Part 17 (2/2)
??As for the man,? said she, ?all I know of him is, that he is a Persian I never saw him before, and know of no object that he could have had in carrying o a skirmish took place between a detachians The latter were driven back, and the Persians reat triue had been occupied by the Persian troops some days before this affray, and I suppose then my ravisher laid his plan to carry ian prisoner I had just got up in the e ithhome water, when he darted fro to kill me if I did not follow him without noise, and alloped away just as so to the well, andsaved was from the alarm which I knew they would instantly spread
We were out of sight in a few minutes, for we rode furiously over hill and dale, and cut across parts of the country unfrequented by travellers At length, seeing you on the brow of the hill, I took courage, and gave vent tothe threats of the Persian You know the rest?
?She had scarcely finished speaking e discovered several persons, one on horseback, the rest on foot, reat haste, and as they approached and were recognized by htful to watch her emotions
??Oh! there is my father,? exclaioop, and Aratoon! and my uncle too!?
?As they caht I was in agonies of apprehension lest sos in her heart; but no, none but relations were there They explained to her that the alare by her young friends; that luckily they had not yet gone to the fields, and the family horse was at home, upon which her father was instantly mounted They had traced the fresh footsteps of her ravisher?s horse as long as he kept the road, had ain in several places, had tracked hith, frolen, which must have been very near the spot where they had now found her
?She said all this was true, and again thanked God and St Gregory for her escape; and, after some hesitation, in a most embarrassed manner, pointed me out as her deliverer The attention of the whole party was then directed to me ?Whose son are you?? said the old man, her father
??I ae of Gavhbour,? answered he; ?but I do not know you; perhaps you are the son as educating at the Three Churches for a priest, and who came to the help of your family??
?I answered in the affirmative, and then he said, ?You are welcohter, and e you eternal gratitude You uest If ever it were necessary to kill a lamb, to eat and be merry, it is now We, and all our families, will carry you upon our heads; ill kiss your feet, and s saved our Maria out her existence the slave of the Mussulratulations and kind speeches of her brothers and uncle, who all inviteda manner, that, unable to resist, and propelled by my anxiety to see Mariam, I accepted their offer, and we forthwith proceeded in a body
?As inding down the side of one of the e, for such I shall call it, was pointed out to ly seated in a warm nook, protected fro frohtfully cool and serene Beyond was the Peh a beautiful valley, diversified by rich vegetation; and at a greater distance we could just discern the church of Kara Klisseh, or the Black Monastery, the first station of the Russians on this part of their frontier, and situated on a dark and precipitous rock, rising conspicuous a scenery
?When near the village we discovered that all its inhabitants, particularly the wo our steps down the slope, anxious to knohether Mariam had been retaken; and when they saw her safe, there was no end to their expressions of joy The story of her flight and of her rescue was soon told, and carried from one mouth to another with such rapidity and with such additional circuth it caiant, who had an iron head, claws and feet of steel, and scales on his back, round at every bound, and made noises in its rapid course over the hills like the discharges of artillery They added to this, that of a sudden an angel, in the shape of a ploughboy, descended froh mountain in a cloud, and as he wielded a sword of fire in his hand, it frightened the horse, threw Mariaiant and his steed to ashes: for when she recovered froer to be seen I was pointed out as the illustrious ploughboy, and ie was turned towardsnearly divine honours, a youth, whonized el--he is Yusuf, the son of Coja Petros, of Gavmishlu?; and thus I was reduced to reatest distinction by everybody, and Mariaratitude for the service I had rendered But, all this tier saw Mariaone by; but it had put the seal toshall separate me from that beautiful maid; our destinies forthwith are one; Heaven hasbut the decrees of Providence shall disunite us, even though to gain her I should be obliged to adopt the violence of the Persian, and carry her away by force? We h our words were few, yet our eyes said much, and I knew that ed to have ed another, aye, twenty more Persians, to provebut a poor Arraded and despised nation, and that the greatest feat which I could ever expect to perform would be to keep the wolf from my father?s flocks, or to drive the marauder from our fields
?I remained the whole of that eventful day at Geuklu (the nae), where the proe cauldron of rice boiled I returned on the following day to my parents, who had been alarmed at my absence, and who listened to the history of my adventures with all the earnestness and interest that I could wish
?I was so entirely absorbed byelse; therefore I determined to infore now,? said I to them, ?to think and act forarms, and can work for my bread; I wish to marry, and Providence has prepared the way for me?
?I then requested them forthwith to dehte was a serious consideration in these difficult times, and that the fa It was necessary to buy clothes, a ring, candles, sweeters and musicians, and to make a feast; and where was money to be found to meet all this??
?I said, ??Tis true that e can take place without it, both for the honour of our fa my love to my intended; but I can borrow; I have friends both at Erivan and at the Three Churches; and I think I could borrow enough fro; and as for repayally, that little by little I shall pay off my debt Besides, I can becoive me a share in his adventures; and one journey to Constantinople or to Astrachan would yield h profit to repay every one with interest?
?In short, I said so th they were persuaded to make the necessary overtures to the parents of Mariam; and it was fixed, that in the course of a few days my father, e should proceed to Geuklu, and ask her in e for me In the meanwhile, I myself had been there almost every day, upon one pretext or another, and I had had several opportunities of infor her of ht not be taken unawares
?My father and his colleagues were very well received by the parents ofthis opportunity of drinking soreed that we should be united as soon as the reed upon, and the for) should have been gone through
?Three days after this, e, by my uncle the priest, and me, proceeded to Geuklu for the purpose of the nae They were received with ues had been, and the wootiations were opened
?My ive of clothes toof two shi+fts, one of crimson silk, the other of blue cotton; two pairs of trousers, one of silk, the other of striped cotton; two _jubbehs_, or robes, fitting tight to the body, of chintz; two veils, one of white cotton, the other of chequered blue; two pair of slippers, one of green shagreen skin and high heels, the other of brown leather, with flat bone heels and shod with iron; and I was also to add a printed es and kerchiefs for the head She moreover offered fifty piastres in silver coin for minor expenses; and a chain for the neck, froold to the friends of reed upon; but one of the old women, who had been a servant in a Persian faave rise to so for _sheer baha_, or hout Persia Our party said this was not usual a the Armenians; the adverse party contended it was; in short, words were running high, when I requested my mother not to make any difficulty, but to offer ten piastres reed upon, the whole was amicably adjusted to the satisfaction of both parties
?This had taken place a the woh the cereh, nor even to se if anything so indecorous took place at the first interview
?I found round, flanked by her two old women, opposite to my bride?s mother, supported by hers Mariam entered at the sa (a brass one, alas!) froer, and then as administered to the priest; of which, when he had taken a copious draught, it was announced that ere betrothed ratulations of all those around us I was delighted, although prohibited fro everybody, and so many benedictions were showered upon us, that perhaps no couple ever was so ood wishes at least, as ere