ppened which she was hoping
for: she woke on a long low sofa, in the midst of a room all carpet and
cushions, in bright colours and gorgeous patterns, curling about with no
particular meaning; and with a window of rich brass lattice-work.

And by her side there was an odd bubbling, that put her in mind of
blowing the soap-suds into a honey-comb when preparing them for bubble
blowing; but when she looked round she saw something very unlike the
long pipes her brother called "churchwardens," or the basin of
soap-suds. There was a beautifully shaped glass bottle, and into it went
a long, long twisting tube, like a snake coiled on the floor, and the
other end of the serpent, instead of a head, had an amber mouth-piece
which went between a pair of lips. Lucy knew it for a hubble-bubble or
narghilhe, and saw that the lips were in a brown face, with big black
eyes, round which dark bluish circles were drawn. The jet-black hair was
carefully braided with jewels, and over it was thrown a great
rose-coloured gauze veil; there was a loose purple satin sort of pelisse
over a white silk embroidered vest, tied in with a sash, striped with
all manner of colours, also immense wide white muslin trousers, out of
which peeped a pair of brown bare feet, which, however, had a splendid
pair of slippers curled up at the toes.

The owner seemed to be very little older than Lucy, and sat gravely
looking at her for a little while, then clapped her hands. A black woman
came, and the young Turkish maiden said, "Bring coffee for the little
Frank lady."

So a tiny table of mother-of-pearl was brought, and on it some exquisite
little striped porcelain cups, standing not in saucers, but in silver
filigree cups into which they exactly fitted. Lucy remembered her
Chinese experience, and did not venture to ask for milk or sugar, but
she found that the real Turkish coffee was so pure and delicate that she
could bear to drink it without.

[Illustration: "Married! Oh, no, you are joking."

_Page 86._]

"Where are your jewels?" then asked the little hostess.

"I'm not old enough to have any?"

"How old are you?"

"Nine."

"Nine! I'm only ten, and I shall be married next week----"

"Married! Oh, no, you are joking."

"Yes, I shall. Selim Bey has paid my father the dowry for me, and I
shall be taken to his house next week."

"And I suppose you like him very much."

"He looks big and tall," said the child with exultation. "I saw him
riding whe