nt, naming
a price slightly less than that asked.

"Make it _so_ much," exclaims Said, even more persuasively than
before, as he "splits the difference."

"Well, I'll give you _so_ much," offering just a little less than this
sum. "I can't go above that, you know."

"All right, but you always get the better of me, you know. That is
just what I paid. Anyhow, don't forget that when I want a new cloak,"
and he proceeds to measure out the purchases, using as weights two or
three bits of old iron, a small cannon-ball, some bullets, screws,
coins, etc. "Go with prosperity, my friend; and may God bless thee!"

"And may God increase thy prosperity, and grant to thee a blessing!"
rejoins the successful man, as he proceeds to another stall.

By the time he reaches home his basket will contain meat, fish,
vegetables, fruit and herbs, besides, perhaps, a loaf of sugar, and a
quarter of a pound of tea, with supplies of spices and some candles.
Bread they make at home.

The absurdly minute quantities of what we should call "stores," which
a man will purchase who could well afford to lay in a supply, seem
very strange to the foreigner; but it is part of his domestic
economy--or lack of that quality. He will not trust his wife with more
than one day's supply at a time, and to weigh things out himself each
morning would be trouble not to be dreamed of; besides which it would
deprive him of the pleasure of all that bargaining, not to speak of
the appetite-promoting stroll, and the opportunities for gossip with
acquaintances which it affords. In consequence, wives and slaves are
generally kept on short allowances, if these are granted at all.

An amusing incident which came under my notice in Tangier shows how
little the English idea of the community of interest of husband and
wife is appreciated here. A Moorish woman who used to furnish milk to
an English family being met by the lady of the house one morning, when
she had brought short measure, said, pointing to the husband in the
distance, "_You_ be my friend; take this" (slipping a few coppers
worth half a farthing into her hand), "don't tell _him_ anything about
it. I'll share the profit with you!" She probably knew from experience
that the veriest trifle would suffice to buy over the wife of a Moor.

Instructions having been given to his wife or wives as to what is to
be prepared, and how--he probably pretends to know more of the art
culinary than he does--the husband will s