aloons of rose-colored silk, yellow
buskins with slender heels, a green caftan embroidered with gold
flowers, and a handsome yellow silk vest buttoned up to his chin. His
ribbons and buttons were made so as to represent brilliant fluttering
butterflies incrusted with precious stones.

On reaching the gate he beckoned to the torch-bearers to stand still,
sent back the Kizlar-Agasi, and, proceeding all alone to the gate,
commanded that it should be flung open.

While this was being done Thomar pressed close up to him, and seizing
the prince's hand, kissed it, at the same time whispering in his ear,
"Go not; we will defend you if you remain here."

The prince pressed Thomar's hand and whispered back, "I must go; you
keep on defending the Seraglio!" And with that he embraced the youth
and kissed him twice with great fervor.

Thomar was somewhat startled by this burning, affectionate kiss, and
wondered what it meant. The darkness did not allow him to distinguish
the prince's features; and when he tried to detain him once more the
prince hastily disengaged himself and stepped forth from under the
dark vault among the Janissaries.

Thomar covered his eyes with his hands; he did not want to see the
fate of the prince at that moment. It was quite possible that the
blood-thirsty might cut him down on the spot in a sudden access of
fury.

The prince stepped forth among the rebels.

At that moment a cry of unbridled joy, triumph, and blood-thirstiness
burst from the Janissaries. It needed but one of them to raise his
hand, and the next would speedily have completed the bloodiest deed of
all.

But the prince stood before them haughtily and valiantly, and, with
amazing audacity, cried to them, "Down on your knees before me, ye
rebels!"

At these words Thomar, with a start of terror, looked at the prince.
The full light of the torches fell upon his charming face. It was not
Abdul Mejid, but--Milieva! They had dressed her inside the harem in
garments suitable to the Feast of Bairam, and she had come out instead
of the prince, courageously, as if she had been born to it. Who was
likely to notice the change? The heart of this odalisk loved to play a
manly part, and it was not merely the masculine garb she wore which
transformed her, but the masculine soul within her.

The Janissaries, moreover, were dumfounded by this bold attitude. This
graceful, noble figure stood face to face with them and domineered the
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