ld beldame, flying at me like a tigress, and clutching the bag from my
girdle. Having secured that, she darted at me with her ten nails, and
scored down my face, which I had so unfortunately covered in the first
instance, and so unfortunately uncovered in the second. What shall I say
more? The neighbours came in--I was hurried before the cadi, in company
with the old woman and the Frank physician. The money and bag were taken
from me--I was dismissed by the Hakim, and after receiving one hundred
blows from the ferashes, I was dismissed by the cadi. It was my
fate--and I have told my story. Is your slave dismissed?

"No," replied the pacha; "by our beard, we must see to this, Mustapha;
say, Hudusi, what was the decision of the cadi? Our ears are open."

"The cadi decided as follows:--That I had stolen the money, and
therefore I was punished with the bastinado; but, as the old woman
stated that the bag contained seven hundred sequins, and there were
found in it upwards of eleven hundred, that the money could not belong
to her. He therefore retained it until he could find the right owner.
The physician was fined fifty sequins for looking at a Turkish woman,
and fifty more for shrugging up his shoulders. The girl was ordered into
the cadi's harem, because she had lost her dowry; and the old woman was
sent about her business. All present declared that the sentence was
wisdom itself; but, for my part, _I very much doubted the fact_."

"Mustapha," said the pacha, "send for the cadi, the Frank physician, the
old woman, the girl, and the goat-skin bag; we must examine into this
affair."

The officers were despatched, and in less than an hour, during which the
pacha and his vizier smoked in silence, the cadi and the others made
their appearance.

"May your highness's shadow never be less!" said the cadi, as he
entered.

"Mobarek! may you be fortunate!" replied the pacha. "What is this we
hear, cadi? There is a goat-skin bag and a girl, that are not known to
our justice. Are there secrets like those hid in the well of
Kashan--speak! what dirt have you been eating?"

"What shall I say?" replied the cadi; "I am but as dirt; the money is
here, and the girl is here. Is the pacha to be troubled with every
woman's noise, or am I to come before him with a piece or two of
gold--Min Allah--God forbid! Have I not here the money, and _seven more
purses_? Was not the girl visited by the angel of death; and could she
appear before your