iously. "I
will go forth and make inquiry," he said, "for I desire further
enlightenment concerning thy statements. But, remember," he added:
"should I still require thee to wed the matchless Bedeea-el-Jemal, and
thou shouldst disobey me, thou wilt bring disaster, not on thine own
head, but on those thou art most desirous of protecting."

"Yes, so you told me before," said Horace, brusquely. "Good evening."
But Fakrash was already gone. In spite of all he had gone through and
the unknown difficulties before him, Ventimore was seized with what
Uncle Remus calls "a spell of the dry grins" at the thought of the
probable replies that the Jinnee would meet with in the course of his
inquiries. "I'm afraid he won't be particularly impressed by the
politeness of a London crowd," he thought; "but at least they'll
convince him that I am not exactly a prominent citizen. Then he'll give
up this idiotic match of his--I don't know, though. He's such a
pig-headed old fool that he may stick to it all the same. I may find
myself encumbered with a Jinneeyeh bride several centuries my senior
before I know where I am. No, I forget; there's the jealous Jarjarees to
be polished off first. I seem to remember something about a quick-change
combat with an Efreet in the "Arabian Nights." I may as well look it up,
and see what may be in store for me."

And after dinner he went to his shelves and took down Lane's
three-volume edition of "The Arabian Nights," which he set himself to
study with a new interest. It was long since he had looked into these
wondrous tales, old beyond all human calculation, and fresher, even now,
than the most modern of successful romances. After all, he was tempted
to think, they might possess quite as much historical value as many
works with graver pretentions to accuracy.

He found a full account of the combat with the Efreet in "The Story of
the Second Royal Mendicant" in the first volume, and was unpleasantly
surprised to discover that the Efreet's name was actually given as
"Jarjarees, the son of Rejmoos, the son of Iblees"--evidently the same
person to whom Fakrash had referred as his bitterest foe. He was
described as "of hideous aspect," and had, it seemed, not only carried
off the daughter of the Lord of the Ebony Island on her wedding night,
but, on discovering her in the society of the Royal Mendicant, had
revenged himself by striking off her hands, her feet, and her head, and
transforming his human rival i