visit of a party of
modern tourists.

[Illustration: THE GENERALIFE OVERLOOKS THE ALHAMBRA.]

"The halls lately occupied by turbaned infidels," he writes, "now
rustled with stately dames and Christian courtiers, who wandered with
eager curiosity over this far-famed palace, admiring its verdant courts
and gushing fountains, its halls decorated with elegant arabesques, and
storied with inscriptions, and the splendor of its gilded and
brilliantly painted ceilings."

[Illustration: PROTECTED BY CITADELS AND WALLS.]

Although the coloring is faded, and in many places the intricate
ornamentation is crumbling or broken, sufficient remains to show how
marvelously beautiful it must have been in Moorish splendor. And
beautiful it still is, notwithstanding the ravages of time.

While in the Court of Myrtles, some of the party examined the light,
graceful arches and the stucco tapestry interwoven with flowers and
leaves that adorn the galleries; others were more interested in the gold
fish swimming in the transparent water of the long sunken tank in the
center of the tiled court. In the richly ornamented Hall of the
Ambassadors, the state reception room of the king, we waited while the
guide, in answer to a request, interpreted some of the delicately carved
inscriptions that fill every available space on the wall.

"One of these mottoes," said the guide, "that is repeated over and over
again on almost every wall of the palace, reads: 'There is no conqueror
but Allah.' Other mottoes which are very common are: 'There is no God
but Allah;' 'Mohammed is the envoy of Allah;' 'Allah is great;' 'Allah
never forgets;' and various quotations from the Koran."

Twelve weatherbeaten marble lions in the center of the Court of Lions
uphold a large alabaster basin in which were caught, in times gone by,
the falling waters of the fountain above it. Many graceful pillars
support the surrounding arcades of this court and the exquisite
fret-work looks as if carved in ivory.

A practical man in the party called attention to the beautiful wooden
doors through which we entered the Hall of the Abencerrages, and to the
peculiar manner in which they were hung on pivots instead of hinges. On
the rim of the marble basin in the center of this hall some red stains
were seen.

"Here," said our guide, "is where the heads of the Abencerrages were cut
off.

"But why was Aben's head cut off?" inquired a lady.

This gave the guide the opportunity he d