mply, seeing that
it has been the spirit's desire."

Then answered the spokesman: "Brother, thou hast spoken well. Allah,
thou art with us in our choice; we praise Thee. Brother, one word! Our
ways are different to all men's ways; thou hast but to have faith, and
all is well."

"Brethren, faith! I have had faith; my faith is now even strengthened.
I do your bidding."

"Brother, first of all thy worldly goods must be disposed of and
rendered into gold. Every earthly possession thou hast must be
represented by a piece of gold. Therefore see to that; we have other
duties to fulfil, but will return ere the sun sets in the west."

The Dervish set about selling all his goods; and when the coloring of
the sky in the west harbingered the closing of the day, he had
disposed of everything and stood waiting with naught but a sack of
gold.

The three wise men returned, and, on seeing the Dervish, said:
"Brother, thou hast done well; we will hence."

A caique was in waiting, and the four entered. Silently the caique
glided over the smooth surface of the Bosphorus; and silently the
occupants sat. When beyond Maidens' Tower, the spokesman, turning to
the Dervish, said: "Brother, with thy inmost blessing give me that
sack, representing everything thou dost possess in this world."

The Dervish handed the sack as he was bidden, and the wise man
solemnly rose, and holding it on high, said: "With the blessing of our
brother Mustapha," and dropped it where the current is strongest.
Then, sitting down, resumed his silence. The deed was done, and
nothing outward told the story; the Caiquedji dipped his oars, and
the waves rippled as soft as before. Nothing but the distant, soothing
cry of the Muezzin, calling the faithful to prayer, now waxing, now
waning, now completely dying away as they moved around the minarets,
broke the stillness.

Ere long the boat was brought to the shore, the four men wended their
way up the steep hill, and the horizon, wrapped in the mantle of
night, hid them from the boatman's sight. A few minutes' walk brought
them to the mosque of the Forty Wise Men; the spokesman turned to the
Dervish, and said: "Brother, faithfully follow," and then passed
through the doorway. They entered a large, vaulted chamber, the
ceiling of which was artistically inlaid with mosaiques, and the floor
covered with tiles of the ceramic art of bygone ages. From the centre
hung a large chandelier holding a number of little oil cups,