husband of her aunt-aged about sixty-two. I don't know whether her aunt was still alive, and presiding over the establishment. If so, it must have been a very nice snug family party, altogether.

Here we met with a most cordial reception. The house was small, but all clean and in festive order. We were immediately ushered upstairs, to the room where the bride was sitting in state with her friends. Outside the door, were about twenty pairs of embroidered slippers, belonging to the ladies inside; the bride's, which were particularly rich and handsome-velvet embroidered in gold and silver-were pointed out to us by the slave who was showing us the way.

The room was small and very narrow, and was already well filled, with the row of Moorish women, seated closely all round by the walls. We were eight in our party, and it was with difficulty that we made our way, up through the narrow centre space, to pay our respects to the bride who was seated at the top of the room. This manœuvre having been at last successfully accomplished, we had to accede to the request of the ladies, and squat down on the floor with them. When we did, in a long line from the bride to the door, there was not an inch of space left on the floor of the room. If well ventilated, six or eight people might have sat in the room without discomfort or risk; but it was not ventilated at all, and we were, at least,-I didn't count, but the room looked crammed-eight-and-twenty. Such atmosphere

as there was, too, was loaded with the heavy, sickening, Moorish perfumes.

I was at the top of the room next the bride, with the lady who acted as spokeswoman and leader to our party. The bride was a large, coarse, plain-featured young woman; such charms as she possessed not being at all heightened by two large, triangular, patches, roughly daubed in vermillion, on her cheeks. This was over a groundwork of white paint. Her eyebrows, too, were blackened and drawn together over her eyes. Modesty, at this stage of her married life, permitted her to wear her veil hanging down her back, instead of over her face. She was of course loaded with jewellery.

Next to her, was a very nice and interesting-looking woman, a sister of the Bashaw's, and whom it was considered a great honour to have present; as women of this rank rarely go out, even to visit brides. She had a long, and rather thin, but expressive face, and beautiful, soft, dark eyes. Her smile, though very sweet and winning, was somewhat sad. She seemed very glad to see Mrs., whom she knew well, and conversed with her for some time in an interested and intelligent manner. Her dress and jewellery, too, exhibited a taste and refinement, quite wanting in the habiliments and ornaments of the rest. Amongst other jewels, she wore a very beautiful pearl necklace with an emerald drop, and exquisite earrings of emeralds and pearls. These were of Moorish workmanship, but the stones and pearls were really good.

The other ladies, meanwhile, were busily occupied examining our clothes, concerning which they talked and commented a good deal, and with considerable animation, among themselves. Knowing the gratification that looking at dress affords these women, who have no other object of interest in life, most of us had put on our gayest and best apparel for the occasion. Our entrance had no doubt been an agreeable diversity to the entertainment, which, on these occasions, consists simply of sitting round the room, talking, withowing to their narrowed lives-very little to talk about. Rose's doll was again an especial object of curiosity and admiration. It was passed up to the bride, and put through its paces for her benefit; and she manifested great delight and surprise, at its appearance, manners, and education.

But the heat, and crowd, and smell; and the unaccustomed, and uncomfortable, attitudes in which we were seated, after about ten minutes got too much for some of our party; and the signal for a move was passed down the line. We were entreated to remain and partake of tea and sweetmeats, which were just being brought in by the slaves; but the idea of having to swallow hot tea, flavoured most probably with mint, rue, or some other horrible herb, only hastened our departure. Some of the women held our gowns while imploring us to remain a little longer, so that we felt that we were really "tearing ourselves away." Of course, these poor

creatures, do become in a degree, inured, to their life of seclusion; but how little they enjoy it, is plainly seen in the melancholy or fretful expression on the face of every woman, who in mind appears to be anything above the ordinary level,—which is an exceedingly low one, and by the evident delight, afforded to all, by the sight of new faces; and even such transitory association with strangers from that outer world from which they are debarred, as visits like ours occasionally supply them with.

CHAPTER XXI.

JUDAS ISCARIOT, THE FEAST OF PURIM, AND THE PASSOVER.

To any one anxious to study the peculiarities of three of the greatest and most important religions in the world, Tangier, I should say, would be about the best place he could go to. Here these religions are to be found side by side, and each in its most purely orthodox condition of superstition, bigotry, and intolerance; wholly untouched by reason, and perfectly untainted by common sense. That the followers of these creeds should each entertain a thorough hatred and contempt for the other's peculiar beliefs, is not inconsistent with the fact that these creeds are all very closely related; a good, cordial hatred being a by no means unusual state of feeling between near relations. While their mutual abhorrence of one another's beliefs, is the surest test of the unshaken fidelity of each to its own opinions; as the next step to admitting the possibility of being a little wrong one's self, is to admit the possibility of some one else being a little right. It is the most certain proof, that those enemies of authority and faith, (and upon authority and faith, all, even the most respectable of dogmatic religions are based) scientific discovery, historical criticism, reason, and common sense, have as yet done