e door startled us both. It was a
party of janissaries despatched by the aga, to bring us to him
immediately. I knew well enough what it must be about, and I cursed my
folly in having delayed so long; but the fact was, the wine proved so
agreeable to the aga's palate that he had drunk it much faster than
usual; besides which, the body of the slave took up at least a third of
the cask, and diminished the contents in the same proportion. There was
no appeal, and no escape. My master, who was ignorant of the cause, did
not seem at all alarmed, but willingly accompanied the soldiers. I, on
the contrary, was nearly dead from fear.

When we arrived, the aga burst out in the most violent exclamations
against my master--"Thou rascal of a Jew!" said he, "dost thou think
that thou art to impose upon a true believer, and sell him a pipe of
wine which is not more than two thirds full,--filling it up with trash
of some sort or another. Tell me what it is that is so heavy in the
cask now that it is empty?"

The Jew protested his ignorance, and appealed to me; I, of course,
pretended the same. "Well then," replied the aga, "we will soon see.
Let thy Greek send for his tools, and the cask shall be opened in our
presence; then perhaps, thou wilt recognise thine own knavery."

Two of the janissaries were despatched for the tools, and when they
arrived, I was directed to take the head out of the cask. I now
considered my death as certain--nothing buoyed me up but my observing
that the resentment of the aga was levelled more against my master than
against me; but still I thought that, when the cask was opened, the
recognition of the black slave must immediately take place, and the
evidence of my master would fix the murder upon me.

It was with a trembling hand that I obeyed the orders of the aga--the
head of the pipe was taken out, and, to the horror of all present, the
body was exposed; but instead of being black, it had turned _white_,
from the time which it had been immersed. I rallied a little at this
circumstance, as, so far, suspicion would be removed.

"Holy Abraham!" exclaimed my master, "what is that which I see!--A dead
body, so help me God!--but I know nothing about it--do you, Charis?" I
vowed that I did not, and called the patriarch to witness the truth of
my assertion. But while we were thus exclaiming, the aga's eyes were
fixed upon my master with an indignant and deadly stare which spoke
volumes; while the