"

"I have not sent for you to hear you dispute in my presence, but to hear
your stories. Ali, do you begin."

"I do assure your highness," interrupted Hussan, "that you will not
listen to him three minutes."

"I do assure you," retorted the pacha, "that if you say one word more,
until you are ordered, you will be rewarded with the bastinado for your
trouble. Ali, begin your story."

"Well, your highness, it was about thirty years ago, _you know_, that I
was a little boy, _you know_."

Here Hussan lifted up his hands, and smiled.

"Well, your highness, _you know_----"

"I don't know, Ali; how can I know until you tell me," observed the
pacha.

"Well, then, your highness must know that ever since I was born I have
lived in the same street where your highness saw us seated last night,
and thirty years, you know is a long period in a man's life. My father
was a gardener, and people of his condition, _you know_, are obliged to
get up early, that they may be in time for the market, where, _you
know_, they bring their vegetables for sale."

"This is all very true, I dare say," observed the pacha; "but you will
oblige me by leaving out all those _you knows_, which I agree with your
comrade Hussan to be very tedious."

"That's what I have already told him, your highness--'Ali,' _says I_,
'if you can only leave out your _you knows_,' _says I_, 'your story
might be amusing, but,' _says I_----"

"Silence with your _says I's_," observed the pacha; "have you forgotten
the bastinado? there seems to be a pair of you. Ali, go on with the
story and remember my injunction; the felek and ferashes are at hand."

"Well, your highness, one morning he rose earlier than usual, as he was
anxious to be the first in the market with some onions, which, _you
know_, are very plentiful; and having laden his ass, he set off, at a
good round pace, for the city. There, _you know_, he arrived at the
market-place a little after the day had dawned, when, _you know_,----"

"Did you not receive my orders to leave out _you know_? Am I to be
obeyed or not? Now go on, and if you offend again, you shall have the
bastinado till your nails drop off."

"I shall observe your highness's wishes," replied Ali.--"A little after
the day had dawned, _you_--, no, he, I mean, observed an old woman
sitting near one of the fruit-stalls, with her head covered up in an old
dark-blue capote; and as he passed by, _you_--she I mean, held out one
of her fingers, a