part07-第14章

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broad…backed　renegado；　but　when　he　halted　with　the　cavaliers　to　take

breath　on　the　mountain　summit；　the　duenna　was　no　longer　to　be　seen。

　　〃What　has　become　of　Kadiga？〃　cried　the　princesses　in　alarm。

　　〃Allah　alone　knows！〃　replied　the　renegado；　〃my　belt　came　loose

when　in　the　midst　of　the　river；　and　Kadiga　was　swept　with　it　down

the　stream。　The　will　of　Allah　be　done！　but　it　was　an　embroidered　belt；

and　of　great　price。〃

　　There　was　no　time　to　waste　in　idle　regrets；　yet　bitterly　did　the

princesses　bewail　the　loss　of　their　discreet　counsellor。　That

excellent　old　woman；　however；　did　not　lose　more　than　half　of　her

nine　lives　in　the　water：　a　fisherman；　who　was　drawing　his　nets　some

distance　down　the　stream；　brought　her　to　land；　and　was　not　a　little

astonished　at　his　miraculous　draught。　What　further　became　of　the

discreet　Kadiga；　the　legend　does　not　mention；　certain　it　is　that　she

evinced　her　discretion　in　never　venturing　within　the　reach　of

Mohamed　the　Left…handed。

　　Almost　as　little　is　known　of　the　conduct　of　that　sagacious　monarch

when　he　discovered　the　escape　of　his　daughters；　and　the　deceit

practised　upon　him　by　the　most　faithful　of　servants。　It　was　the　only

instance　in　which　he　had　called　in　the　aid　of　counsel；　and　he　was

never　afterwards　known　to　be　guilty　of　a　similar　weakness。　He　took

good　care；　however；　to　guard　his　remaining　daughter；　who　had　no

disposition　to　elope：　it　is　thought；　indeed；　that　she　secretly

repented　having　remained　behind：　now　and　then　she　was　seen　leaning

on　the　battlements　of　the　tower；　and　looking　mournfully　towards　the

mountains　in　the　direction　of　Cordova；　and　sometimes　the　notes　of

her　lute　were　heard　accompanying　plaintive　ditties；　in　which　she　was

said　to　lament　the　loss　of　her　sisters　and　her　lover；　and　to　bewail

her　solitary　life。　She　died　young；　and；　according　to　popular　rumor；

was　buried　in　a　vault　beneath　the　tower；　and　her　untimely　fate　has

given　rise　to　more　than　one　traditionary　fable。



　　The　following　legend；　which　seems　in　some　measure　to　spring　out　of

the　foregoing　story；　is　too　closely　connected　with　high　historic　names

to　be　entirely　doubted。　The　Count's　daughter；　and　some　of　her　young

companions；　to　whom　it　was　read　in　one　of　the　evening　tertulias；

thought　certain　parts　of　it　had　much　appearance　of　reality；　and

Dolores；　who　was　much　more　versed　than　they　in　the　improbable　truths

of　the　Alhambra；　believed　every　word　of　it。