ediately replied, "O pacha! great and manifold
are the cares of state. If thy humble slave may be permitted to advise,
thou wilt call in the Chinese dog with two tails, who hath as yet
repeated but one of his tales."

"Not so," replied the pacha; "I am weary of his eternal ti-tum,
tilly-lilly, which yet ringeth in mine ears. What else canst thou
propose?"

"Alem penah! refuge of the world, wilt thou be pleased to order out thy
troops, and witness the exercise of djireed? The moon is high in the
heavens, and it is light as day."

"Not so," replied the pacha; "I am tired of war and all that appertains
to it. Let the troops sleep in peace."

"Then, O pacha! will you permit your slave to send for some bottles of
the fire-water of the Giaour, that we may drink and smoke until we are
elevated to the seven heavens?"

"Nay, good vizier, that is as a last resource, for it is forbidden by
the laws of the Prophet. Think once more, and thou must have no more
brains than a water-melon, if this time thou proposest not that which
will give me ease."

"Thy slave lives but to hear, and hears but to obey," replied Mustapha.
"Then will it please my lord to disguise himself, and walk through the
streets of Cairo; the moon is bright, and the hyena prowls not now, but
mingles his howlings with those of the jackal afar off."

"Your face is whitened, Mustapha, and it pleaseth us. Let the disguises
be prepared, and we will sally forth."

In a short time the disguises were ready, the vizier taking care that
they should be those of Armenian merchants, knowing that the pacha would
be pleased with the similarity to those worn by the great Alraschid; two
black slaves, with their swords, followed the pacha and his vizier at a
short distance. The streets were quite empty, and they met with nothing
living except here and there a dog preying on the garbage and offal, who
snapped and snarled as they passed by. The night promised nothing of
adventure, and the pacha was in no very good humour, when Mustapha
perceived a light through the chinks of a closed window in a small
hovel, and heard the sound of a voice. He peeped through, the pacha
standing by his side. After a few seconds the vizier made signs to the
pacha to look in. The pacha was obliged to strain his fat body to its
utmost altitude, standing on the tips of his toes to enable his eyes to
reach the cranny. The interior of the hovel was without furniture, a
chest in the centre of the mud