Page:Eothen, or, Traces of travel brought home from the East by Kinglake, Alexander William.djvu/82

 I left Saide (the Sidon of ancient times), on my right, and about an hour, I think, before sunset, began to ascend one of the many low hills of Lebanon. On the summit before me, was a broad, grey mass of irregular building, which, from its position, as well as from the gloomy blankness of its walls, gave the idea of a neglected fortress; it had, in fact, been a convent of great size, and like most of the religious houses in this part of the world, had been made strong enough for opposing an inert resistance to any mere casual band of assailants who might be unprovided with regular means of attack; this was the dwelling-place of the Chatham's fiery grand-daughter.

The aspect of the first court which I entered, was such as to keep one in the idea of having to do with a fortress, rather than a mere peaceable dwelling-place. A number of fierce-looking and ill-clad Albanian soldiers were hanging about the place, and striving to bear the curse of tranquillity, as well as they could; two or three of them, I think, were smoking their tchibouques, but the rest of them were lying torpidly upon the flat stones, like the bodies of departed brigands. I rode on to an inner part of the building, and at last, quitting my horses, was conducted through a door-way which led me at once from an open court into an apartment on the ground floor. As I entered, an oriental figure in male costume approached me from the farther end of the room with many and profound bows, but the growing shades of evening, as well as my near-sightedness, prevented me from distinguishing the features of the personage who was receiving me with this solemn welcome. I had always, however, understood that Lady Hester Stanhope wore the male attire, and I began to utter in English the common civilities which seemed to be proper on the commencement of a visit by an uninspired mortal to a renowned Prophetess, but the figure which I addressed only bowed so much the more, prostrating itself almost to the ground, but speaking to me never a word; I feebly strived not to be outdone in gestures of respect, but presently my bowing opponent saw the error under which I was acting, and suddenly convinced me, that at all events I was not yet in the presence of a superhuman being, by declaring that he was not "Miladi," but was, in fact, nothing more or less god