Nekayah thought this a reasonable demand, and made the promise to

her brother, who had been obliged by Imlac to require it. Imlac
had, indeed, no great hope of regaining Pekuah; but he supposed

that if he could secure the interval of a year, the Princess would
be then in no danger of a cloister.

CHAPTER XXXVI - PEKUAH IS STILL REMEMBERED. THE PROGRESS OF
SORROW.

NEKAYAH, seeing that nothing was omitted for the recovery of her
favourite, and having by her promise set her intention of

retirement at a distance, began imperceptibly to return to common
cares and common pleasures. She rejoiced without her own consent

at the suspension of her sorrows, and sometimes caught herself with
indignation in the act of turning away her mind from the

remembrance of her whom yet she resolved never to forget.
She then appointed a certain hour of the day for meditation on the

merits and fondness of Pekuah, and for some weeks retired
constantly at the time fixed, and returned with her eyes swollen

and her countenance clouded. By degrees she grew less scrupulous,
and suffered any important and pressing avocation to delay the

tribute of daily tears. She then yielded to less occasions, and
sometimes forgot what she was indeed afraid to remember, and at

last whollyreleased herself from the duty of periodical
affliction.

Her real love of Pekuah was not yet diminished. A thousand
occurrences brought her back to memory, and a thousand wants, which

nothing but the confidence of friendship can supply, made her
frequently regretted. She therefore solicited Imlac never to

desist from inquiry, and to leave no art of intelligence untried,
that at least she might have the comfort of knowing that she did

not suffer by negligence or sluggishness. "Yet what," said she,
"is to be expected from our pursuit of happiness, when we find the

state of life to be such that happiness itself is the cause of
misery? Why should we endeavour to attain that of which the

possession cannot be secured? I shall henceforward fear to yield
my heart to excellence, however bright, or to fondness, however

tender, lest I should lose again what I have lost in Pekuah."
CHAPTER XXXVII - THE PRINCESS HEARS NEWS OF PEKUAH.

IN seven mouths one of the messengers who had been sent away upon
the day when the promise was drawn from the Princess, returned,

after many unsuccessful rambles, from the borders of Nubia, with an
account that Pekuah was in the hands of an Arab chief, who

possessed a castle or fortress on the extremity of Egypt. The
Arab, whose revenue was plunder, was willing to restore her, with

her two attendants, for two hundred ounces of gold.
The price was no subject of debate. The Princess was in ecstasies

when she heard that her favourite was alive, and might so cheaply
be ransomed. She could not think of delaying for a moment Pekuah's

happiness or her own, but entreated her brother to send back the
messenger with the sum required. Imlac, being consulted, was not

very confident of the veracity of the relater, and was still more
doubtful of the Arab's faith, who might, if he were too liberally

trusted, detain at once the money and the captives. He thought it
dangerous to put themselves in the power of the Arab by going into

his district; and could not expect that the rover would so much
expose himself as to come into the lower country, where he might be

seized by the forces of the Bassa.
It is difficult to negotiate where neither will trust. But Imlac,

after some deliberation, directed the messenger to propose that
Pekuah should be conducted by ten horsemen to the monastery of St.

Anthony, which is situated in the deserts of Upper Egypt, where she
should be met by the same number, and her ransom should be paid.

That no time might be lost, as they expected that the proposal
would not be refused, they immediately began their journey to the

monastery; and when they arrived, Imlac went forward with the
former messenger to the Arab's fortress. Rasselas was desirous to

go with them; but neither his sister nor Imlac would consent. The
Arab, according to the custom of his nation, observed the laws of

hospitality with great exactness to those who put themselves into
his power, and in a few days brought Pekuah, with her maids, by

easy journeys, to the place appointed, where, receiving the
stipulated price, he restored her, with great respect, to liberty

and her friends, and undertook to conduct them back towards Cairo
beyond all danger of robbery or violence.

The Princess and her favourite embraced each other with transport
too violent to be expressed, and went out together to pour the

tears of tenderness in secret, and exchange professions of kindness
and gratitude. After a few hours they returned into the refectory

of the convent, where, in the presence of the prior and his
brethren, the Prince required of Pekuah the history of her

adventures.
CHAPTER XXXVIII - THE ADVENTURES OF THE LADY PEKUAH.

"AT what time and in what manner I was forced away," said Pekuah,
"your servants have told you. The suddenness of the event struck

me with surprise, and I was at first rather stupefied than agitated
with any passion of either fear or sorrow. My confusion was

increased by the speed and tumult of our flight, while we were
followed by the Turks, who, as it seemed, soon despaired to

overtake us, or were afraid of those whom they made a show of
menacing.

"When the Arabs saw themselves out of danger, they slackened their
course; and as I was less harassed by externalviolence, I began to

feel more uneasiness in my mind. After some time we stopped near a
spring shaded with trees, in a pleasant meadow, where we were set

upon the ground, and offered such refreshments as our masters were
partaking. I was suffered to sit with my maids apart from the

rest, and none attempted to comfort or insult us. Here I first
began to feel the full weight of my misery. The girls sat weeping

in silence, and from time to time looked on me for succour. I knew
not to what condition we were doomed, nor could conjecture where

would be the place of our captivity, or whence to draw any hope of
deliverance. I was in the hands of robbers and savages, and had no

reason to suppose that their pity was more than their justice, or
that they would forbear the gratification of any ardour of desire

or caprice of cruelty. I, however, kissed my maids, and
endeavoured to pacify them by remarking that we were yet treated

with decency, and that since we were now carried beyond pursuit,
there was no danger of violence to our lives.

"When we were to be set again on horseback, my maids clung round
me, and refused to be parted; but I commanded them not to irritate

those who had us in their power. We travelled the remaining part
of the day through an unfrequented and pathless country, and came

by moonlight to the side of a hill, where the rest of the troop was
stationed. Their tents were pitched and their fires kindled, and

our chief was welcomed as a man much beloved by his dependents.
"We were received into a large tent, where we found women who had

attended their husbands in the expedition. They set before us the
supper which they had provided, and I ate it rather to encourage my

maids than to comply with any appetite of my own. When the meat
was taken away, they spread the carpets for repose. I was weary,

and hoped to find in sleep that remission of distress which nature
seldom denies. Ordering myself, therefore, to be undressed, I

observed that the women looked very earnestly upon me, not
expecting, I suppose, to see me so submissively attended. When my

upper vest was taken off, they were apparently struck with the
splendour of my clothes, and one of them timorously laid her hand

upon the embroidery. She then went out, and in a short time came
back with another woman, who seemed to be of higher rank and

greater authority. She did, at her entrance, the usual act of
reverence, and, taking me by the hand placed me in a smaller tent,

spread with finer carpets, where I spent the night quietly with my
maids.

"In the morning, as I was sitting on the grass, the chief of the
troop came towards me. I rose up to receive him, and he bowed with

great respect. 'Illustrious lady,' said he, 'my fortune is better
than I had presumed to hope: I am told by my women that I have a

princess" target="_blank" title="n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人">princess in my camp.' 'Sir,' answered I, 'your women have deceived
themselves and you; I am not a princess" target="_blank" title="n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人">princess, but an unhappy stranger

who intended soon to have left this country, in which I am now to