unprotected."
"Do not say so, my father," cried the lovely Ina. "Surely heaven willprotect us, as it has done before. But why this sudden haste? Stay butsome short time longer with me, and among your fields and retainers.Nothing can have happened to call you so quickly away."
"It may not be, dear daughter. Now listen to my words. I have alreadytold you that the valiant Khan, the noble Khoros Kaloret, has seen you--that he loves you. He is rich and brave; hundreds of retainers obey hiscommands and follow him to battle. He has numerous slaves who till hisfields; rich pastures on which large herds of cattle graze; innumerableflocks wander over his mountains, while none can boast of finer horsesor richer armour. What more can I say of him? He has sent his brother,who has just arrived, as an envoy to demand you in marriage, and I havespoken much to him. He says that he loves you, truly and deeply--thathe would sacrifice half his possessions to gain you. Nay, tremble not,loved one. You know that horses, cattle, or the richest armour, are butas nought compared to you--that I would give all I have for your sake;but yet in this time of war, when any moment may lay me low, I wouldfind some gallant protector who would shield you from danger; that whenI am in the land of the blessed spirits, I may look down and see mychild happy. Many there are who would be to me as a son, and wouldgladly accept your hand and succeed to my possessions; but none appearto win my Ina's heart. Say, will my child become the bride of theKhan?"
"Oh my father, indeed, indeed, I feel your kind and generous conduct,"exclaimed Ina, with feeling and animation. "Where other fathers do notconsult their daughters' wishes, you willingly yield to mine. I toohave seen the Khan, but I would not be his bride; I cannot dream of lovefor one like him. For your sake, my father, I would wed whom youwished; but still he should be one whom you too could love, who wouldobey, and follow you as a son. Ah! that Allah had made me one, that Imight follow you to the battle, and share your dangers and yourvictories. If I were to wed this Khan, I should see you no more; Ishould be carried far away to his mountain home, distant from the soundsof war and strife, when you would be left alone without a child toattend you, when sick or wounded; or should you return victorious, nonewould be in your home to offer you a joyous welcome. Oh, my father! letme still remain your daughter; let me remain to tend your household andyour flocks, if you will not let me go with you. But oh! how muchrather than become the wife of the richest noble, would I follow you tothe field, to cheer you in the camp, to dress your food, to be your pageand attendant. This I can do."
"Alas! my daughter, I cannot leave you here, for I must take all thefollowers that I can muster to the field. I have now so few, that Icannot leave enough to guard our home; and should our invaders gain theentrance of this pass, my house and fields must fall a prey to them.Then, my Ina, would you not be more safe and happy as the wife of apowerful chief, with thousands of warriors to fight under his banner,than to be following me amid the toils of a campaign?"
"No, oh no," replied the daughter. "I do not, I cannot love the Khan;he is brave, but fierce, noble, and cruel; his followers obey him morethrough fear than love. His very features bespeak his character; he isno true son of the Atteghei, and I would wed none but a scion of thetrue stock. Oh, tell the Khan's brother, that you cannot part from me;that I am your only child, your successor; that I am not worthy of theKhan's thoughts; that Circassia has many maidens far more prized than I.Oh! say that you will do so, and restore happiness to your daughter'sheart. It was the thought of this that made me sad and ill."
The Chieftain gazed at his daughter with a glance of deep affection;yet, for a moment, the customs of his country seemed contending with hislove. Nature, however, triumphed over habit.
"I will do as you will, my Ina," he cried, clasping her in his arms. "Iwill send word to the proud Khan that even he cannot melt the icy heartof my child. Nay, do not weep, my daughter; you shall not leave meagainst your will for a stranger's care."
"Thanks, thanks, my father," exclaimed Ina, affectionately returning hisembrace. "You have restored peace and joy to my heart, and gladly willI prepare to accompany you to the camp."
"That cannot be," replied the chief. "Your delicate frame is but illprepared to share the hardships of a warrior's life; but your safetyshall be better cared for, and I will bestow you with the family of mykinsman, the noble chief Aitek Tcherei. His lands are far removed fromdanger, among the rocky fastnesses of the mountains; and yet, so nearthe camp, that a quick-footed messenger, may reach it on the second day.Thither will I conduct you, Ina, ere I seek the field; and there, witha companion of your own age, you will be safe and happy. To-morrowafter the sun has risen, prepare to accompany me, with your women andslaves; I must now away to the guest-house, to give your message to theyoung Khan Besin Kaloret, who is eagerly expecting an answer; and wereit not for his oath of peace, methinks the proud Tartar Khan would illbrook a refusal. And now, Ina, farewell, till to-morrow's morn, when Iwill meet you with my retainers to guard you on your way."
The Chieftain arose, again bestowing an affectionate embrace on hischild, as she presented him with his casque. He replaced it on hishead, and quitted the chamber, attended by his daughter to the door.She followed him with her eyes, till he reached the entrance of theguest-house; when returning to her couch, she placed her hands beforeher face, and gave way to her overcharged feelings, in a flood of tears.
The little slave Buda gazed with astonishment, to see her mistress soovercome with distress; she approached her with concern.
"Oh, my dear mistress! why do you weep?" she cried.
Ina looked up at the little girl, with an affectionate and grateful eye."I weep not through pain, Buda, but that I am a weak, foolish girl,unworthy, some would say, to be a maiden of Circassia, where all oughtto be brave and bold. I weep, because I may not share my father'sdangers, and that I may never again see him, or hear his voice. I weeptoo, for joy, that he so loves me, that he will not part from me. But Imust not give way to thoughts like these, or my tears will not ceaseflowing. I must nerve my soul to bear all that may happen, with thecourage of a daughter of the Atteghei, if I have not the strength of hersons. Now haste, Buda, we have much to do, to prepare for our journey.Summon the women from the fields, tell them that we must leave our home;bid them hasten to prepare our goods and furniture for our journey. Go,good Buda, go."
As the little slave ran off to obey her mistress's behests, the pet-kidagain gambolled within the door of the room, and ran bleating to itsfair guardian, looking up with its soft eyes full of affection, to herface. She bent down, and took it up in her arms. "Ah! my littleplaything, and you too, I must see for the last time; perchance, no moreshall I look upon your pretty gambols; no more will you come to be fedby my hand. When I am gone, you will wander wild among the mountains,with no roof to shelter you, and miss the care of your mistress, or amore sad fate, perhaps, be driven into the hands of those worse thanwolves, our greedy invaders. Farewell, pretty one! give one more lookwith those soft eyes, and then go, forget me, and be happy among thewild flocks of your kind."
The little animal, as if understanding her words, or the tone of hervoice, ceased its frolicsome play, and seemed unwilling to quit herside.
The whole household was kept the rest of the day in a state of bustleand activity. The women were busily employed in making packages of allthe light and easily moved valuables of the family; every one being toowell prepared for the necessity of such a movement. Ina herselfattended, to see that the tasks were properly performed; for aCircassian maiden, even of the highest rank, does not consider it adegradation to attend to her household affairs, but rather an honour tobe so employed.
Volume 2, Chapter VIII.
The chieftain, Arslan Gherrei, was one of the bravest of the nobles ofCircassia. He was generous in his behaviour, courteous in his manners,and temperate in the extreme; but there was a melancholy in hiscountenance, almost approaching to sternness. He kept aloof from hiscountrymen, except in the council of war or the scene of stri
fe, wherehis advice was respected, and his standard followed with alacrity. Attheir banquets and scenes of conviviality and amusement, he was scarcelyever to be found, preferring rather his domestic hearth and the societyof his daughter.
Such was the father of the beautiful Ina, the devoted patriot, thechampion of Circassia; but as we shall have occasion to refer, at afuture time, to the particulars of his history, we will now follow hissteps to his guest-house, where the young noble, the brother of theTartar Khan Khoros Kaloret, was anxiously waiting his return with Ina'sanswer to his brother's proposal of marriage; not dreaming that it waspossible any maiden of Circassia could refuse so noble an offer.
The young Khan, who was seated on the divan at the further end of theapartment, attended by his squire, rose as the chieftain
The Circassian Chief: A Romance of Russia Page 53
