much he can probably borrow a
part of it. Therefore, let both of these merchants lodge here with us
to-night, and to-morrow they may either fetch or send for the gold, and
the bargain may be concluded."

But the Caliph exclaimed with his usual impetuosity--

"By Allah, there shall be no to-morrow in the matter. I will send for
the money at once, and the slaves shall be mine."

To this Asmut replied, "By your leave, not so fast. We desired,
indeed, that you should set a price on each of the slaves that we might
decide our dispute as to which of them is the better. But I by no
means intended or bound myself to accept any sum you might mention for
the slaves, whom I am in no hurry to dispose of."

"Very well," said the Caliph, who was quite unused to the chaffering of
merchants, although he had assumed the garb of one, "if the price I
have named does not content you, name your own price, for, in short,
the slaves I will have."

Asmut, after a few moments' consideration as to the highest sum he
could ask without going beyond what it seemed possible to obtain from
this very frank and eager buyer, said--

"The prices you have named, although no doubt large, are, in my
opinion, so much below the real value of two beauties of such
surpassing excellence, that I must insist on twice as much as you have
offered, namely, twenty thousand dinars for the one and eighty thousand
for the other."

The Caliph laughed and said, "Verily you are not a merchant for naught,
and you do not underestimate the worth of your own wares.
Nevertheless, I will give you your price."

The slave merchants could make no objection to this prompt agreement to
their terms; on the contrary, it suited their plans very well. Yet, in
order to appear indifferent and little anxious to conclude the business
with any undue haste and precipitancy, Asmut said--

"To-morrow, however, will be early enough to produce the money. It is
now dark and grows late, and besides, whom can you send?"

"I have a man whom I can send," said the Caliph, "for my servant will
have followed us here, and I will despatch him at once for the money."

And in fact Giafer, going to the gate, beckoned to Mesrur, who had
followed them as usual, and who was waiting for them outside, and not
far from the house he had seen them enter.

The Caliph, taking out his tablets, wrote a few words to his treasurer,
bidding him send at once by Mesrur, and in the hands of two slaves, the