e same state, and covered in the
same manner? If you put money in it, there you must find it. You told
me it contained olives, and I believed you. This is all I know about
the matter; you may believe me or not as you please, but I assure you
I have not touched it."

Ali Cogia used the gentlest means to enable the merchant to justify
himself. "I love peaceable measures," said he, "and I should be sorry
to proceed to extremities, which would not be very creditable to you
in the eyes of the world. Consider that merchants, such as we are,
should abandon all private interests to preserve their reputation.
Once more I tell you that I should be sorry if your obstinacy compels
me to apply to the forms allowed by justice, for I have always
preferred losing something of my right to having recourse to those
means."

"Ali Cogia," resumed the merchant, "you confess that you have
deposited a jar of olives with me, that you took possession of it
again, and that you carried it away; and now you come to demand of me
a thousand pieces of gold. Did you tell me they were contained in the
jar? I am even ignorant that there were olives in it; you did not show
them to me! I am surprised that you did not require pearls and
diamonds rather than money. Take my advice: go home, and do not
assemble a crowd about my door."

Some people had already stopped before his shop; and these last
words, pronounced in an angry voice, not only collected a larger
number, but made the neighboring merchants come out of their shops to
inquire the reason of the dispute. When Ali Cogia had explained to
them the subject, the most earnest in the cause asked the merchant
what reply he had to make.

The merchant owned that he had kept the jar belonging to Ali Cogia in
his warehouse, but he denied having touched it, and made oath that he
only knew that it contained olives because Ali Cogia had told him so,
and that he considered them all as witnesses of the insulting affront
which had been offered to him in his own house.

"You have drawn the affront on yourself," said Ali Cogia, taking him
by the arm; "but since you behave so wickedly, I cite you by the law
of God. Let us see if you will have the face to say the same before
the cadi."

At this summons, which every true Mussulman must obey, unless he
rebels against his religion, the merchant had not the courage to offer
any resistance. "Come," said he, "that is the very thing I wish; we
shall see who is wrong, y