stapha put his foot to the door, but it resisted his
efforts. "Let me assist," said the pacha, and retreated a few paces; he
and Mustapha backed against the door with all their force. It flew
open, and they rolled together on the floor of the hovel. The old woman
screamed, and then, jumping on the body of the pacha, caught him by the
throat, crying, "Thieves! murder!" Mustapha hastened to the assistance
of his master, as did the two black slaves, when they heard the cries,
and with some difficulty the talons of the old Jezebel were disengaged
from the throat of the pacha, who, in his wrath, would have immediately
sacrificed her. "Lahnet be Shitan! Curses on the devil!" exclaimed the
pacha; "but this is pretty treatment for a pacha."

"Knowest thou, vile wretch, that thou hast taken by the throat, and
nearly strangled, the Lord of Life--the pacha 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