A ROMANCE FROIM A DETECTIVE'S CASE-BOOK. 123

from the palace would arrive to conduct me and my attendants to his presence.

When the next day dawned—it was a day of splendour and heat—fifty picturesque horsemen, each man clad in the ample white garments peculiar to the country, and mounted on a superb Arab steed, clattered into the town, and by command of His Majesty they had brought a spare horse for my use. After some delay we left the strange and quaint town of Mogador and struck inland. I had adopted the dress of the country, even to the ample folds of linen around the head and the peaked em- broidered shoes of red Morocco leather. 1 also carried a native gun, and in my belt two of the large and formidable knives peculiar to the country. But, as a matter of self-protection, I had far more faith in the two heavy six-chambered revolvers, cach barrel loaded, which I carried con- ccaled bencath my dress, but easily get-at- able.

As we approached the palace a body of the Sultan's troops lined the road and saluted as we passed ; and, entering a great gate- way of exquisite Moorish architecture, I found myselt in a quadrangle, in the centre of which was a clump of date-palms ; and a fountain gurgled and plashed, impressing onc with a most refreshing and delightful scnsc of coolness. Beneath the shade of the trees a group of men reclined, and a little further off a number of closely veiled women were squatted on the ground ; and, though the eyes were the only part of their features exposed, I could not fail to obscrve, by the cxpression in the cyes, that they were regarding me with a keen and curious interest.

After being conducted through many winding passages we found oursclves at last in a spacious and magnificent chamber, the walls of which were panclled with gold mosaic. The floor was polished marble, and the vaulted ceiling was coloured blue and studded with stars of gold. Seated cross-legged on a raised dais, and attired in a most wonderful robe of gold and silk, was the Sultan, and surrounding him was an army of attendants ; while two gigantic black fellows stood behind him fanning him with ponderous jewelled fans. The whole atmosphere was heavy with the odour of a strange perfume that was thrown up by a tiny fountain in the marble floor.

As I approached His Majesty with the most profound obeisance, I could not repress a start of pleasurable surprise as I observed

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that, held by alittle netwerk of gold thread, a cat’s-eye of unsurpassed splendour was glittering on his breast, and I felt that at last I gazed on the stolen gem. Through my interpreter I thus addressed the Sultan, adopting the florid and fulsome stylc peculiar to the country—

“Oh, most potent and mighty ruler ot this great and wondrous land of beauty and light, whose power even kings and other great ones of the earth acknowledge, deign, I humbly crave, to give hearing to thy humble servant who lies in the dust at your feet.”

““Speak ; we will listen,” answered the Sultan. |

“This is my story, then, O Mightincss. I come in scarch of a stolen gem, which is like unto that which glitters on your breast.”

The Sultan started, and his dark face flamed up with anger, as he answered—

“This gem have I lawfully acquired within the last few days from a man and woman from your own country, and a Jew of Mzrscilles, who has frequently supplied me with some of the treasures of the carth.”

‘ Naught but truth could fall from the lips of your Majesty,” I replied ; “but the Jew and my country people have deceived you, and that stone has been stolen from its legitimate owner, a mighty lord of FEngland, and I crave you, ere this Jew and his companions leave your kingdom, to have them seized, and compelled to return to you the money you have paid, and then place in my possession the gem which I have so long sought, in order that I may restore It to its sorrowing owner.” |

By His Majesty's commands I gave a detailed account of the history of the stone, and satisfied him that I was lawfully em- powered to take charge of the gem, and also to convey the man and woman back to England, so that they might reccive the measure of punishment due for the crime they had committed.

The Sultan was fiercely angry at being s0 decetved, and issued orders at once that a band of his picked soldiers should ride with all possible speed to Oran and bring back the man and woman and the Jew ; and pending their arrival I was to be detained. For eight days I remained practically a prisoner in the palace, but at last one morning the beating of drums and the shouting of the people announced that the soldiers had returned, and soon I was informed that they had brought the Jew