ments of Mezrimbi.

"Who, then, art thou?" exclaimed the chief Brahmin, to his son, in
Acota's dress.

"I am," exclaimed his son, exhausted with pain and mortification, "I
am--I was Mezrimbi."

"Grandees," cried Acota, "as the chief Brahmin has already asserted, and
as you have agreed, in that you behold the finger of Heaven, which ever
punishes hypocrisy, cruelty, and injustice;" and the chief Brahmin fell
down in a fit, and was carried out, with his unfortunate son Mezrimbi.

In the meantime the beauteous Princess Babe-bi-bobu had recovered, and
was in the arms of Acota, who, resigning her to her attendant maidens,
addressed the assembly in a speech of so much eloquence, so much beauty,
and so much force, that it was written down in letters of gold, being
considered the _ne plus ultra_ of the Souffrarian language; he explained
to them the nefarious attempt of Mezrimbi to counteract the will of
Heaven, and how he had fallen into the snare which he had laid for
others. And when he had finished, the whole assembly hailed him as their
king; and the population, whose heads paved, as it were, a space of ten
square miles, cried out, "Long life to the king Acota, and his beautiful
princess Babe-bi-bobu, the cream-tart of delight!"

Who can attempt to describe the magnificent procession which took place
that evening, who can describe the proud and splendid bearing of king
Acota, or the beaming eyes of the beautiful Princess Babe-bi-bobu. Shall
I narrate how the nightingales sang themselves to death--shall I----

"No, pray don't," interrupted the pacha, "only let us know one
thing--was the beautiful Babe-bi-bobu married at last?"

"She was, that very evening, your sublime highness."

"Allah be praised!" rejoined the pacha. "Mustapha, let Menouni know what
it is to tell a story to a pacha, even though it is rather a long one,
and I thought the princess would never have been married." And the pacha
rose and waddled to his harem.

Chapter XV

On the ensuing day, the pacha was sitting at his divan, according to his
custom, Mustapha by his side, lending his ear to the whispers of divers
people who came to him in an attitude of profound respect. Still they
were most graciously received, as the purport of their intrusion was to
induce the vizier to interest himself in their behalves when their cause
came forward to be heard and decided upon by the pacha, who in all cases
was guided by the whispered opinion of Mustap