She had declared utter
ignorance of the art herself, her father having studiously
avoided instructing her in it from some unexplained
motive; yet as she expressed the most unbounded admiration
of those who possessed it, it was my intention to surprise
her with a highly finished likeness of herself at my next
visit. With this view I now set to work; and made such
progress, that before I retired to rest I had completed
all but the finishing touches, to which I purposed devoting
a leisure hour or two by daylight on the morrow.
"While occupied the second day in its completion, it
occurred to me I was in orders for duty on the following,
which was that of my promised visit to the oasis; and I
despatched my servant with my compliments to your father,
and a request that he would be so obliging as to take my
guard for me on the morrow, and I would perform his duty
when next his name appeared on the roster. Some time
afterwards I heard the door of the room in which I sat
open, and some one enter. Presuming it to be my servant,
returned from the execution of the message with which he
had just been charged, I paid no attention to the
circumstance; but finding, presently, he did not speak,
I turned round with a view of demanding what answer he
had brought.
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