eal,
and their talk turned upon the subject of olives.

"It is a long time since we have had any in the house," said the wife.
"Indeed, I do not remember when I last tasted one, and yet it is my
favorite fruit. I wish we had some now."

"Yes, we must get some," said Abul Hassan. "And by the way, that
reminds me of the jar that Ali Cogia left with us. I wonder whether
the olives in it are still good. They have been there for some years
now."

"Yes, for seven years," replied his wife. "No doubt they are all
spoiled by this time."

"That I will see," said Abul Hassan, rising and taking up a light. "If
they are still good we might as well have some, for I do not believe
Ali Cogia will ever return to claim the jar."

His wife was horrified. "What are you thinking of?" cried she. "Ali
Cogia entrusted this jar to you, and you gave your word that it would
not be disturbed until he came again to claim it. We heard, indeed,
that he was dead, but this rumor was afterward denied. What opinion
would he have of you if he returned and found you had helped yourself
to his olives?"

Abul Hassan, still holding the light in his hand, waited impatiently
until his wife had finished speaking. Then he replied, "Ali Cogia will
not return; of that I feel assured. And at any rate, if he should, I
can easily replace the olives."

"You can replace the olives, no doubt," answered his wife, "but they
would not be Ali Cogia's olives. This jar is a sacred trust and should
not be disturbed by you under any consideration." But though she spoke
thus strongly she could see by her husband's face that he had not
changed his determination. He now took up the dish and said, "If the
olives are good I will bring a dish full from the jar, but if they are
spoiled, as I suppose they are, I will replace the cover and no one
will be any the wiser."

His wife would have tried again to dissuade him, but without listening
further he went at once to the warehouse. It did not take him long to
find the jar. He took off the cover and found that, as he had
suspected, the olives were spoiled. Wishing to see whether those
beneath were in the same condition he tilted the jar and emptied some
of them out into the dish. What was his surprise to see some gold
pieces fall out with the olives. Abul Hassan could hardly believe his
eyes. Hastily he plunged his hands down into the jar and soon found
that except for the top layer of fruit the whole jar was full of gold
piec