CHAPTER IV.

THE TAILOR'S STORY (continued).

WHILST the old Moolah was hammering away at the wall of his house, his unfortunate son, hearing the hollow reverberation of the crowbar issue from the direction of the treasury, became more and more alarmed, fully expecting each blow would be succeeded by some horrible vision, or that his father's spirit would grasp him by the neck. Flying to the terrace, therefore, corner, covering his face with the

he there crouched up in one skirts of his coat, not daring to cast his eyes around him. There being no end to his fears, he imagined that the ghost as well as himself might find his way to the terrace. Like a hunted hare, therefore, did he descend the staircase, and concealed himself behind a door. Again, not conceiving this a place of sufficient security, he proceeded cautiously towards the kitchen; and, at last, so much did fear take possession of him, that he determined on spending the night in the open air in the courtyard.

Still, wherever he went, the hollow sounds from below struck upon his ears; and when at last they ceased he became more terrified than ever. Morning, however, beaming once more, cheered his spirits, and he proceeded again to the kitchen, where,

snatching some raw rice, he entered a small room, the door of which he fastened, determining at all hazards to attempt his escape that night, intending not to stir from his present retreat until the sun should for some time sink into its western hemisphere.

The Moolah in the meanwhile had made so much good use of his crowbar as to effect an entrance into the merchant's storerooms. He soon groped his way to the habitable part of the house, where he rested himself; when, as he was ruminating how to escape, a back door slowly opened, and a female cautiously entered. The Moolah, fearful of a discovery, covered himself with his sheet, maintaining a profound silence. The woman said, in a soft voice, 'I am here before you; but be quick, or my husband will return.' In her hand she carried a lamp, and entering an inner room, called to the Moolah in the merchant's name, saying, 'Come, Ganem, why treat me thus ?'

The Moolah arose for the purpose of retreating by the back door, but the rays of the woman's lamp falling on his countenance, she gave a piercing shriek, and instantly sank to the earth. The Moolah, heedless of her condition, fled, and gaining a narrow lane, determined to proceed to his own mosque, and there wait until morning, when he would convince the inhabitants that he was indeed alive.

The shrieks of the woman in the merchant's house brought several neighbours to the spot, who, on hearing from the terrified creature of the spectacle she had witnessed, were all struck dumb with fright, and one by one sneaked off, so that the poor woman was left entirely alone, until her husband, who was an oil-seller,

arrived. He, burning with anger at her infidelity, and regardless of the fright she had endured, commenced with a thick strap to endeavour to bring her to her senses, but, alas! soon discovered his blows were bestowed upon an inanimate object. The sight of the dead Moolah, together with the consciousness of her shame being made public, had so worked upon her weak intellects, that she swooned and died.

Whilst all this turmoil and confusion was going on the merchant himself arrived, and the enraged oilman, finding he had in vain applied the strap to his poor wife, set to work on the merchant, whom he most soundly belaboured. How far and to what lengths he would have proceeded cannot be surmised, had not the police interfered and released the merchant from his fury. The merchant, it is true, had taken a fancy to the oilman's wife; and on this night, returning from Ahmednugger, whither he had been on business, passed by the oilman's shop, and gossiped with his wife. He made himself so agreeable, and displayed so large a bag of silver, that the weak woman could not resist his offers.

As he had several other places to go to ere he returned home, he gave her the key of the back door, desiring she would, at the hour of eleven, proceed to his house and await his coming, saying, 'Probably I shall be at home to receive you.' Seeing the Moolah, therefore, in the house, the woman naturally concluded it was her paramour, and was induced to act in the manner already related.

The idea of the Moolah's spirit actually walking the earth now became firmly impressed on the minds of the inhabitants; and

as Nazook, his son, had not emerged from the haunted house, they concluded he had fallen a victim to the vindictive disposition of his father's ghost.

In the morning the Moolah, whose very name was now sufficient to make every pious Moslem in the city shudder, took his station in the mimbah of the mosque where he had been in the habit of reading prayers. The first who approached was the person who, since his interment, had officiated in his stead.

No sooner did he cast his eyes on the mimbah than he dropped down insensible. Ghoosa Khan descended for the purpose of dispelling the fears of the officiating priest; and, raising him up, cried, For shame, brother, thus to give way to fear; you see I am not dead; therefore arise and go forth and undeceive the inhabitants.'

By this time several persons had approached the mosque, but beholding the acting priest, half-sitting, and half-lying, with Ghoosa Khan hanging over him, instantly took to their heels, crying, 'Allah protect us! the ghost has seized our poor priest!' Ghoosa Khan was deeply hurt at this ungovernable superstition and foolish alarm of all the people, and actually wept aloud.

The officiating priest, now recovering himself, ventured to open his eyes, which he cast fearfully around him; and seeing Ghoosa Khan in tears, began to entertain doubts as to his being a spirit from the other world, and, in a low voice, ventured to pronounce his name.

'I am here, brother,' answered the afflicted Moolah; 'why am I shunned? Indeed I am a living man, and hope to continue so

yet a few years longer. See, feel my hand, behold my face, convince thyself of the truth of my assertions.'

'Indeed,' replied the priest, I have been, I perceive, unnecessarily alarmed; but tell me, where is your son? I fear you have committed some violence on him.'

'No, truly, brother, I have not beheld my ungrateful boy since his employment of treasure-hunting in my house, and would I had been spared the sight. Is he not at large in the city?'

'No, indeed, we have all believed that you or your spirit had dragged him to the other world.'

'I am surprised at the superstition of the populace,' said the Moolah; but now hasten, I beseech thee, and undeceive them. Tell them I am here alive and well, and ready to assist in the search for my wicked son, of whose fate I am ignorant.'

The priest being now satisfied he had conversed with a mortal, and not a spirit, left the mosque, and proclaimed aloud that Moolah Ghoosa Khan was alive, and commanded everyone to repair to the mosque, where they might see and hear him read prayers.

The populace, having at last ventured near the mosque, were all fully convinced the Moolah was indeed living, and that he never had been dead.

The Nuwab, hearing the report, now summoned the Moolah, who related how he had found himself in the grave attacked by jackals, and the inconvenience he had suffered in consequence. These events were related by the Moolah with so much gravity and solemnity, as if the fate of the empire depended on his being dead or alive, that the Nuwab, although he endeavoured to check