y shop at the bazar; you can serve me
there for a year; and when that time is past, if you don't choose to
remain with me any longer, I will pay you your wages and let you go
where you will, to Aleppo or Medina, to Stamboul or Balsora, or, for
aught I care, to the Infidels. I will give you till noon to decide; if
you agree to my proposal, well and good; if you do not, I will make out
an estimate of the expense you put me to on the journey, and for your
seat on the camel, pay myself by taking your clothes and all you
possess, and then throw you into the street; then you can beg where you
like, of the caliph or the mufti, at the mosque or in the bazar."

With these words the wicked man left the unfortunate youth. Said looked
after him with loathing. He rebelled against the wickedness of this
man, who had designedly taken him to his house so that he might have
him in his power. He looked about to see if he could escape, but found
the windows grated and the door locked. Finally, after his spirit had
long revolted at the idea, he decided to accept the merchant's proposal
for the present. He saw clearly that nothing better remained for him to
do; for even if he were to run away, he could not reach Balsora without
money. But he made up his mind to seek the caliph's protection as soon
as possible.

On the following day, Kalum-Bek led his new servant to his shop in the
bazar. He showed Said the shawls, veils, and other wares in which he
dealt, and instructed the youth in his strange duties. These required
that Said, stripped of his soldierly costume and clad like a merchant's
servant, should stand in the doorway of the shop, with a shawl in one
hand and a splendid veil in the other, and cry out his wares to the
passers-by, name the price, and invite the people to buy. And now, too
it became evident to Said why Kalum-Bek had selected him for this
business. The merchant was a short, ugly-looking man, and when he
himself stood at the door and cried his wares, many of the neighbors,
as well as the passersby, would make fun of his appearance, or the boys
would tease him, while the women called him a scarecrow; but everybody
was pleased with the appearance of young Said, who attracted customers
by his graceful deportment and by his clever and tasteful way of
exhibiting his shawls and veils.

When Kalum-Bek saw that customers thronged to his shop since Said had
taken his stand at the door, he became more friendly with the young
man,