staircase. About midnight I was suddenly
awakened by a noise in the ante-chamber. I started up, seized my
scimitar, and the instant I got to the door, saw, by the light of the
lamp which was burning in the room, a man standing opposite to me, with a
drawn sword in his hand. I rushed forward, demanding what he wanted, and
received no answer; but seeing him aim at me with his scimitar, I gave
him, as I thought, a deadly blow. At this instant I heard a great crash;
and the fragments of the looking-glass, which I had shivered, fell at my
feet. At the same moment something black brushed by my shoulder: I
pursued it, stumbled over the packages of glass, and rolled over them
down the stairs.

"My brother came out of his room to inquire the cause of all this
disturbance; and when he saw the fine mirror broken, and me lying amongst
the glass chandeliers at the bottom of the stairs, he could not forbear
exclaiming, 'Well, brother! you are indeed Murad the Unlucky.'

"When the first emotion was over, he could not, however, forbear laughing
at my situation. With a degree of goodness, which made me a thousand
times more sorry for the accident, he came downstairs to help me up, gave
me his hand, and said, 'Forgive me if I was angry with you at first. I
am sure you did not mean to do me any injury; but tell me how all this
has happened?'

"Whilst Saladin was speaking, I heard the same kind of noise which had
alarmed me in the ante-chamber; but, on looking back, I saw only a black
pigeon, which flew swiftly by me, unconscious of the mischief he had
occasioned. This pigeon I had unluckily brought into the house the
preceding day; and had been feeding and trying to tame it for my young
nephews. I little thought it would be the cause of such disasters. My
brother, though he endeavoured to conceal his anxiety from me, was much
disturbed at the idea of meeting the favourite's displeasure, who would
certainly be grievously disappointed by the loss of her splendid looking-
glass. I saw that I should inevitably be his ruin if I continued in his
house; and no persuasions could prevail upon me to prolong my stay. My
generous brother, seeing me determined to go, said to me, 'A factor, whom
I have employed for some years to sell merchandise for me, died a few
days ago. Will you take his place? I am rich enough to bear any little
mistakes you may fall into from ignorance of business; and you will have
a partner who is able and will