he tavern carried two narghilehs. He made his nephew
sit and smoke with him, then asked:

"What news?"

"The best--thanks to Allah," replied Iskender. "The Emir has shown
great love for me, and is having a grand new paint-box sent from the
land of the English."

"Pshaw!" said Abdullah, a shade of annoyance on his brow. "Put away
such playthings, which lead nowhere. Let thy whole study be to please
his Honour. In dealing with all travellers the first thing is to keep
them interested; for if their mind is dull a single moment they blame
the dragoman and give him a bad report. Thou art conversant with the
Sacred Book. Quote from it freely in connection with common sights;
as, for instance, if thou seest people ploughing, refer straightway to
Mar Elias who ploughed with twelve yoke of oxen before him; if a woman
fetching water from the spring, mention her with whom Our Saviour
talked beside Samaria. Things common among us are strange to them.
To-morrow take thy patron to the bath, and conduct him through all its
stages. Thence bring him to my house, where thou shalt find a meal
which will not fail to please him. To sit on the floor as we do, and
eat with fingers from one dish, affords delight to foreigners. Above
all things, keep him for thine own. I say nought against thy taking
him this day to Mitri, though the visit has made a noise. Our father
Mitri is an upright man. But these----"

He jerked his thumb in the direction of the other dragomans, now
howling in chorus to the strains of the concertina.

"----These are all rivals--enemies. In the season thy Emir would seem
as nothing to them; but now he is the only game in sight. Avoid them;
lead thy lord away from them. Thy coming here this evening was a
fault. Go now and quietly, lest they trap thee somehow. I expect thee
at my house at noon to-morrow."

Iskender saw the wisdom in these words. He shot a glance over his
shoulder at the other dragomans. They were still busy singing to the
concertina. Touching his uncle's hand, he stepped out through the open
arches and scrambled down over rocks and fallen masonry to the
sea-beach, whence he made his way home through the twilight. His
mother had heard of his introducing his Emir to the priest Mitri, and
blamed the folly of it, till she learnt how thereby he had redeemed the
great umbrella. Even then she still declared it was a pity. It would
put the missionaries in a perfect fury, since an Orth