the Dervish
left Damascus every Thursday night after bidding the Pasha farewell, and
journeyed to Mecca and returned in the morning and told the Pasha all
the Mecca news and what he had seen and heard. This he did every week,
though all wise men laughed at him, and said he only went out of the
City Gate and slept in the gardens of Damascus!

Now the Dervish was a great enemy of the Jews. He hated them, cursed
them, spat upon them, and called them infidel dogs, and he persuaded the
Pasha to increase their taxes fourfold. Their sufferings now became very
great. They had to sell their houses and furniture to pay the heavy
taxes, and many were beaten and thrust into prison. So the leading Jews
in their distress came to Rufaiel, and begged him to go to the Pasha and
obtain relief for them and their families. He said he would think about
the matter. So after they had gone, he called the chief jeweller and
pipe maker of the city, and ordered them to make a long pipe of
exquisite workmanship, with a stem of rosewood carved and inlaid with
pearls, a bowl of pure gold set with diamonds, and a mouth-piece of gold
and amber. Then he went one day to call on the Pasha, and made him a
present of this elegant pipe, the like of which had never been seen in
Damascus. The Pasha was greatly pleased and ordered all in his presence
to retire that he might enjoy the society of Rufaiel, the munificent
Jew. Then Rufaiel turned to the Pasha and said, "may your Excellency
live forever! I have brought you this pipe as a faint token of my high
esteem and affection, but I am filled with deepest sorrow that it is not
perfect." "Not perfect?" said the Pasha. "In what respect could it be
more perfect than what it is?" Said Rufaiel, "you will notice that
between the amber and the gold of the mouth-piece a little ring is
wanting. This ring was the very gem and excellence of the pipe. It was
cut from the Black Stone of the Kaaba in Mecca, and has miraculous
properties. But when the pipe was brought from Mecca, the ring was left
with Mustafa, the jeweller, who is ready to send it by the first fit
opportunity." "Alas," said the Pasha, "but how can we send for it now?
The Pilgrim caravan has gone, and there will be none again for a year."
"Oh," said Rufaiel, "this is easily arranged. To-day is Thursday, and
to-night the holy Dervish will go to Mecca and return to-morrow morning.
Your Excellency need only command him to bring the black ring, and
before this t