ater-course; the guardians of
the peace flourished their staves, yelling and making their victims yell
in their efforts to restore order--but all this hardly affected the vast
body of spectators, and suddenly peace reigned, the confusion subsided,
the shrieks were silenced. Those who were doomed might fall or die, be
crushed or plague-stricken. Trumpet calls and singing were heard
approaching from the town: the procession, the Bridal procession was
coming! Not a man but would have perished rather than be deprived of
seeing a single act of this stupendous drama.

Those Arabs--what fools they were! Besides the Vekeel only three of their
magnates were present, and those men whom no one knew. Even the Kadi was
nowhere to be seen; and he must have forbidden the Moslem women to come,
for not a single veiled beauty of the harem was visible. Not one Egyptian
woman would have failed to appear if the plague had not kept so many
imprisoned in their houses. Such a thing would never be seen again; this
day's doings would be a tale to tell to future great-grandchildren!

The music and singing came nearer and nearer; and it did not indeed sound
as if it were escorting a hapless creature to a fearful end. Blast after
blast rang out from the trumpets, filling the air with festive defiance;
cheerful bridal songs came nearer and nearer to the listeners, the shrill
chorus of boys and maidens sounding above the deeper and stronger chant
of youths and men of all ages; flutes piped a gay invitation to gladness;
the dull roar of drums muttered like the distant waves in time to a
march, broken by the clang of cymbals and the tinkle of bells hung around
tambourines held high by girlish hands which struck, rattled and waved
them above their flowing curls; lute players discoursed sweet music on
the strings; and as this vast tide of mingled tones came closer, behind
it there was still more music and more song.

To the ear the procession seemed endless, and the eye soon confirmed the
impression.

All were listening, gazing, watching to see the Bride and her escort.
Every eye seemed compelled to turn in the same direction; and presently
there came: first the trumpeters on spirited horses, and these ranged
themselves on each side of the road by the shore leading to the scene of
the "marriage." In front of them the choir of women took their stand to
the left and, on the right, the men who had marched after them. All alike
were arrayed in light sea-g