foot away yawned 
 a great black gulf, a bottomless pit. 
 It was cunningly contrived, for only 
 knew the way could shun 
 [223]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 it. Black and hideous it yawned, 
 hardly visible on the black floor over 
 which he trod, but Yusuf knew it 
 well and could safely walk to within 
 a foot of it. Many a victim of his 
 dislike lay hidden there. Where did 
 it lead? To the very centre of the 
 earth, it seemed, and the heat arising 
 from it was deadly. Only for an 
 instant did the head of the Ulema 
 gaze upon it, because even he, with 
 his strong nerves and callous nature, 
 could not endure the sight unmoved; 
 then quickly retracing his steps he 
 slid the concealed panel into place, 
 and returned the key to his pocket. 
 
 For an hour or more he sat alone 
 thinking out his evil plans, and when 
 he arose he seemed well pleased with 
 them. 
 
 The call for evening prayer had 
 [224]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 sounded; from every mosque and 
 minaret the cry had rung out. Allah 
 is great! Mohammed is his Prophet! 
 Every good Mussulman was kneeling 
 on his little square of carpet, counting 
 his prayer beads. The gold and 
 crimson light sparkled on the pointed 
 spires of the mosques. The desert 
 mountains along the waste appeared 
 old and wrinkled and had a set, deter 
 mined look, as though they felt the 
 responsibility that had been thrust 
 upon them in being set to guard this 
 kingdom of sunfire. For every color 
 in Egypt came with a breath of flame, 
 and the hot air of the desert dropped 
 in veilings of opal and topaz. 
 
 The day had passed slowly for 
 
 Togral; to him the firmament had 
 
 lost its fathomless depth of blue, its 
 
 brilliant transparency; he could see 
 
 [225] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 no cloud, but the very sky seemed 
 troubled. Even the sun appeared 
 pale, languid, and shorn of its dazzling 
 lustre. Nature seemed to correspond 
 with his mood. 
 
 After leaving Sayrane, in the silence 
 of the night he had brooded over his 
 words with the Caliph s daughter. 
 Would she forgive him his deception? 
 On maturer thought, could she? Even 
 when sleep came to him it was fitful 
 and full of uneasy dreams, and to-day 
 he was still more troubled. He knew 
 now that he loved the Princess with an 
 overmastering passion, which would 
 overleap all boundaries, even those of 
 her religion, but in his heart he pon 
 dered long. How pathetic she had 
 looked when she raised the cry that had 
 pierced him to the heart! "It would 
 be a stain upon your manhood to tempt 
 [226]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 further the promised 
 He loathed himself 
 
 Why was it? Perhaps her proud spirit 
 had conquered and she regretted her 
 moment of weakness, for though she 
 had not given him her lips or confessed 
 her love, he felt she would never have 
 yielded to his arms unless her heart 
 were wholly his. Still, if she regretted 
 her momentary weakness she would not 
 call him. Thus he sat or moved about 
 in the gathering shadows, conjuring 
 thoughts that tormented his heart, 
 and thus Galla found him when at last 
 she brought her mistress s summons. 
 
 He was admitted into a part of 
 the Princess s palace he had never 
 [227]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 before entered. Wonderingly he fol 
 lowed the silent Galla through long 
 corridors and narrow doorways, till 
 finally she stopped before what seemed 
 a blank wall. Then at a signal given 
 by a gentle tap a panel slid back, 
 and she bade him enter alone. 
 
 Astonished, Togral passed through 
 the opening. The slave gently closed 
 the panel, remaining on the other side, 
 and Togral found himself face to face 
 with the Princess. But bewilderment 
 seized him the more, for she was 
 standing in a chapel clasping close 
 to her breast a crucifix! Amazed by 
 such a sight, Togral, in the greatest 
 agitation, gazed about him. As his 
 eyes became accustomed to the dim 
 light, he could make out a small 
 room fitted up as a sanctuary; a cross 
 with the Christ upon it stood above 
 [228]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 sensations 
 helplessly 
 
 Togral, you know my secret, 
 long been a Christian." 
 
 Then it came upon him with an 
 intensity that took his breath that 
 this was the intangible thing he had 
 felt so often in her presence; he had 
 been groping in the darkness for her 
 soul, and all the while it had been 
 on the summit in the broad sunshine. 
 Why had he been so blind? He sank 
 upon his knees and clasped her hand. 
 He could not understand, but with 
 a cry of thanksgiving in his heart he 
 begged her forgiveness. Before the 
 altar she broke the silence and told 
 him how her mother was a Christian, 
 [229]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 and how, when she, Sayrane, was 
 old enough, she had been carefully 
 prepared and taught the faith, -- but 
 secretly, because only death could have 
 followed had the King s daughter 
 been discovered practising the for 
 bidden faith. Even the Sultan could 
 not have saved her, and so he 
 had never known. But Gal la knew, 
 because she too was of the faith; 
 together they had fitted up this secret 
 room, making a sanctuary for their 
 prayers, and no person, save under 
 their guidance, could find the sanctum. 
 The mother s tender love had feared 
 for her daughter s life, and she had 
 been obliged to let her openly live 
 as befitted the daughter of the Caliph. 
 She obeyed the mandates of her country 
 and worshipped apparently as a devout 
 follower of Mohammed; and with 
 [230]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 remorse in her heart the mother com 
 pelled the child to observe in public 
 the customs of the Moslems. Thus 
 Sayrane grew up a Christian, and 
 though she was obliged to pass as 
 a Mohammedan she carried in her 
 heart the sanctity of her faith. How 
 clear it all seemed to Togral now! 
 Why had he never suspected it before? 
 The intellect of Sayrane had de 
 veloped under these wonderful truths; 
 as the difficulties and apprehensions 
 of her mother increased, the child 
 became calmer and more reasoning, 
 and at the age of twelve, when her 
 mother died, she found herself able 
 to lead and counsel Gal la. The love 
 and devotion of these two lone women, 
 struggling in the darkness that en 
 veloped them, was firm and strong; 
 and on rare occasions, when they 
 [231]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 could meet some Christian priest to 
 whom they were able to tell their 
 faith, he was impressed with the 
 sublime unselfishness of their lives 
 and the pure ideals they cherished. 
 
 Although Togral remained a long 
 time with Sayrane in the chapel, 
 the hours passed swiftly. She had 
 so much to tell him and he was so 
 absorbed in the great truth she had 
 confessed, so overwhelmed in the happi 
 ness it brought him, that he remained 
 unconscious of the flight of time. 
 He had come to her with the full 
 determination to bare his own soul, 
 and to leave her only when full con 
 fession should be made. Yet in leav 
 ing her the judge of his conduct he 
 felt he must paint his temptations, 
 and though admitting he had sinned, 
 he would plead his great love now as 
 [232]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 extenuating in some degree his deceit. 
 His heart beat high with fear at the 
 thought, but there was strong hope, 
 too, within his breast, for perhaps 
 when she learned the truth her sen 
 tence might be merciful. He had just 
 gained the courage to begin his tale 
 when there came a faint knock upon 
 the panel, and in a moment, as it slid 
 open, they saw Galla had entered. 
 
 "Your Highness, they await you 
 without," she said, "and the Caliph 
 in his council chamber urges haste." 
 
 Then Togral remembered the day 
 which until now he had entirely for 
 gotten, and prepared to leave at once. 
 As he bent low over Sayrane s hand 
 in parting, he swore that early the 
 next morning would find him with 
 her again, when his heart in its entirety 
 should be revealed to her. 
 [233] 

 
 CHAPTER NINETEEN 
 
 IN the centre of a great building, 
 extending through to the dome, was 
 a large room high and round. At 
 the second story ran a gallery sup 
 ported by slender pillars in double 
 row and delicately carved. From this 
 central chamber many great halls led 
 to the principal entrances. This was 
 the council chamber of the Caliph 
 of Egypt, and it was here the laws 
 were discussed and made. It was a 
 room of splendid appearance and size; 
 the ceiling and the walls were carved 
 in attractive and curious figures and 
 inlaid with precious stones. The 
 woods and jewels gleamed in varied 
 hues. Marbles, too, of every color 
 [234]
 
 PRINCESS SA Y RANE 
 
 single and combined-- jaspers, mala 
 chites, and porphyry - - ornamented 
 the smooth floor, and were inlaid in 
 such perfection that they shone like 
 jewels themselves. Around the struc 
 ture there could be seen gardens with 
 beautiful flowers and shrubs. 
 
 It was midnight and a stormy 
 scene was being enacted in the coun 
 cil chamber. Yusuf had provoked it: 
 and as the accuser he stood majesti 
 cally forward pointing his finger at the 
 Sultan s honored guest, the ambas 
 sador from Abyssinia. The session 
 had been unusually long, and Togral, 
 as had been his custom since his 
 arrival in Egypt, was present. 
 
 As they were about to disperse, 
 
 Yusuf had produced the sensation. 
 
 Stepping forward, he paused a moment 
 
 before the gathered members and 
 
 [235] 
 
 tm^mt
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 begged their attention. He had, so 
 he said, an important communication 
 to make, one, he believed, that would 
 interest them all, one which he deemed 
 it his duty to convey to the Caliph 
 and his trusted advisers. 
 
 His first words startled the council. 
 The consternation became great when 
 he added, "We have a traitor in our 
 midst!" Voices were raised in confu 
 sion, words were hurriedly exchanged, 
 but Yusuf stood calm, unflinching, 
 and unyielding before the storm he 
 had raised. "Speak! Explain your 
 words!" and similar exclamations 
 greeted him from all sides. "Patience! 
 Patience!" he commanded. "I in 
 tend to give a full and complete ex 
 planation of my charge; but I shall 
 stipulate in advance, that since I 
 alone have discovered the crime, to 
 [236]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 me alone shall be given the privilege 
 of punishment. Do you consent?" 
 In the desire of each to be freed of 
 the charge that, if proven, meant death, 
 they gave an unhesitating assent and 
 clamored for the explanation. 
 
 Then said the Grand Mufti: "Listen 
 attentively! There is a King whom 
 we all know and honor, a king proud 
 of his dignity, alive to all his responsi 
 bilities, capable of the management 
 of the largest, the gravest affairs. 
 Firm in his friendships, implacable 
 when his just resentment has been 
 aroused, he honors a brave foe, for 
 he is a lion in courage; but no mercy 
 will he show to a rebel or to a secret 
 enemy. For such a one the sentence 
 of death is decreed, nor dare any man 
 speak even in his defence. I come 
 to you all in honesty and sincerity of 
 [237]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 purpose to tear the mask of dissimula 
 tion from the face of such a man!" 
 
 The calm voice, the full tones, the 
 dignified bearing of the head of the 
 Ulema were impressive in their effect. 
 Every man shivered in thought at 
 what the next words might be, for 
 many of those present were unscru 
 pulous, many in their heart of hearts, 
 and in the secrecy of covert patriotic 
 conferences, had exchanged mutual 
 hopes and plans for the autonomy 
 of their country; moreover each good 
 Mussulman felt that in his love of 
 gain he had sometimes overstepped 
 the bounds of prudence and had been 
 guilty of some act which might count 
 against him, especially in the hands 
 of the crafty Yusuf. Each sought 
 and fingered his beads in apparent 
 devotion, to attest his innocence, but 
 [238] 
 
 MBB 
 
 M
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 each trembled with terror of the fate 
 that might be overhanging him. Then 
 it was, after a dramatic pause and at 
 the crucial moment, when the silence 
 was complete and ominous, when ex 
 pectancy had been strained to the 
 breaking point, that the Grand Mufti 
 raised his hand with a theatrical 
 motion and pointing straight at Togral, 
 cried: "I denounce that man!" 
 
 Though the excitement and confusion 
 that followed were intense, it was 
 apparent that each wily member of 
 the council felt an undoubted personal 
 relief. The Sultan rose in his seat 
 in his excitement; but Togral, though 
 pale with anger, maintained his com 
 posure. As the tumult subsided he 
 arose and faced the angered gathering. 
 It was some minutes, however, before 
 his voice could be heard. "Your 
 [239]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 Majesty!" he said at last, "the charge 
 you have just heard is most general; 
 I must beg to be informed of what 
 I stand accused." 
 
 The Sultan in agitation turned to 
 Yusuf and bade him explain his words. 
 
 "I speak advisedly," said Yusuf, 
 "when I denounce this man as an 
 impostor and not the brother of the 
 Emperor." 
 
 Togral, who had been prepared to 
 face an accusation of crime, was taken 
 totally unawares by the nature of 
 the attack. For an instant he lost 
 his serenity, for he remembered that 
 the Princess alone knew his secret. 
 The horror of the thought that she 
 had betrayed him was overwhelming, 
 but in an instant he cast it aside as 
 unworthy both of him and of her. 
 He collected himself at once, and 
 [240]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 when he faced Yusuf, he felt ashamed 
 that a momentary doubt of Sayrane s 
 loyalty had even for so brief a time 
 assailed him. 
 
 "So this is the accusation," he cried, 
 as he frowned upon the council with 
 an imperious air, "and what if I do 
 not choose to disclaim it?" 
 
 "He is insolent, as well as an im 
 postor!" cried Yusuf. "He dare not 
 deny the charge!" Grave and tried 
 men as they were, the suddenness 
 of the attack and the astonishing 
 character of the news, as well as 
 Togral s manner of meeting the charge, 
 palsied their minds. Yusuf completely 
 dominated them, and they saw wisdom 
 in his advice to keep all knowledge 
 of the trick that had been played upon 
 them from the Emperor. He was 
 due to reach the capital city in a 
 [241]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 few days. Who could tell how the 
 haughty monarch would relish the 
 news that the Sultan s court, as 
 well as his own promised bride, had 
 received on terms of intimacy the 
 impostor, who had not merely assumed 
 the functions and privileges of an 
 accredited ambassador, but had as 
 a crowning act of insolence passed 
 himself as a brother of the haughty 
 Prester John? 
 
 The Abyssinian, it was true, had 
 been wily in his trickery, for, besides 
 the ring of Solomon, besides the other 
 magnificent gifts, he had even brought 
 the golden tablet, which contained an 
 order for free conduct through every 
 part of the Emperor s dominions; 
 but if he had stolen them that would 
 not be accepted as an excuse by the 
 haughty autocrat, and he would hold 
 [242]
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 them to strict account. Togral had 
 been so clever with his letters and cre 
 dentials that he had been admitted 
 to intimacy in the palace, even with 
 its most honored and most cherished 
 inmate, the future Empress of Abys 
 sinia. Would not the haughty Prester 
 John resent this? So eloquently argued 
 Yusuf that even the Caliph gladly con 
 sented to wash his hands of the affair, 
 the others were quick to follow, and 
 the plea of Togral that he be allowed 
 to see the Emperor was coldly denied. 
 Then the Abyssinian, grave but persist 
 ent, said: "0 wise men of Egypt, you 
 will regret your haste. There are po 
 tent reasons why I cannot defend my 
 self now, but once in your Emperor s 
 presence I swear to you that all 
 can be explained." 
 
 "He would have you torn limb from 
 243] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 limb," scowled Yusuf angrily; "and 
 what of us," he almost shrieked, "who 
 have played the fool to your wishes?" 
 So the case was argued. The de 
 cision went against the stranger, and 
 he was given over to death, while the 
 choosing of the penalty was left to 
 the Grand Mufti. 
 
 [244]
 
 PRACTICAL philosophy teaches the 
 wise man that laughter is preferable 
 to tears; only small minds meet the 
 tragedies and comedies of life with 
 indifference; to face misfortune and 
 death with courage, that is true forti 
 tude. 
 
 Alone in the prison to which he 
 had been immediately taken the con 
 demned pondered silently. So this 
 was the end of it all; the end of his 
 ambitions, his aim, his hopes. Was 
 it really true that he, Togral the 
 warrior, was to meet an ignominious 
 death he who had once been in 
 vincible in battle? Was he to be 
 crushed out of the world like a worm 
 [245]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 and by such a man as the Moslem 
 Ulema? A word could save him, one 
 whispered sentence, if he could use 
 it in honor to himself. But he had 
 come to Egypt against all dictates 
 of wisdom, and in doing so had sworn 
 an oath. Should mere fear of death 
 now compel him to break that oath, 
 he would be judged a coward. No, 
 he could not condescend to beg and 
 whine for life. Dear as it was, he 
 would lose it first. But his heart 
 rose in his mouth when he thought 
 of Sayrane. He felt that could he 
 live he might win her respect and 
 perhaps even her love. Now, he 
 wondered, did she really care? In 
 the future years would she count 
 his devotion enough, and forgive him 
 the part he had played to deceive 
 her? He had written her all. After 
 [246]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 his death, at least, she would know 
 how great had been his temptation. 
 What a revelation the Princess of 
 Egypt had been to him! She was 
 so wonderful in mind and in soul, 
 and withal so girlish in her earnest 
 ness of purpose. She carried the 
 spiritual symbol of holiness and worth 
 upon her brow. Hitherto he had not 
 given much thought to women, save 
 as selfish pretty playthings, to be 
 petted or spoiled if good; to be avoided 
 or shunned if evil. But this girl had 
 taught him what his religion had 
 failed to impress, his own unworthi- 
 ness. She had given him humble 
 ness of spirit. She had taught him 
 that self must be controlled if one 
 would be truly great; and he smiled 
 half bitterly as he recalled the scorn 
 ful superiority he felt when he came 
 2471
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 to Egypt to convert her to Christianity. 
 Even then she was bathed in its 
 purity and warmth. Though he did 
 not know it, he felt at the first 
 contact that she was worthy; now 
 that death was inevitable he must go 
 without proving to her that he too 
 was worthy. 
 
 He felt that the spark of love she 
 had first kindled had now reached 
 heights that enveloped his soul, and 
 that its burning flame had purified and 
 redeemed him. He would never see 
 her again; she would never know his 
 struggle, his temptation to live at 
 any price. But at least she would 
 partly understand his fight. He 
 realized at last that there had always 
 been two types of man in him. Until 
 he met her, one had dominated com 
 pletely. It was as though the other 
 [248]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 durst not speak. Now he knew the 
 silent voice, held in subjection and 
 crushed, was the highest type of man 
 hood. He realized that to obliterate 
 a selfish self would have made him 
 nobler. But in spite of the imminence 
 of death, in spite of the thought, 
 the bitter thought, of leaving Sayrane, 
 there was a strange sense of content, 
 almost exultation in the memory that 
 she alone had taught him the way. 
 It was as though a great storm had 
 sprung suddenly out of the heavens 
 uprooting trees and flooding the lands; 
 but afterwards the golden disc of 
 the sun had shone brilliantly and the 
 storm was over, and as it smiled on 
 the grief-stricken land, the land had 
 smiled back, because the sun seemed 
 to say, "All is well. Everything you 
 have lost will come back to you more 
 [249]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 beautiful than ever." And so he 
 calmly reasoned it would be with him. 
 Even though life were lost with its 
 cloud of passion, through the gates 
 of death he would gain. Suddenly 
 as if impelled by some hidden influence 
 he raised his eyes, and there before 
 him, gloating over his fall, stood his 
 enemy. Sleek, suave, and cruel the 
 Moslem priest advanced, and in his 
 velvety voice began: 
 
 "In our country a man s dying 
 request is sometimes granted, there 
 fore, if not impossible, I have come 
 to give you yours." 
 
 For a moment Togral gazed upon 
 him without reply. It seemed as if 
 he were trying to read his very soul. 
 Then he answered haughtily: "I have 
 none to make of you, but scoundrel 
 as you are, you will tell me one thing 
 [250
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 before we part. Where did you learn 
 my secret?" 
 
 Then Yusuf put forth his master 
 stroke of fiendishness and spoke. 
 
 "You are young or you would not 
 need to ask the question. Do you 
 not know there is a supreme moment 
 when a man and woman who love 
 trust each other utterly? When they 
 tell all that lies in their hearts? That 
 moment came to me one night when 
 I held the Princess in my arms." 
 
 "Liar and devil!" cried Togral 
 hoarsely, as, infuriated with rage, he 
 sprang and caught him by the throat. 
 "Your black soul is dyed the blacker 
 for your words. No matter how you 
 learned it, you learned it not from her." 
 
 In the Abyssinian s powerful hands 
 Yusuf would have fared badly had 
 they been alone. But the cry Togral 
 [251
 
 noise 
 
 help. Yusuf 
 unguarded 
 powered a
 
 THE rose-tinted dawns and the 
 amethystine dusks were as beauti 
 ful as ever in Egypt, but their witchery 
 was gone for Sayrane. What fatality 
 was it that seemed to envelop and 
 shroud her always in misery greater 
 than she could bear? The fog clouding 
 her future had seemed to lift and give 
 her a momentary glimpse of the sun 
 as she stood in the desert talking to 
 Togral, and again, the calm spirit 
 of Christianity had enveloped and 
 strengthened her when she met him 
 in her chapel. But now, as she knelt 
 on the floor in agony, she realized 
 what this one man s death would 
 mean to her. 
 
 [253]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 "There is no use," she cried trem 
 ulously. "Oh, God! I cannot pray! 
 He must live! he must live!" were her 
 despairing words; and as she raised 
 her head in the glimmering light of 
 the dawn and saw the stars fading 
 in the celestial blue, she trembled, 
 for another day was born. 
 
 She loved Togral. There was no 
 room for other thought; no denial, 
 no excuse. For her the universe held 
 but him. She could not reason, 
 neither could she think. The silent 
 flood of passion so long held within 
 bounds broke loose suddenly in her 
 solitude, and the terrible knowledge 
 of his imprisonment was her torment. 
 She was stricken with an immense 
 sorrow that left her in a fury with 
 life. Why had Nature singled her 
 out to fight? Why had it taken such 
 [254]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 means to distort her life? She could 
 not conceive of the world without 
 Togral now. The revelation of her 
 own love had overwhelmed her, that 
 love that she had denied and fought, 
 but which now held her with an in 
 tensity that dwarfed all else. It was 
 stronger because of its hitherto un 
 conscious existence; like a far-off echo 
 she heard a voice which seemed to 
 tell her she had loved him from the 
 first. 
 
 Sayrane, when she first heard of 
 the scene in the council room, went 
 stormily to her father (for she was a 
 petted child), demanding the acquittal 
 of Togral. But the Commander of 
 the Faithful met her coldly, and fright 
 ened, she pleaded and begged most 
 humbly for his life. But all to no 
 purpose. The Caliph even reproved 
 [255
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 her for her passionate prayers, and 
 scornfully reminded her that as a 
 Princess of Egypt the man s life was 
 nothing to her. Cowering now on 
 the floor she realized at last how much 
 she valued this life. She knew fully 
 that he possessed her heart, her very 
 being. The dawn was here. She 
 saw the glorious pink reflections in 
 the sky. She saw the illusion of 
 mountain hanging peak downward 
 through the mirage hovering over the 
 desert. She saw the phantom of the 
 misshapen mountain rise until be 
 tween the air currents it lifted, dis 
 torted and cloud-like, higher and 
 higher, until suddenly across the sands 
 the mountain was seen standing as 
 nature had made it. Then slowly 
 familiar objects appeared. Across 
 the river floated wild fowl, and she 
 [256]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 heard their hoarse cries. Trees, 
 bushes, grass stood revealed. 
 
 She knew the dawn had come, 
 but to her it brought no hope; she 
 felt only a grim isolation. All night 
 she had walked her room, stunned 
 and wordless over this thing she could 
 not fight. Finally, exhausted, she had 
 wept, crouching on her knees in a wild 
 abandonment of grief and hopelessness 
 at the vista of years reaching on to the 
 edge of the world where death is. 
 
 At last she rose weak but determined; 
 and in the yellowish light of the morn 
 ing, though her face was deadly pale, 
 the graceful girlish figure was erect, 
 and firmness was written across her 
 brow. 
 
 There was one way. Yusuf had 
 offered his terms to her. Togral 
 should live, provided she became the 
 [257] 
 
 MM 
 
 a
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 Grand Mufti s wife! With her white 
 teeth clenched she had listened to the 
 priest, pondering well his words. But 
 as he spoke his evil thoughts, her pure 
 eyes met his swiftly, and though she 
 grew rigid and colorless, she answered 
 guardedly, "Give me time to think." 
 The priest, assuming that she had 
 begun to yield, kissed her hand 
 and promised. Afterwards Sayrane 
 washed and rubbed the spot his hot 
 lips had touched. But this dawn she 
 matched her strength with Yusufs; 
 though to ask aid of the hated Emperor 
 was as gall and wormwood to her proud 
 spirit, she was now speeding to him a 
 messenger, one that Yusuf even with 
 an army of men could not arrest on its 
 mission, one from whom the Emperor 
 alone would receive her summons a 
 royal pigeon. 
 
 [258] 
 
 I
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 Prester John had established a well 
 organized system of posts connecting 
 all parts of his dominions with his 
 capital. Relays of horses were held 
 at each posting-station and twice each 
 week the Emperor received reports 
 from all portions of his realm. But 
 his pigeon posts were even greater 
 marvels. Wherever he might be, this 
 wonderful system kept him in almost 
 constant touch with the most distant 
 portions of his domain. The various 
 stations were but a half-day s flight 
 apart, and personal communication 
 with the stations was always main 
 tained. Among the gifts Togral had 
 brought the Princess, were several 
 of these homing pigeons that she 
 might communicate with the Emperor 
 if she so desired, but until now Say- 
 rane had scorned their use. 
 [259]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 The royal pigeons had a distinguish 
 ing mark and when one of these arrived 
 with a despatch, none was permitted 
 to detach the parchment save Prester 
 John himself. So stringent were 
 his orders that were he dining or 
 sleeping or even in the bath he would 
 nevertheless be immediately informed 
 and would at once proceed to detach 
 the message. Thus the Princess knew 
 there would be no miscarriage of her 
 call to the Emperor.
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY 
 TWO 
 
 YlJSUF S life of deception and fraud 
 had imbedded suspicion in him too 
 deeply for it to be cast aside even 
 for the woman he loved. On the 
 surface of things he seemed to trust 
 her. Yet there was an undercurrent 
 of thought that bade him protect 
 himself. He lied to the Princess when 
 he promised her that Togral should 
 be given his liberty as soon as she 
 became his wife, for even at that 
 moment he had already put his signa 
 ture upon the death warrant, and the 
 preparations were complete for the 
 execution of the sentence. He half 
 suspected that she hesitated in her 
 answer in order to gain time; should 
 [261]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 she be trying to deceive him, he would 
 at least have the satisfaction of having 
 taken the man s life. On the other 
 hand should she really marry him, 
 he could impress upon her the fact 
 that he had hidden Togral securely 
 in one of his far-away palaces, the 
 better to insure his safety. Once she 
 was his, he would care nothing for her 
 reproaches, even were she to learn the 
 truth. He weighed well all the con 
 sequences and he felt absolute safety 
 in his plans. Then, too, though he 
 did not believe Togral s claim to a 
 close intimacy with the Emperor, he 
 had been secretly impressed with the 
 prisoner s calm dignity when assert 
 ing that all he desired was a meeting 
 with Prester John. Indeed, all told, 
 it were safer to put the man out of 
 harm s way. 
 
 [262]
 
 ^^m 
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 Powerful and lithe as the Abys 
 sinian was, he was no match for the 
 two men who led him from his prison. 
 Bound and fettered as he was, a 
 Samson might have been led by a 
 child. Blindfolded he was led through 
 the passage opened by the golden 
 key. Once in the corridor, his eyes 
 were unbound, and he found him 
 self facing but one man. For an 
 instant hope revived in his breast. 
 If he could only free his hands he 
 might strangle the thick-set man be 
 fore him. But as he looked about 
 him in the low-roofed corridor he 
 felt that even should that hope come 
 to fruition death would be almost in 
 evitable in the hot, stifling vault. 
 He knew no clue to a way of escape, 
 and he would meet his end by a slower 
 and more horrible agony. Still, once 
 [263]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 free, master of his own movements, 
 he was willing to trust his own ability 
 to fight his way to the outer air, to 
 freedom. The jailer had not stirred; 
 motionless, silent, he faced his prisoner. 
 Growing gradually accustomed to the 
 dim light, Togral was surprised to 
 find the man s attitude respectful, 
 and that the figure seemed somewhat 
 familiar to him. Togral had no 
 time to lose in conjecture, however; 
 he quickly asked the jailer whether 
 after he had executed his errand 
 he would agree to deliver a message 
 to the Princess Sayrane, promising 
 that she would reward him with a 
 purse of gold for the service. Until 
 then the man had neither moved 
 nor spoken, but at these words he 
 lifted his mask and revealed a pair 
 set, red eyes in a face of ashy
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 whiteness beneath an abundance of 
 snow-white hair. It was the strange 
 man who had approached him in the 
 desert the day he rode there with 
 the Princess. Then for a moment 
 his heart bounded with hope. Could 
 he not buy his life with promised 
 riches? He offered a fortune; he 
 promised power; but the man shook 
 his head in an impatient negative. 
 For the first time he spoke: 
 
 "For your money I have no need. 
 Power I shall not live to enjoy. Your 
 message you may deliver yourself." 
 Stooping, he untied the hands of 
 his prisoner and unshackled his feet. 
 
 Togral asked himself what manner 
 of man could this be who spurned 
 gold and power, even refusing thanks 
 for what he had done. His strange 
 companion evidently read his thoughts, 
 [265]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 for he said: "What I do is not done 
 for love of you, but to satisfy my 
 hatred of the man -who sent you here. 
 You would have met your death a 
 few steps beyond." Leading the way, 
 the Greek for he it proved to be - 
 showed the two turnings. "That road 
 leads to eternity; this, to the Mokattam 
 Hills. Once there you will be in 
 complete safety. Let us away!"
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY- 
 THREE 
 
 streaks had scarcely laced the sky 
 before the palace of Sayrane gave 
 signs of busy life. Indeed, all night 
 the preparations had gone on, and 
 scarcely had the fire gleams from the 
 morning sun gilded tfie Princess s 
 apartments before she herself arose, 
 and her maid prepared her bath. 
 When she emerged, swathed in a 
 thin white gown, ready for her toilet, 
 her flesh gleamed in wonderful trans 
 parency; a light seemed to permeate 
 it. The aromatic oils that had been 
 rubbed on her fine skin made it soft 
 as velvet. Had she seen her image 
 [267]
 
 a 
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 in the metal mirror, she would have 
 been astonished at her own exquisite 
 beauty, but she had no eyes for that; 
 her thoughts were all-absorbing. 
 
 Her private apartments were splen 
 did. Royal columns, crowned with 
 lotus leaves, upheld the blue ceiling. 
 Panels of pink rosebuds, with green 
 threads, terminating in bunches of 
 flowers, were patterned on the wall, 
 while other panels, inlaid with fine 
 woodwork and ivory, ornamented the 
 ceiling. A beautiful frieze with carved 
 medallions circled the room; a large 
 bronze and glass chandelier swung in 
 the centre, while from an arch hung 
 cords supporting small glass lamps. 
 
 The sun had risen fully, and from 
 
 the summits of the great hills was 
 
 pouring its beams into the vast valley. 
 
 Sayrane regarded the familiar per- 
 
 [268]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 spective, but in her eyes there was 
 no admiration. Her thoughts were 
 with Togral in his prison. Had she 
 sent him to his death with her refusal 
 to become the bride of Yusuf ? There 
 was but one chance to save him now. 
 Yusuf had so impressed her with his 
 hatred of him, that in her calmer moods 
 she realized that even her influence 
 with the Emperor might not counter 
 balance the Grand Mufti s power. 
 
 Still there was a chance, one only, 
 and she would press it to the limit. 
 Christian though she was, she must 
 employ such weapons as would gain 
 her future husband s favor and good 
 will. She must first attract him by 
 her beauty and personal charms, then 
 cajole and finally win him to the grant 
 ing of her wish. All the days of her 
 young life she had felt an utter loath- 
 [269]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 ing for women of this type, but now 
 she would stop at nothing. Togral 
 must be saved. It was war between 
 Yusuf and her. All would now depend 
 upon the Emperor s mood. 
 
 Hours sped while her women dressed 
 her. At last the work was finished 
 and she stood resplendent. She had 
 not spoken, but had sat passive while 
 they prepared her with consummate 
 art and care. Her glorious beauty 
 had grown under their hands; but the 
 thoughts that crowded on her mind 
 were gloomy, almost despairing, as she 
 awaited the final touches. A low 
 roar, profound and powerful as the 
 beating of the sea upon a beach of 
 sand, reached the quiet of her chambers. 
 A fine powdered dust sifted by her 
 windows and she shuddered as she 
 saw and heard. The time was nearly 
 [270]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 here, for she knew that the sound 
 came from the vast army the Emperor 
 kept in Egypt, which now in splendid 
 apparel with the full accoutrements 
 of war was approaching its master. 
 He would advance with his magnifi 
 cent retinue by the winding river. 
 For days crowds had gathered along 
 its banks waiting through all the hours 
 of daylight for a glimpse of the con 
 queror. 
 
 The tumult in the streets increased, 
 the clouds of dust grew thicker, and the 
 first files of musicians appeared, to the 
 satisfaction of the crowd. In spite of 
 the intense desire to gaze open-mouthed 
 upon their master the multitude were 
 beginning to experience fatigue under 
 the steady heat of the tropical sun. 
 The first band of musicians, sound 
 ing a triumphant flourish on their 
 [271] 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 brazen instruments, approached. The 
 instruments shone in the garish light 
 like molten gold. Drums, tambou 
 rines, trumpets, and sistra made up the 
 bands, each numbering about two hun 
 dred instruments. The music sounded 
 charming and delightful in the open 
 air. Banners, gaudy with all the colors 
 of the rainbow, brilliant streamers, and 
 fluttering pennants led each division of 
 the army. At last the thousands of 
 soldiers who followed the standard 
 of the Abyssinian monarch surrounded 
 the Princess s palace. 
 
 The palace stood on a slight eleva 
 tion, separated from the river by 
 luxuriant gardens. For miles it com 
 manded an unobstructed view of the 
 great silver stream, whose jewelled 
 waters to-day carried on their bosom 
 a fleet of galleys of all sizes, each 
 [272]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 gayly decorated with a lavish dis 
 regard of cost. These were thronged 
 with the very flower of Egypt s 
 nobility, gathered together to do 
 honor to the mighty conqueror. The 
 surface of the river presented a 
 dazzling spectacle. Pulsating with 
 the splash of a host of sweeps and 
 oars, it shone like a vast sun, now a 
 mass of molten light, now broken 
 and scattered into myriads of shining 
 drops. Along the bank below the 
 gardens stretched a beautiful walk, 
 bordered with palms and richly col 
 ored flowers; leading down to the river 
 were broad steps of white marble, 
 and at the base stood colossal statues 
 of forgotten gods. It was here the 
 Emperor would land, for it was his 
 will that within her own palace walls 
 the Princess should receive him. 
 [273]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 Her father, with his court and the 
 hated Yusuf, was approaching with 
 the bridegroom. Immediately upon 
 receiving news of his advance, they 
 had hurried forward to meet him. 
 Runners had kept Sayrane informed 
 of the progress of the imperial party; 
 but a few minutes would elapse before 
 she would be face to face with what 
 seemed to her to be a fate worse than 
 death. 
 
 At last she heard a fanfare of 
 trumpets, and following the blare the 
 loud voice of a herald proclaiming the 
 conqueror s approach. At each enun 
 ciation the people uttered loud cries. 
 But Sayrane thought moodily of the 
 strange moves Fate made for her in 
 the game of life. With a fierce long 
 ing, all the fiercer because she knew 
 its utter futility, she wished she had 
 [274]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 been humbly born. Her soul was 
 enveloped in a mist of dread. Her 
 sensations were those of one to whom 
 hasheesh has been given for the first 
 time, who is put in a small under 
 ground room crowded with others and 
 in the pale sickly light that filters 
 through the windows is told to weave 
 dreams of glory, but for whom the horri 
 ble presence of the maudlin creatures 
 about him makes the dreams impos 
 sible. The clear heavens, the gardens 
 full of sunshine and fresh flowers, 
 the cool breeze blowing in from the 
 sea, all these would be more alluring 
 to his fevered mind than the voluptu 
 ous thrills promised by the drug. 
 Sayrane shuddered and grew faint, 
 as she closed her eyes and gave her 
 self to thought; the memory of that 
 other day in the desert, so recent 
 [275]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 yet so far away, overwhelmed 
 The wind in the fluttering palms 
 sounded in her ears, and again 
 heard the voice 
 lave flooded 
 
 Oh, if she could but answer him with 
 the words, "I take you for my lord 
 and master!" But when she should 
 speak these words she would stand 
 beside another, and the words would 
 mean death to all her future happiness! 
 
 The acclamations grew overwhelm 
 ing; she opened her eyes and saw the 
 gaudy-hued vessel, draped with a 
 thousand fluttering flags, which bore 
 the Emperor. Twelve military chiefs, 
 their heads covered with silver casques 
 surmounted with plumes, surrounded 
 Prester John. A score of his vassal- 
 kings bore him company; mitred 
 [276]
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 bishops of his church attended him. 
 Each king wore a golden casque, 
 heavily studded with rich jewels; these 
 flashed marvellously as the wearers 
 moved about. Among the host of 
 attendants, all arrayed in Oriental 
 pomp and splendor, Prester John was 
 noticeable for the simplicity of his 
 attire. A thin mask covered his face. 
 Plainly dressed as he was, the dignity 
 of his carriage, the majesty of his 
 bearing, marked him as the master. 
 Sayrane quickly noted that her father 
 sat beside him; for this tribute to 
 her father s worth she thanked him.
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY- 
 FOUR 
 
 IN her letter, forwarded by the carrier 
 pigeon, urging the Emperor to hasten 
 because of her earnest desire for his 
 help, Sayrane had asked that her 
 first interview with him might be 
 alone. She longed for this interview 
 in which she should pray for the life of 
 the man she loved, though she feared 
 to meet the autocrat who seemed 
 to strike terror right and left; whom 
 every one, both old and young, who 
 came in contact with him, feared 
 with a fear as of death. She had 
 asked that he come to her apartments 
 without ceremony and now alone in 
 her trysting-room she stood waiting, 
 [278]
 
 IL
 
 PRI NCESS SAYRANE 
 
 resplendently arrayed as became the 
 consort of the greatest king in Christen 
 dom. The surpassing loveliness of the 
 Princess was the theme of her women 
 as they dressed her, but she listened 
 as in a dream to all they said. Indeed 
 their chatter annoyed her. What 
 matter to her that she was magnifi 
 cently arrayed, that she was decked 
 out with jewels of priceless value? 
 Where would she find a remedy for the 
 heartache she must bear through life? 
 Ardent and imperious as she had ever 
 been, she must now subdue herself. 
 
 To-day she had a purpose; she must 
 not faint, she must be strong and 
 resourceful. As she remembered that 
 all depended on her, lassitude left 
 her; she crossed the room and eagerly 
 scrutinized her appearance in the 
 metal mirror. 
 
 [279]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 Clad in a robe of cloth of silver, 
 heavily embroidered with gold, in a 
 bodice studded with beryls, with a 
 brilliant diadem crowning the masses 
 of her hair, she studied the reflection 
 of her beauty, as she said within herself, 
 "It will serve my purpose. " 
 
 Sayrane was beautifully seductive, 
 she knew, but she gloried in her loveli 
 ness only that she might gain one 
 man s life. Her eyes burned like 
 purple stars, but her face was as white 
 as the lilies in her garden, and she leaned 
 against a pillar for support. Thus he 
 found her and for a full minute stood 
 watching her, before she perceived 
 he had entered. 
 
 When Sayrane saw the tall figure 
 
 gauntleted and masked, her heart 
 
 failed her, and all her well-planned 
 
 speeches fled. To conceal her terror 
 
 [280]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 she sank, white and trembling, to 
 her knees. 
 
 But the Emperor gently lifted her 
 to her feet, whispering, "Courage, 
 Princess; you have but the asking 
 of your wish to have it granted." 
 Her spirit rallied under the unexpected 
 kindness, and struggling with her weak 
 ness, she told her story. Her agitation 
 was very great, but in her pertur 
 bation she did not spare herself. She 
 begged for one man s life as though 
 she owed him the debt; touchingly she 
 pleaded for him, telling how he 
 had faced death in order that he 
 might come and win her soul to God. 
 But though she told much, the inner 
 court of her soul was a sanctuary she 
 closed; not to the Emperor could 
 she speak of Togral s love. 
 
 The silent man before her listened to 
 [281]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 her confession, and when she ended, 
 for a moment he did not speak. But 
 at his first words a grateful flush crept 
 to her forehead, for she gathered that 
 he trusted her. Or, was it but in 
 difference? 
 
 "The man s life is yours, Sayrane, 
 do what you will with it. But," 
 he continued sternly, "what of your 
 life and mine? You must know I 
 will take no consort to my breast 
 unwillingly. Answer me the truth, 
 do you come to Abyssinia because 
 you will or because you must?" He 
 had not meant to touch her, but at 
 this he caught her arm and drew her 
 to the light that he might see her 
 face the better. His gauntleted hand 
 hurt her, yet she barely noticed the 
 pain, for all the solemnity of the hour 
 was about them both, all the hush, 
 [282 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 the pause before the final plunge; 
 and these two souls standing together 
 and yet apart were enveloped by the 
 tragedy of their lives. 
 
 He held her arm and looked closely 
 into her eyes as if he were trying to 
 see through the windows of her soul, 
 and note whose image stood therein. 
 At another time, his manner, his touch, 
 would have provoked in her a haughti 
 ness of spirit, but at this moment 
 Sayrane passed it unnoticed with a 
 proud submission; and with a flame 
 shining suddenly out of the blackness 
 of her eyes she seemed to rise far 
 above him, to soar on eagle s wings, 
 as though she would escape to liberty. 
 The soft violet purples of an Egyptian 
 dusk were sifting through the warm 
 lights of the afterglow of the sunset, 
 and away in the west stretched bars 
 [283] 
 
 
 i
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 of blood-red, the last trace of the 
 dying day. Watching her, he felt 
 a subtle change. 
 
 Something of his passion died away, 
 and though his manner still suggested 
 power, yet it was quieter, more sub 
 dued. He drew apart and gently 
 awaited her reply. 
 
 Then with dignity and composure 
 she answered steadily, "Your Majesty, 
 my father s will is mine. I shall 
 go with you willingly and I swear to 
 be to you a good wife." 
 
 "Then," said Prester John, "declare 
 your willingness before the gathered 
 court; for until you have done so, 
 I in turn swear that you are free to 
 make your choice and to dispose of 
 your future as you will." Turning 
 abruptly, he left her.
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY- 
 FIVE 
 
 IN the brilliant presence of the Egyp 
 tian court, to which were added the dig 
 nitaries who had accompanied the 
 Emperor from his far-away land, the 
 Caliph and Sayrane stood waiting. 
 The Grand Mufti, in accordance with 
 the general custom, was at the Caliph s 
 left. When he first entered the 
 audience chamber, he approached 
 Sayrane and whispered to her scath 
 ingly: "Your stubbornness be on your 
 own head! You have needlessly 
 sacrificed your lover!" By no word 
 or gesture had she given token of 
 having heard these words, which 
 crushed her soul almost to uncon- 
 [285]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 sciousness. Indeed, she stood cold and 
 impassive like a snow princess, and 
 in truth there seemed to be no blood 
 in her body. Only a short hour be 
 fore she had sent to the prison the 
 Emperor s order that Togral should 
 be released; and Yusuf s answer had 
 come back, "Too late! He is already 
 with his Christian God, and you will 
 soon forget him!" 
 
 Yusuf did not suspect that Sayrane 
 had already had an interview with 
 the Emperor, else he would not have 
 ventured now to welcome him. He 
 supposed that the order for Togral s 
 release had come from her alone, 
 she daring to issue it on the bare 
 assumption that the Emperor s presence 
 gave her the right to exert authority; 
 and he felt his weapon his knowledge 
 of her love for Togral would be 
 [286]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 strong enough to fight her with, should 
 she care to measure swords with him. 
 Bravely Sayrane awaited Prester 
 John. He had given her freedom: 
 dared she use it? dared she ask for 
 the peace, the silence, the consola 
 tion of the monastery? With Togral 
 alive, though she had foresworn in 
 her heart all sight and thought of 
 him, she would have been willing 
 to live, to fill her part bravely. With 
 the knowledge that he was dead, 
 overwhelming despair had seized her. 
 Yes, she would publicly accept her 
 freedom. One of her sisters could 
 step into her place to fill the Abyssinian 
 throne. She dared not, even for her 
 father and for her country! she had 
 not strength left to face the storm 
 of life. Her whole body quivered 
 with despair, for she knew that the 
 [287]
 
 PRI NCESS SA YRANE 
 
 curtain had shut down on her life, 
 and that henceforth all would be 
 darkness. Why had this overpowering 
 love come like a shower of gold from 
 the sun, to envelop her in a glorious 
 splendor, only to melt away and leave 
 her standing alone again in the gray 
 dulness? It was a love that she 
 might have taken open-handed, open- 
 hearted, had she been born in another 
 station of life, in another country; 
 but here in Egypt, and for her, a 
 princess of royal blood, it was denied. 
 In another land this love would have 
 spread and bloomed; here it was choked 
 in the dusty customs of ages. 
 
 Oh, life was a mystery, a fatality 
 at best, and she had endured in her 
 short life what few must suffer. Never 
 before had she fully comprehended 
 the loneliness, the isolation, to which 
 [288
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 she had been born. To-night, face 
 to face with her misery, face to face 
 with the expectant courtiers, she still 
 felt she was the loneliest woman in 
 creation. Suddenly a drapery was 
 moved to one side and through the 
 portal stepped a man. Was she dream 
 ing? Had the grave given up its 
 dead? The dying fire blazed in her 
 eyes again, its warmth gave color 
 to her cheeks. Robed as he had 
 been on the night he brought her 
 the betrothal ring, with flowing cloak 
 and red-embroidered cross, walked 
 Togral. Dignified and splendid, with 
 head erect and noble carriage, he 
 moved. Cries filled the air without the 
 hall, for the Emperor s cortege was 
 approaching. At the sight of Togral 
 Yusuf started forward cursing. How 
 had the man escaped? What un- 
 289]
 
 PRINCESS SA Y RANE 
 
 toward fate brought him here? He 
 was about to bid the soldiers seize 
 him and bear him away, but in the 
 confusion and enthusiasm of the vast 
 concourse of people, he could not 
 make himself heard. 
 
 The Princess, breathless with sur 
 prise and joy, leaned forward in her 
 throne. A jewelled hand grasped the 
 edge of it, as she watched Togral 
 with incredulous eyes. Her mind was 
 confused like the waves of a dark 
 sea, and for all that a thousand candles 
 and lamps burned brilliantly about 
 her, for the moment she was blinded. 
 Though Prester John had pardoned 
 him, though he was safe, Sayrane 
 trembled to have him stand so fear 
 less, so unprotected in the presence 
 of his deadly enemy, the powerful 
 Yusuf. 
 
 [290]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 Happiness seldom overpowers, never 
 destroys. Bewildered as the Princess 
 was at the miraculous reappearance 
 of Togral her rapidly beating heart 
 gradually grew more quiet, and joy 
 made her face glorious to look upon. 
 The bearing of Togral was calm and 
 serene, as he stepped slowly forward; 
 his eyes rested on her alone; for him 
 there were evidently but two beings - 
 Sayrane and himself-- in all that vast 
 concourse. 
 
 "Long live the Emperor!" cried 
 the voices of the thousands without, 
 and the acclamations swelled louder 
 and louder. 
 
 Sayrane and Togral, apparently 
 unconscious of the excitement and 
 confusion about them, stood face to face, 
 with looks that drew the soul of each. 
 Then the Abyssinian knelt before 
 291]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 her throne, as he had knelt six 
 months before, saying: "Princess, will 
 you bid me welcome once again?" 
 
 The girl leaned eagerly forward. 
 Though the Emperor must be close 
 at hand, for the acclamations were 
 now a mighty, unceasing roar, she 
 had no thought of him. Surrounded 
 by the swaying, cheering, eager crowd, 
 but face to face in all this tumult 
 with the man she loved, for her they 
 two were alone. With her heart almost 
 bursting with joy, she knew that 
 Togral lived, that he was near, that 
 he loved her with the same over 
 powering love she had given him, 
 and this for the moment sufficed. 
 In her new-found joy she could think 
 of nothing but the glorious present. 
 And so she gave Togral her hand 
 and bade him rise. "The Emperor s 
 [292]
 
 PRI NCESS SAY RANE 
 
 pardon has been granted," she cried, 
 "Togral, your life is saved." 
 
 Then the Abyssinian rose boldly 
 to his feet and stood beside her; for 
 the first time he faced the curious 
 court, for whom his meeting with 
 the Princess had been an unintelligible 
 pantomime. Proudly he faced the 
 court and bowed. Bewildered by his 
 strange attitude, Sayrane trembled 
 anew; his temerity alarmed her; and 
 even when she felt his breath against 
 her cheek and his whispered words of 
 loving explanation, she could not com 
 prehend. As in a dream she saw them 
 place a crown upon his head; she saw 
 eager courtiers draping his shoulders 
 with a mantle of purple and gold; 
 she saw one of the vassal-kings step 
 forward, kneel before him and place 
 an emerald sceptre in his hand. Then 
 293] 
 
 E.I i ** 
 
 I 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 the golden umbrella of state was lifted 
 high above his head. Then she under 
 stood. 
 
 His words burned into her brain, 
 as he said joyously: "Sayrane, I am 
 not the brother of the Emperor, but 
 the Emperor himself. I came to you 
 in the guise of brother to win you to 
 the true faith, to lead your soul to 
 the one God. As Emperor, I could 
 not have come to you on such an 
 errand. At heart I came more the 
 warrior than the priest, I fear. Yet 
 I have a right to both titles, for I 
 am both Emperor and priest. It was 
 my custom to disguise myself and go 
 about the streets to learn my people s 
 needs. Then only I removed my mask, 
 knowing full well my face would 
 not be recognized save by a few faith 
 ful followers; and so it happened that 
 [294]
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 by wearing a priest s garb, I led my 
 subjects to believe me the Emperor s 
 brother. Thinking it would give me 
 greater liberty to seek the knowledge 
 I desired, I even proclaimed that the 
 priest was my brother, and thus it 
 came about that two men were always 
 spoken of, when only one existed. 
 Even to the suite that brought me 
 into Egypt I was unknown, for no 
 member of it had ever seen me with 
 out my mask. Because I knew that 
 were my identity once known, and I 
 within Egypt s power, I would be 
 lost. All that I had fought to gain 
 would be sacrificed. I would be at the 
 mercy of the unscrupulous Yusuf at 
 whose disposal after the scene in the 
 council chamber my life had been 
 placed. Knowing what the inevita 
 ble result of disclosure would be I 
 [295]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 dared not confess my name. To un 
 shackle Egypt was not the glory for 
 which Yusuf fought; he desired that 
 success should crown his own evil 
 designs. Besides I had sworn an oath 
 to the few who knew my uncovered 
 face, to await the coming of my army 
 to reveal my name. The mere fear 
 of death was powerless to make me 
 break that oath, for it was the oath 
 of Prester John! But deception never 
 won a glorious cause; and you have 
 taught me that justice and truth 
 should govern even courage. Now 
 I know the way, and in all humility 
 I crave your pardon. If you will 
 help me and trust in me, henceforth 
 my face shall need no mask. 
 
 "Beloved!" he continued, as he 
 leaned closer to her, "I gave you 
 liberty only that you might come to 
 [296] 

 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 me freely, because, spirit of my soul," 
 and here his voice broke forth like 
 fire and flame, with all the old im 
 perious arrogance of the Abyssinian 
 conqueror, "there are no bonds on 
 earth strong enough to keep you from 
 me now!" 
 
 Sayrane s violet eyes, deep and un 
 fathomable, were troubled; she kept 
 them an instant on the ground. She 
 was half afraid, though she did not 
 tremble. Was this Prester John, the 
 dreaded emperor, the tyrant con 
 queror of her land, the despot who 
 exerted mastery over her father, 
 Egypt s Caliph? Was this the soul 
 less autocrat who cared for nothing 
 save his own sweet will, whose name 
 had always caused a feeling of repulsion 
 in her breast? She stood as though 
 she were carved in marble; not a 
 [297] 
 
 =* 
 
 I
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 muscle moved, as he waited earnestly 
 and eagerly; her color, at first faint, 
 flooded cheek and throat. Suddenly 
 she raised her eyes to his, and her 
 whole soul went out to him in the 
 splendor of her smile. As he watched 
 her, as he saw the color deepen and 
 dye her cheeks, he was seized with 
 rapture, for he knew then that a 
 miracle had come into his life. With 
 a gesture of mingled pride and shyness 
 she laid her hand in his, in acknowledg 
 ment that her life s refuge was by 
 his side. 
 
 [298]
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY- 
 SIX 
 
 ONE man in that great concourse 
 of people neither smiled nor cheered 
 the Emperor. His face was hideous 
 in its pallor, born of surprise and fear, 
 and it was well for him that in the 
 great joy of welcoming Prester John, 
 no one had noticed his dismay. In 
 his daily life his bad heart had cradled 
 much wickedness; yet he had always 
 been counted brave among men, and it 
 would have astonished his faithful 
 Mohammedan followers could they 
 have seen his weakness now. He had 
 no time to collect himself or even to 
 think. One feeling was uppermost in 
 his mind when he heard Togral declare 
 299]
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 himself Emperor flight. He trem 
 bled as he slipped through the crowd, 
 nor did he breathe freely until he 
 had gained the crowded streets. Once 
 there his courage returned in a measure, 
 and his active mind suggested the 
 means of safety. Gaining his own 
 palace, he hastily gathered together 
 food and drink for the journey to 
 the Mokattam Hills. The corridor, 
 entered by means of the golden key, 
 offered him the way to escape. Once 
 hidden behind the secret panel, he 
 could make his way to the hills; 
 there he could hide until by bribery 
 and threat he could gain further safety. 
 Yet when he slid the panel behind him 
 and stood in the close hot corridor, 
 he was bathed in a cold perspiration. 
 The expenditure of strength caused 
 by his haste and fear was great. 
 [300]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 Yet it was not that alone which made 
 him pause. How many victims of 
 his, gagged and bound, had been led 
 this way to death ? How many inno 
 cent souls had been called to swift 
 account, and made to cross the great 
 divide because of him? This it was that 
 made him pause in terror, knowing that 
 the way was dark and that he could 
 not return. A mist of horror seized 
 him, but even though his knees bent 
 under him, he realized that he had no 
 time to lose, and in headlong haste he 
 reached the dividing line for the two 
 paths. But what was that shrouded 
 figure standing guard? Was it imagi 
 nation? Was it one of his victims? 
 
 "Who are you?" shrieked Yusuf, 
 beside himself with fear and rage. 
 "Who are you that dare to bar my
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 The shrouded figure made no reply. 
 It only raised its long gaunt arm and 
 pointed out the other path, the path 
 of the murdered victims. 
 
 "Speak," pleaded the wretched man, 
 "tell me who you are!" 
 
 In a hollow voice the answer came: 
 " I am Retribution, and your wicked 
 hours are numbered. I shall lead 
 you by the path your victims have 
 followed." So saying, the shrouded 
 figure threw aside its cloak and sprung 
 like a hungry tiger upon the Moslem 
 priest. Taken by surprise and un 
 nerved as he already was, the priest 
 was no match for the infuriated 
 Greek, for it proved to be the Greek, 
 and from the very first the outcome 
 was inevitable. Though Yusuf was 
 a powerful man and the instinct 
 of life is strong in each and all, 
 [302]
 
 PRINCESS SAY RAN E 
 
 yet he was fighting against desperate 
 odds, and foot by foot he lost 
 ground. When his doom was almost 
 upon him and the abyss yawned 
 only a few feet away, he fell to begging 
 for his life. Gold he offered in plenty. 
 His teeth chattered, his breath was 
 almost gone with the fury of the 
 struggle. Prayers and entreaties were 
 to no purpose; offers of wealth called 
 forth no answer save a harsh laugh. 
 The maniacal face with the blood- 
 red eyes and the ashy skin was as 
 impassive as stone to all his frenzied 
 pleadings, as implacable as fate itself. 
 Through clenched teeth the Greek 
 gasped: "Save your breath, for I 
 am the avenging spirit of all those 
 whom in your wicked life you have 
 wronged. I am your destiny. You 
 beg for mercy, do you? You showed 
 [303
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 no mercy to Nerea, and I am her 
 father!" 
 
 Then Yusuf was seized with a fear 
 akin to madness. Biting and shrieking 
 with terror he fought with the frenzy 
 of despair, with the strength of a 
 giant. But his terror only prolonged 
 the struggle, in the end he could not 
 alter the foreordained result. Like 
 a stone wall Nerea s father barred 
 the way to safety, and inch by inch 
 the goaded Yusuf neared death. The 
 Greek did not speak again, but from 
 time to time a sound came from his 
 throat that was terrible to hear. It 
 was not quite a sound of rage, though 
 it combined that with the sound of 
 a creature suffering in the agony of 
 a death wound. It was rather the 
 mad panting of a starving animal that 
 has long been deprived of its prey; 
 [304]
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 as the conflict lengthened, the hoarse 
 utterances became more frequent, more 
 fear-inspiring, until finally the smaller 
 man, as if clearing an immense obstacle, 
 bore down upon his victim. Like 
 a flash the white-turbaned priest 
 hovered a moment on the brink and 
 tottered, clutching wildly at the empty 
 air. Then with a shriek of agony he 
 plunged headlong into eternity. 
 
 For days after, a muttering, white- 
 haired man wandered in the Libyan 
 desert. In the intervals between the 
 spells of his raving he stood upright 
 and very quiet; tense and alert he 
 would wait as if listening for a distant 
 sound; then as if satisfied he would 
 wander on, only to begin it all again. 
 As he grew weaker he would stumble 
 and fall; finally his mutterings ceased, 
 and he sank upon the sands to sleep. 
 305 
 
 I
 
 SAYRANE 
 
 Yet until exhaustion seized upon him 
 and ended all, at intervals he would 
 struggle to an upright position and 
 strain his ears to catch some fancied 
 sound he yearned to hear.
 
 CHAPTER TWENTY- 
 SEVEN 
 
 IT was not yet night, though the sun 
 had sunk below the western rim of 
 the Mokattam Hills. To the east 
 a soft radiance in the violet-colored 
 sky marked the path where the moon 
 would come. 
 
 In the city the minarets of the 
 mosques still were outlined sharp and 
 straight, and in the distance across 
 the gleaming river in the Libyan 
 desert rose a single column in solemn 
 majesty. Far to the west, pale but 
 distinct, as though they met the 
 outermost rim of the world, loomed 
 two mountains, and their ghost-like 
 silhouettes were wild and weird. 
 [307
 
 PRINCESS SA YRANE 
 
 Nearer, in the gardens, the vivid 
 verdure of the tamarisks and pome 
 granates was so bright they seemed 
 still to hold the burning light of the sun. 
 The air seemed almost steel blue, 
 but it changed to lilac and then to 
 pink, and then with a dying glory of 
 ruby, topaz, violet all in one, it lost 
 its splendor, and the night had fallen. 
 The fresh scents from the fields 
 and orchards were on the mild Egyp 
 tian air, and through the stillness 
 of the evening in the soft shadows 
 the Emperor Prester John, the Negus, 
 waited. It was his wedding night; 
 at noon amid the glare and brilliancy 
 of court array he and Sayrane had 
 been wedded, and to-morrow they 
 would set out together on the long 
 journey to Abyssinia. What a wonder 
 ful future was his! How changed 
 308] 
 
 ;
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 was his whole nature! He had come 
 to Egypt in all the arrogance and 
 pride of an unbridled despot to win 
 Y//f\\JI a victory. Hitherto even the ordina- 
 f/J f tion he had demanded and received, 
 the sacred priesthood, had failed to 
 soften his barbaric love of battle, 
 of the clash of arms, of the furious 
 struggle and the exultation of the 
 final victory. To fight, to conquer, 
 had been his motto, and the clash of 
 arms, the cries of war had been sweetest 
 music to his ears. But love had 
 taught him humility, had softened 
 his very creed. 
 
 What a wonderful future was his! 
 With a Christian Empress at his side 
 what could he not accomplish? And 
 how tenderly he loved her! How long 
 her maids were in preparing her! 
 Why did she not come? Where was
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 Sayrane? She had promised to join 
 him here, and now she delayed her 
 coming. Impatiently he leaned against 
 a pillar, recalling that other night 
 when almost on this same spot he had 
 glimpsed her heart, and in hot passion 
 she had poured out her rebellious soul 
 and had revealed to him her most 
 secret thought. Then he had stood 
 trembling on the brink of self-avowal, 
 but had not dared to cross. If he had 
 loved her then, how much more now! 
 How much dearer she was to him to 
 night, when she was his, his wife! 
 
 Swiftly, silently she approached clad 
 in misty white from tip to toe. She 
 glided toward him and with downcast 
 eyes stood trembling before him. Then 
 he caught her to him with passion, 
 holding her close and kissing her red 
 mouth. 
 
 [310]
 
 I 
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 "You are mine forever," he whis 
 pered, " and always now our paths 
 shall lie together." Then drawing her 
 toward the farther end of the balcony, 
 he showed her the full round moon, 
 which had risen and was flooding 
 the Nile valley with silver. Across 
 the yellow desert the cool night breeze 
 had come, stirring the feathery palms 
 to life along the creeping water s edge. 
 The day s heat had gone, and in the 
 fresh gloom of the night these two 
 lingered. Breast to breast in happiness 
 they stood; his arms were strained 
 about her, she yielding slowly with 
 little tremors of terror and yet of 
 strange delight, feeling her heart rush 
 out in joy to meet his, while her 
 whole being gloried in the thought 
 that her dream of a single love had 
 come true.
 
 PRINCESS SAYRANE 
 
 The waters of the Nile ran on, and 
 like muffled tinkling bells its music 
 came to their ears, while floating 
 softly on its bosom they saw the many 
 barges that waited for the morrow s 
 journey, that journey which Sayrane 
 had once so dreaded, but which in 
 the marvellous revelations that had 
 come into her life she now longed to 
 begin. 
 
 Shyly she whispered: "I thought 
 at first it was the ring you placed 
 upon my finger that night you came, 
 which gave you power to absorb my 
 thoughts, to dominate my being. 
 Witchcraft lay within your touch as 
 you slipped it on my hand. Now 
 I know what was the talisman you 
 carried more powerful than even the 
 gemmed ring of Solomon." 
 
 "What was the talisman, sweet- 
 3121
 
 PRINCESS SAY RANE 
 
 heart and wife?" he asked, as in the 
 dusk he studied her fathomless eyes. 
 
 "It was something stronger than 
 witchcraft, it was love," she answered 
 softly. Then she raised his arm and 
 stretched it across her neck in a bondage 
 yoke; bending back her head she looked 
 at him half smiling, half serious, and 
 continued: After* all remember I 
 am still your slave-girl, but now a 
 willing one." 
 
 Then he swept her from her feet 
 with his strong arms and laughed 
 aloud in pure delight. The night 
 of evil dreams is past, beloved, and 
 only the sunshine awaits us now. 
 No slave-girl are you but Empress 
 and wife! Side by side we will sit, 
 and together we will rule our lands; 
 for our reign shall ever be known for 
 the prosperity of our people, while
 
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