nd
hastened to bury himself in the Alhambra. As he passed dejectedly into
the women's apartments, his stern mother met him.

"My son," she said, bitterly, "dost thou return and not a conqueror?"

Before Boabdil could reply, a light and rapid step sped through the
glittering arcades; and weeping with joy, and breaking all the Oriental
restraints, Amine fell upon his bosom. "My beloved! my king! light of
mine eyes! thou hast returned. Welcome--for thou art safe."

The different form of these several salutations struck Boabdil forcibly.
"Thou seest, my mother," said he, "how great the contrast between
those who love us from affection, and those who love us from pride. In
adversity, God keep me, O my mother, from thy tongue!"

"But I love thee from pride, too," murmured Amine; "and for that reason
is thine adversity dear to me, for it takes thee from the world to make
thee more mine own and I am proud of the afflictions that my hero shares
with his slave."

"Lights there, and the banquet!" cried the king, turning from his
haughty mother; "we will feast and be merry while we may. My adored
Amine, kiss me!"

Proud, melancholy, and sensitive as he was in that hour of reverse,
Boabdil felt no grief: such balm has Love for our sorrows, when its
wings are borrowed from the dove! And although the laws of the Eastern
life confined to the narrow walls of a harem the sphere of Amine's
gentle influence; although, even in romance, THE NATURAL compels us to
portray her vivid and rich colours only in a faint and hasty sketch, yet
still are left to the outline the loveliest and the noblest features of
the sex--the spirit to arouse us to exertion, the softness to console us
in our fall!

While Boabdil and the body of the army remained in the city, Muza,
with a chosen detachment of the horse, scoured the country to visit the
newly-acquired cities, and sustain their courage.

From this charge he was recalled by the army of Ferdinand, which once
more poured down into the Vega, completely devastated its harvests, and
then swept back to consummate the conquests of the revolted towns.
To this irruption succeeded an interval of peace--the calm before the
storm. From every part of Spain, the most chivalric and resolute of the
Moors, taking advantage of the pause in the contest, flocked to Granada;
and that city became the focus of all that paganism in Europe possessed
of brave and determined spirits.

At length, Ferdinand, completing hi