The Romance of the Harem

General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1873 Original Publisher: J.R. Osgood and company Subjects: Thailand Historical fiction Fiction Fiction / Classics Fiction / Historical Fiction / Literary Fiction / Romance / Historical History / General History / Asia / General History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877) History / Asia / Southeast Asia Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Travel / Asia / Southeast Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: I had drawn quite near to Tuptim when she began her simple narrative, and was so much absorbed in attention to what she said, and in admiration of the fearlessness as well as of the beauty and majesty of that little figure, that I had remained rooted to the spot, standing there mechanically, anil hardly noting what was going on around me. But the ellect of that reply was startling; it brought me suddenly to my senses and to a full appreciation of the scene before me. There was a child of barely sixteen years hurling defiance, at her own risk and peril, at the judges who appeared as giants beside her. To make such a reply to those executors of Siam's cruel laws was not only to accept death, but all the agonies of merciless torture. As her refusal fell like a thunderbolt upon my startled ears, she seemed a very Titan among the giants. " Strip her, and give her thirty blows," shouted the infuriated Fhayaprome I'aree Ilak, in a voice hoarse with passion; and Khoon Thow App looked calmly on. Presently the crowd opened, and a litter borne by two men was brought into the hall On it lay the mutilated form of the priest Bulat, who had just undergone the torture, in order to make him confess his guilt and...