Mustapha Aga looked mournfully on, but still his eyes twinkled with irrepressible mirth.

"How happily will they live together, though unequally matched in blackness!" said the vizier. "But I do not mean to send them beggars into the world; bring the basket of contributions to me; and afterwards let them parade the palace, and all my officers will contribute also."

The vizier flung a purse into the basket, containing a hundred zequins; Mustapha received his instructions, and the black slaves instantly surrounding their fortunate brother, began dancing and striking tambours with a hideous noise. Observing Abdool's bewildered look, the chief of the eunuchs whispered to him that they were all lost if he hesitated, and Abdool submitted to everything. His hateful bride clasped him round the neck, and together they prostrated themselves three times before the vizier. "May you be happy, amiable Abdool!" said a hundred of the sweetest lips, which opening breathed the air full of the scent of roses. Amidst the clash of the cymbals and the beating of drums, the wedded pair then took their departure, escorted by Mustapha and the blacks; and as they left the golden pavilion, either the genies of air made a mocking sound resembling it, or a peal of laughter echoed for several minutes after them, which was again and again renewed.

Every one congratulated Abdool on his happiness, while he was nearly dead with vexation and grief. His sole idea was how to effect his escape, and at the same time to overwhelm his tormentors and his hideous bride with scorn. But Mustapha seemed not inclined to allow him any chance, nor was it likely that any insult to their countrywoman would be tolerated by the blacks. He was accordingly escorted amidst all this uproar and rejoicing to the apartment occupied by the black slaves; and there Mustapha, commending him to the care of the wedding-guests, returned to laugh with the ladies over the success of their plot.

The negresses now came out of their lodgings, as the custom was, in their best clothes, and the bride retired with them while Abdool remained with the men. He took his opportunity at once, and informing the company that after the fatigues of the day it would be necessary for him to bathe, desired them to divide the zequins among them, while he went into the inner chambers for the purpose. The negroes, who are naturally very obliging, immediately showed him into a bath, where they left him to refresh himself. Abdool immediately washed all the black off his face and neck, turned his turban inside out, and fearlessly quitted the bath, certain not to be recognised. He even passed through the chamber in which the negroes were sitting around a huge fire, for they never find the sun hot enough, without their suspecting in the least that they beheld the bridegroom.

It may be imagined whether Abdool hesitated long when he had once reached the open air. Leaving the palace behind him, gleaming like the halls of Eblis in the fiery light of the setting sun, he plunged into a deep wood of pomegranates, the dense perfume of which nearly choked him. Soon he distinguished a loud hallooing, by which he knew that his absence was noticed; and rushing desperately on, he at length emerged on a smooth shore shaded by lofty cypresses, on which rippled with a gentle murmur the purple waves of the sea.

Most fortunately, although against the orders of the sultan, some fishermen, hearing the muezzin, had ventured to land here, and were at their devotions some way down the shore, leaving their boat tied to the stem of one of the trees. Abdool immediately jumped into it, and rowed out to a considerable distance, ere the fishermen, perceiving their loss, came tearing their hair, and shouting to him to bring their boat back. But Abdool was relentless with his own fears, and soon rowed himself out of hearing.

Abdool now discerned in what direction to row, for the golden dome of the Grand Mosque,* appeared above all the towers and slender minarets of the seraglio, as if hung by Solomon in the air. He skimmed rapidly down the shores, and, landing at a burying-ground, left the boat, and hid himself until morning in a tomb. But hearing a continual creeping in the grave, as if a vampire were within, he spent a very uncomfortable night, and with daylight returned to his house, completely exhausted, spiritless, and cursing his own folly.

All that day he spent in sleep, and Mustapha, having heard of his singular escape, when he came to ascertain what had become of him, was concerned to find the shop closed. Doubting that the adventure had ended disastrously, he returned with the tidings to the ladies, who were infinitely chagrined, more especially as they were already plotting another practical joke. They, therefore, prevailed on Mustapha to return at sunset, and ascertain if Abdool had not made his reappear

ance.

Tapping fearfully at the closed door, Mustapha was much gratified at finding it opened by Abdool, and all his love for sport and mischief returned when he observed the rueful visage of the merchant. He burst into a fit of laughter, which was only increased by the persevering solemnity of Abdool's look.

"The fair slave," said he, at length, when his paroxysm had somewhat subsided, "sends her compliments to you, and is so much moved by your generous sacrifice to her safety last night, that-but here is a nosegay which speaks her opinions better than I can do."

He handed a bouquet of the most lovely flowers to Abdool, which in elegant language expressed love, jealousy, doubt, extreme desire to see him again, and gratitude. "In short," continued Mustapha, "the fair slave ascribes all your misfortunes to neglect of that remarkable saying of Hafiz, that two are good company, and a third is one too many; therefore, if you have sufficient courage, the lovely Zulima has offered me a diamond of enormous price, to assist you to pay her a visit while the vizier is engaged in the important concerns of state."

One would have thought that Abdool had acquired some experience; but what is experience to the foolish? Carp will not take the bait twice, but youth will as often as it is offered! He consented; but he was somewhat staggered when Mustapha informed him it would be necessary for him to go in a large wicker basket, as a young rokh, a bird of the largest species, famous for the beauty and magnificence of its plumage. "I will take care that it shall be lined, as if to prevent the curious from staring at you," said Mustapha; "and as I am known to be a dealer in the most curious merchandize, I shall easily get you conveyed into the women's apartments-that is, if you have the courage to go, which I doubt."

St. Sophia.

The indiscreet Abdool fired up at the insinuation; he agreed to everything, and spent all the intervening time in bathing, perfuming, and arraying himself in the finest silks of those which he had remaining. At the appointed hour, Mustapha came with some bostangis, whom he caused to wait outside, and a basket, such as he had promised, into which got Abdool the Simple, and was immediately carried off by the bostangis to the seraglio, not in the least suspecting the kind of bird which they were carrying.

After a long transit, the bostangis halted, and set down their burden. Mustapha dismissed them, and Abdool sprang up red with fatigue and anxiety. For the moment his eyes, accustomed to the darkness of the basket, were dazzled by the splendour which he beheld. He was in a hall of white marble, of such vast extent that the pillars which supported it in the distance, were scarcely visible. The roof seemed to be the sky itself, as well from its loftiness, as the million little suns of glass, set in it; the walls were of great height, and completely covered with the loveliest flowers, and richly scented plants, until they ended in a cornice of white and blue marble. The floor was of white marble, dotted at proper intervals with nearly a hundred basins of black, purple, blue, and crimson marble, for the use of the ladies of the seraglio, when they pleased to take the bath. These basins were all shaded by artificial trees of gold and silver, hung with jewels for fruit, their glittering foliage forming a shade against the heat of the sun. Divans of cloth of gold were arranged in readiness for the ladies to recline upon after the bath, and drink their coffee, while some slaves polished their fine skins, and others, who are hired for that purpose in the east, to supply the place of magazines, diverted them with amusing tales. Twelve fountains, all of differently coloured marbles, contributed to the delight and coolness of the scene; and the central one, which threw its diamond showers in the form of a vast and perfect dome, was intended for the ladies to play in, when they were inclined to divert themselves with so harmless a recreation.

Abdool stared amazedly at this enchanting scene; and while Mustapha was enjoying his surprise, he yet was somehow disturbed to remark, that, with all his folly, Abdool was a particularly handsome youth. Jocose as he was by nature, Mustapha half repented of his project, but while he was musing, Zulima came rushing in. "Beloved Abdool!" she exclaimed, completely out of breath, "I have but a moment to warn you-get into your basket again! The women of India have reproached us fair ones, in the presence of the vizier, with the falsehood that we have coloured our skins with rose-water; we, on the contrary, have asserted that they owe the glossiness of their skins to oils; the vizier has therefore ordered all of us to bathe, that he may decide which are the calumniators."

"In Allah's name, get into the basket at once!" said Mustapha, counterfeiting the greatest terror; and pushing the lid of the basket down upon the unlucky prisoner, he added, "Excuse me, my dear friend, if I fasten the lid, so that you cannot open it, for else some of the women will be prying in, they are so curious, and you may depend they will show no mercy to each other's little foibles after this dreadful quarrel.” Stifled and breathless, Abdool made no resistance; and he distinguished almost immediately afterwards the voice of Nourmahal, singing, in an insulting manner, some verses in praise of her own com

plexion, and in depreciation of those of others whom the sun had not deigned to darken. The rustling of silks, and laughing voices innumerable, denoted that the whole harem followed; but what was the terror of Abdool when heard the voice of the vizier, into whose seraglio he had thus daringly intruded, demanding, in angry tones, what that basket was.

"It contains a beautiful young rokh-a bird of the most rare plumage," replied Mustapha, in tremulous tones.

"A young rokh!" exclaimed Nourmahal, eagerly. "My dearest lord! I have long had the most extreme longing to have one roasted; let me have it roasted!" And Abdool heard her clasp her hands in supplication.

"Take it to the kitchen!" returned the indulgent vizier.

"My lord, it is valued by the owner at a hundred gold pieces!" said Mustapha.

"And when did you hear that I grudged my women any delicacy to which they have a mind?" replied the vizier, sternly. "To the kitchen with it!"

A number of slaves instantly raised the basket, and ran with it down many passages and flights of stairs, until they arrived at a halting place. The heat of the air, the hiss of sharpening knives, the clicking of spits, the bubbling of water, the hoarse cries, convinced the unhappy Abdool that he was in a kitchen.

"Baba!" said the voice of Mustapha, as the slaves set their burden down-" chief cook! the fair Nourmahal, on whose head the light of paradise shines, commands you instantly to cook her this rare bird." "To hear is to obey!" replied the chief cook. "Is it alive or dead?" "Alive! and therefore you must lose no time in killing it," replied Mustapha.

"Certainly," replied the chief cook, calmly. “What kind of sauce is to be served with it?-pistachios?"

"Cudgel sauce," replied the chief eunuch.

"Illustrious Mustapha! my experience does not furnish me with a knowledge of the sauce you mention," said the chief cook, much surprised.

"Serve it then with the first that comes to hand!" replied Mustapha, bursting into clap of laughter as he left the apartment.

Abdool, trembling with rage and fear, now perceived for the first time that he was fooled; yet all else he could have borne but the conviction which came upon him that Zulima was in the plot. His only thought was now how to extricate himself from his ludicrous, and at the same time dangerous position; and he had hastily devised a plan, not deficient in ingenuity, ere Baba finished trussing some fowls on which he was engaged. He then called for his knife, cut the fastenings of the basket, and, expecting to behold some vast fowl of the Ostrich kind, to the amazement and unspeakable terror of himself and all his assistants out jumped Abdool!

A general shriek was heard, knives dropped, spits stood still.

"Be not alarmed, my children!" said Abdool affably, observing the hair bristle on the heads of the cooks. "I am a genie, one of those who, rebelling against the signet of Solomon, am condemned every year, on the third day of the sixth moon, to assume the form of some animal, and incur all the dangers to which it is subject during three

days. Luckily for me I was caught three days ago, and have thus resumed my native form ere I was roasted."

Taking advantage of the speechless consternation of the cooks, and observing a door open into a herb-garden, he made a dart at it through them all. But he had no occasion to use violence; the cooks fell prostrate in every direction before the genie, who was sufficiently powerful to resist the ring of Solomon.

Flying he knew not whither, and entangled in the mazes of those vast gardens, Abdool at length came to a path which he hoped would conduct him to some exit. As he ran along it, with the rapidity of a heron flying from a hawk, he suddenly came upon two dervises who were driving an ass before them, as if they were going to the palace to beg charity. The confusion and agitation with which Abdool inquired if they would direct him how to leave those accursed premises, instantly attracted their attention.

"We were going to beg charity, but we will rather bestow it," returned one of the dervises, with a scrutinizing look. "We will guide you out, on condition that you tell us by what means and for what purpose you are in."

Touched by the kindness of these holy men, and at the same time burning with grief and indignation, Abdool solemnly promised that if they would accompany him to his home, he would satisfy their curiosity, and divide between them the little property he had remaining. The dervises readily consented, and led Abdool to a court where a multitude of janissaries were amusing themselves with throwing the jereed. But on perceiving the dervises they permitted them to pass without observation, and Abdool had the satisfaction in a few minutes to find himself in the city, whence he easily found his way to his own house.

He fulfilled his promised revelations amply, and the dervises listened with many expressions of wonder and incredulity, until the circumstantial narration of Abdool obliged them to believe him. The countenance of one of the dervises grew of red hot bronze; and yet at times he could not refrain from laughing at the singularity of the adventures which Abdool the Simple had undergone. At last, having satisfied himself by numerous questions of the truth of what he had heard, and moreover that the young man was ignorant into whose seraglio he had intruded, the chief dervis became very grave. Both gave Abdool much good advice, and after a time, alleging the necessity of attending prayers in the mosque, they went their ways.

Almost an hour had elapsed after their departure, and Abdool was about to compose his wearied limbs to rest, when he was alarmed by hearing a loud knock at the door. Opening it, he perceived with unspeakable consternation a great number of the bostangis or armed gardeners of the seraglio, commanded by one on horseback, in an extremely rich garb. Without uttering a word in explanation, the bostangis seized, bound him hand and foot, bandaged his eyes, and carried him among them a considerable distance, when they suddenly released him.

Abdool found himself alone in a splendid apartment, but he had scarcely stood for a moment, wondering where he was, when a door opened, and Mustapha Aga appeared, tremulously following the officer who had arrested Abdool.