410 117

NTNR TN

MWAGAZLINL.

YOIN THE STR

of Hoseyn was buried he who o was descended from the great Prophet. Then

arose a rumour within the city that a prince had come to honour it, and, at times in the streets of Cairo, T saw the verl of an logyptian maiden shightly moved aside that her eyes might rest upon the jewels of the sword which T wore. T had heard that the women were like the black-eyed virgins of Paradise, and it scemed to me that the saying was true. 1 became enchanted with this maden, and watched many a weary hour that one glance from her liquid orbs might be to me a reward for the long journey which T had taken.

“1 ventured to follow her through the narrow streets, and my eves rested upon the abode wherein she dwelt, and, as I gazed up at the lattice-work above the corbels, 1t scemed to me that behind 1t the maiden lingered. liach day she wandered forth, and our eyes spoke the love which we dared not utter, lest it might bring death unto her, One memorable day she came not forth, and on the morrow, too, T missed her glances. 1 was - despair, and wandered ammlessly through the city, wondering what fate had overtaken her. Then there passed me a maiden carrying a water-pitcher upon her

EETS OF CAIRO.

head, and she thrust mto my hand a piece of papyrus whercon was engraven a message to me. IFew were the words, vet they were sad ideed, for the queen of the harem had observed the maiden watching me from the lattice, and so she was commanded to stay in an apartment wherefrom she could not see me, nor was she to be allowed to traverse again the streets of Cairo.

““Despair at first scized upon me, then I began to wonder 1if 1n some way I could not possess me of the maiden and bear her away to my own land. Keepimg at a certain distance from the harem, I closcely observed those who passed m and out, and then a strange 1dea presented itself to me. LEvery morning there issucd from the courtyard a woman of the harem; and I, taking mto my confidence the keeper of a bazaar, paid him handsomely to narrowly mark her attire. Next morning when she had emerged T went to the harem and, disguised 1 an exact counterpart of her clothing, T walked boldly up mmto the women'’s apartment.”

I looked at Hassan eagerly, for such a plan scemed to me unfeasible, but he, accustomed to Oriental stratagems, did not interrupt the narrative,