acha himself," said Mustapha.

"Well," replied the old woman, coolly, "the time has been--the time has
been."

"What meanest thou, cursed hag, that 'the time has been'?"

"I mean that the time has been, when I have had more than one pacha
strangled. Yes," continued she squatting down on the floor, and
muttering, "the time has been."

The pacha's rage was now a little appeased. "Mustapha," said the pacha,
"let this old woman be carefully guarded; to-morrow afternoon we will
understand the meaning of those strange words, 'the time has been.'
Depend upon it, thereby hangs a good story; we will have that first--and
then," whispered the pacha, "her head off afterwards."

The old woman, hearing the order to take her into custody, again
repeated. "Ah, very well--the time has been." The slaves laid hold of
her; but she defended herself so vigorously with her teeth and nails,
that they were under the necessity of gagging her, and tying her hand
and foot. They then hoisted her on their shoulders, and marched off with
her to the palace, followed by Mustapha and the pacha, the latter quite
delighted with his adventure. When the divan of the ensuing day had
closed, the old woman was ordered to be brought into the presence of the
pacha; and as she refused to walk, she was brought on the shoulders of
four of the guards, and laid on the floor of the council-chamber. "How
dare you rebel against the sublime commands?" inquired Mustapha with
severity.

"How dare I rebel!" cried the old woman with a shrill voice. "Why, what
right has the pacha to drag me from my poor hovel; and what can he want
with an old woman like me? It's not for his harem, I presume."

At this remark the pacha and Mustapha could not help laughing; having
recovered his gravity, Mustapha observed, "One would imagine, old
carrion that thou art, that the idea of such a punishment as the
bastinado had never entered your mind."

"There you are mistaken, Mr Vizier, for I have suffered both the
bastinado and the bowstring."

"And the bowstring! Holy Prophet! what a lying old hag!" exclaimed the
pacha.

"No lie, pacha, no lie!" screamed the old woman in her wrath. "I have
said it--and the bowstring. Yes, the time has been, when I was young and
beautiful; and do you know why I suffered? I'll tell you--because I
would not hold my tongue--and do you think that I will now that I'm an
old piece of carrion? Yes--yes--the time has been."

"Fortunately, then," replied Mu