Iskander took, therefore, several opportunities
of leading Iduna to believe that he was merely the confidential agent
of Nicaeus, and that the whole plan of her rescue from the Seraglio of
Adrianople bad been planned by his young friend. In the meantime,
during the three days on which they had for short intervals met, very
few words had been interchanged between Nicaeus and his mistress. Those
words, indeed, had been to him of the most inspiring nature, and
expressed such a deep scale of gratitude, and such lively regard, that
Nicaeus could no longer resist the delightful conviction that he had at
length created a permanent interest in her heart. Often he longed to
rush to her couch, and press her hand to his lips. Even the
anticipation of future happiness could not prevent him from envying the
good fortune of Iskander, who was allowed to converse with her without
restraint; and bitterly, on their return to the khan, did he execrate
the pompous eunuch for all the torture which he occasioned him by his
silly conversation, and the petty tyranny of office with which Kaflis
always repressed his attempts to converse for a moment with Iduna.
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