ing the lady. There you have the whole story."

"I refused to see you," said Kondje-Gul's mother, "simply because I do
not know you! And I ask the judge to order the restitution of my
daughter, which the Ambassador of our Sultan supports me in demanding. I
have his order to this effect."

Here the commissary intervened, and, addressing my uncle, whose
imperturbable composure quite astounded me, said gravely:

"Would you oblige me, sir, by stating your motive for refusing to give
up this young lady to her mother? According to our laws, as you are
aware, this is a circumstance which, notwithstanding the purely
voluntary character of my mandate, I am bound to enter in my report."

"Certainly, sir," replied my uncle, "your request is a very proper one,
and I will at once reply to it, as I would have done in the presence of
the consul of His Excellency the Turkish Ambassador, were it not that
Madame Murrah has strong motives for avoiding such an explanation before
him, between good Mussulmans like herself and me."

"I understand you," continued the commissary, suppressing another smile
at this declaration of Barbassou-Pasha.

"Sir," added my uncle, "I have the advantage of being a Mahometan; and
according to the special customs of my country, with which you are
acquainted, this lady sold me her daughter by a straightforward and
honourable contract, sanctioned by our usages, recognized and supported
by our laws: these laws formally enjoin me to protect her, and to
maintain her always in a position corresponding with my own rank and
fortune, while they forbid me ever to abandon her. Under the same
contract this lady duly received her 'gift' or legitimate remuneration,
which had been estimated, fixed, and agreed to by her. Therefore, as you
will perceive, sir," he added, "no discussion in this case would ever be
listened to by an Ottoman tribunal, and Madame Murrah's suit would be
ignominiously dismissed."

"We are in France," said Madame Murrah, "and my daughter has become
free!"

"To conclude, sir," continued my uncle, without taking any notice of
this objection, "this lady and I are both subjects of His Majesty the
Sultan. Ours is simply a private dispute between fellow-Turks, coming
entirely under the jurisdiction of our national tribunals, and is one in
which your French courts, as you will understand, have no authority to
interfere."

"You are not my daughter's husband!" exclaimed the Circassian; "she does
not