admitted amongst us, but we distrusted and kept them aloof. I, too, had not forgotten the slight but ill-seeming incidents observed at Constantinople-Yoosuf's conduct in particular. With a Syrian, formerly a Christian of the description called Maronite,1 I believe, they succeeded better. This man had, a couple of years before, fled from Syria on account, it was said, of some crime committed there, and had found his way to Bagdad, where, under the assumed name of Mansoor, he passed for a Mahometan, and being a good writer, had insinuated himself into the Pasha's service. These three formed on their side a close alliance of their own; felt, rather than declared, antagonistic to ours.

"It happened one day, when I had gone by my master's order, as bearer of some immediate

1 A sect of Syro-Chaldean origin; their headquarters are in Mount Lebanon, near Beyroot.

message of his to the kaḍee, that the honourable judge, after many demonstrations of more than paternal amiability and special interest in my welfare, inquired in a seemingly casual manner, whether, during our stay at Constantinople, I had become acquainted with the Defterdar, Eyas Beg? A moment's consideration convinced me that a negative answer would be the most prudent one. I gave it accordingly; on which he changed the subject of conversation, and I shortly after left him.

"But the question, and the manner of putting it, connected with previous events, startled me; and I determined, without saying anything at the palace, to inquire further into the matter, in my own way and on my own account.

"Now so it was that an Arna'oot1 of the town guard had married a girl once belonging

1 An Albanian.

The

to the identical kadee's haram; and in so doing had, in place of obtaining the advantages he expected, been sold a regular bargain. girl herself proved to be not particularly goodlooking; that, however, was a disappointment for which he might, without much difficulty have consoled himself; but there was also a far more serious cause of dissatisfaction, namely, that she did not bring with her one half,-no, nor one fourth even, of the money and jewels expected by the bridegroom Agha, on the kadee's own assurance. Besides, there were valid reasons for suspecting that the deficient dowry was all the while lying stored in some corner of her former master's strong box. Lastly, the new khanum1 assumed high and mighty airs, on the score of her old connections; was exacting and extravagant; and

1 Lady; a title used by Turks, Albanians, and the

treated her soldier-husband with as little deference as if he had been her servant, or less.

"Such a condition of things naturally led to ill-humour, ill-humour to quarrels, and quarrels to divorce. Well for the Arna'oot if the affair had ended there. But the lady, sure of support in the quarter where she wanted it, laid before her former patron, the kaḍee, a counter-claim against the luckless town-guardsman for a very considerable sum, the estimated equivalent of imaginary jewellery and ornaments, which she, boldly, though without a vestige of proof, accused him of having taken from her by force or fraud, and disposed of to his own advantage. The kadee, of course, gave sentence in her favour; it was a gross injustice; the ex-husband had to pay, and was furious.

"From this man, thought I, it will be easy to learn everything I want regarding my

mealy-mouthed kaḍee. Now in a quiet nook of an alley, in the back-slums of the town, was a kaḥwah, small in frontage, but spacious within, where not coffee only, but wine, spirits, dice, and other things too, were to be had at will. It was a favourite resort of the divorcing Arna'oot, in company with certain others of his kind and race, whose Islam hung rather lightly on them. Though not myself one of that category, I knew the place well.

"Thither I went one night, and, as I had expected, found the Agha Agha beguiling his troubles with gambling and drink. I sat down by him. We shared a glass or two of rakee,1 and a throw or two of the dice. Before an hour had passed, my friend became quite confidential. I then put him on the

1 The favourite spirituous drink of Christians, and of lax Mahometans, in the East. It is distilled from