minions, that he
pardoned Ganem the son of Abou Ayoub; but this proved of no
effect, for a long time elapsed without any news of the young
merchant. Fetnah concluded, that he had not been able to survive
the pain of losing her. A dreadful uneasiness seized her mind;
but as hope is the last thing which forsakes lovers, she
entreated the caliph to give her leave to seek for Ganem herself;
which being granted, she took a purse containing a thousand
pieces of gold, and went one morning out of the palace, mounted
on a mule from the caliph's stables, very richly caparisoned.
Black eunuchs attended her, with a hand placed on each side of
the mule's back.

Thus she went from mosque to mosque, bestowing her alms among the
devotees of the Mahummedan religion, desiring their prayers for
the accomplishment of an affair, on which the happiness of two
persons, she told them, depended. She spend the whole day and the
thousand pieces of gold in giving alms at the mosques, and
returned to the palace in the evening.

The next day she took another purse of the same value, and in the like
equipage as the day before, went to the square of the jewellers'
shops, and stopping at the gateway without alighting, sent one of her
black eunuchs for the syndic or chief of them. The syndic, who was a
most charitable man, and spent above two-thirds of his income in
relieving poor strangers, sick or in distress, did not make Fetnah
wait, knowing by her dress that she was a lady belonging to the
palace. "I apply myself to you," said she, putting the purse into his
hands, "as a person whose piety is celebrated throughout the city. I
desire you to distribute that gold among the poor strangers you
relieve, for I know you make it your business to assist those who
apply to your charity. I am also satisfied that you prevent their
wants, and that nothing is more grateful to you, than to have an
opportunity of relieving their misery." "Madam," answered the syndic,
"I shall obey your commands with pleasure; but if you desire to
exercise your charity in person, and will be pleased to step to my
house, you will there see two women worthy of your compassion; I met
them yesterday as they were coming into the city; they were in a
deplorable condition, and it moved me the more, because I thought they
were persons of rank. Through all the rags that covered them,
notwithstanding the impression the sun has made on their faces, I
discovered a noble air, not to be commo