'Oh!' said I, 'then thou knowest him?'

'I do' he replied; 'he cured me when all other physicians had given me over; but I paid dearly for my recovery: my daughter was carried off, my wife died suddenly, and my ships (for I was a merchant) sunk, and I became a wanderer. When first I insisted on the attendance of Tabnag my friends were horror-struck, and fain would have turned me from my purpose, saying he could cure, but would cause me sorrow for the remainder of my days. I heeded not their superstition, as I then deemed it. He came and cured my body, but wounded my peace of mind for ever. It is now about five years since I fell in with a man like yourself, blind in one eye and suffering pain from the weakened state of the other; and he related to me his sufferings whilst under the roof of Tabnag; and you, like him, I imagine, dared to peep into the forbidden apartment.'

'I did,' said I, and proceeded to relate everything that had happened to me.

'You are unfortunate,' said he; 'but in my inner cell is a poor wretch who, I fear, is dying, and one who has also served not only Tabnag, but Satan himself.'

The hermit conducted me into a small cave, where on a pallet lay an emaciated being, apparently dying. I approached, and on examining his countenance what was my astonishment on recognising the very man who had first pointed out to me the doctor's infernal abode !

Informing the hermit of the circumstance, he said this was very likely, For as long as he could supply Tabnag with victims he lived; but all his attempts failing at the time of your emancipa

tion, he is now about to suffer for his rash intimacy with the alchemist. His incoherence of speech and his dreadful agony of mind allow me to gather from him the following particulars :—He, it appears, was entrapped into the mansion of the doctor, and being poor and destitute, accepted his service; and, unfortunately for him, did not peep into the forbidden apartment.'

'Would I had been as unfortunate!' said I.

'Not so, my son,' said the hermit; 'you have reason to rejoice at rather than lament your disobedience. Listen to me. After the expiration of his term of servitude, the doctor, as he said, to reward him for his forbearance and strict obedience to his orders in not prying into his secrets, offered to conduct him into the mysterious chamber.

'Eagerly did he follow his master, when scarcely had he passed the threshold before a gigantic figure, with huge sable wings, touched him on the shoulder, crying, " Mine, mine, mine for ever!" and instantly disappeared. The poor fellow sank to the earth, overcome with terror, and on recovering begged an explanation from the alchemist, who coolly informed him he was now the servant of Satan, but that provided he could procure for him a strong and able assistant every five years, or whenever he should require one, he should live wealthy and happy, and for this purpose he was allowed to be at large in the city; but if he failed, then would come his dreadful hour, and Satan would come and claim him.

'He succeeded in providing two assistants, whose curiosity lost them their eyes, but saved their souls. After you, the unhappy, man, having been unable to provide an assistant, fled, vainly

imagining he could elude the grasp of Satan; but in this wild and dreary place his enemy has overtaken him, and I dread the hour of his dissolution. He has also informed me that he verily believes the nature of his duty at the wheels in the alchemist's house was to draw up in one the devil, laden with gold and silver, and in the other to put in motion some machinery for the purpose of coining money.

'From your account I imagine that Tabnag, failing to obtain another assistant, has endeavoured to appease the devil by procuring a virgin, and this may account for his secreting the merchant's daughter.'

'But,' said I, 'can you account for the horror I inspired by showing my spotted face in the city?'

'Yes,' said the hermit. This is one of the old fellow's tricks -a young man, a patient of his, having, it is said, come from the other world so marked, thus stalked through the streets, to the alarm and terror of the inhabitants. When you appeared, therefore, doubtless they imagined the same spectre had again visited them.'

If this was all correct I had reason to rejoice at my getting off with the loss of an eye only. What think you,' said I, 'has now become of old Tabnag, since he has failed to procure another assistant ?'

'I cannot say,' replied the hermit, 'unless Satan has spared him, in consequence of his offering the merchant's daughter, though I question if he has been suffered to possess his immense wealth.'

Whilst we were talking the sick man groaned and writhed in

agony, crying, with a feeble voice, 'He is coming! he is coming!' Alarmed, we rushed out of the cavern, not daring to venture near it again for an hour. The hermit at length summoned courage to peep into the inner cell, and returned to me, saying the place was filled with black smoke, so that nothing could be distinguished. After a short time he again repaired to the cell, followed by myself. The cave was free from smoke, but the victim was gone-not a trace of him was to be seen.

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CHAPTER XV.

THE DYER'S STORY (continued).

THE good hermit condoled with me in my misfortunes; and after breathing a prayer for the unhappy man we had so lately seen, conducted me towards the high road. Having found my way, and transacted my business in tolerable time, I returned to my master, who was satisfied with my explanation. Many a time did I long to know what success Maghroobia, the Arab captain, met with in his attempts to discover his daughter beneath the roof of the accursed alchemist, and was often more than half-inclined to quit my service and proceed to Bagdad, merely to gratify my curiosity -so little had the severe lesson I had received cured me of this disease, for so I may well call it.

Tired of Mocha and coffee, I quitted it, and proceeded in an Arab dhow laden with horses to Bombay. I offered my services as a horse-keeper, which the owner of the animals accepted. Arrived in Bombay, our horses were soon got on shore, and some few purchased on the first day. The merchant, my master, was delighted at the success likely to attend his speculation, especially as he was expecting another lot to follow immediately. Owing to bad weather at sea, however, they did not arrive until nearly three months after us.