naturally prone to superstition, and he began to lend an ear to the suggestions of the Meccans, and ascribe his misfortunes to some supernatural visitation. A pilgrimage to the tomb of the prophet at Medina was prescribed as the best remedy for his afflictions, and thither accordingly he proceeded as soon as he was able to bear the fatigue of travelling. In spite of the remonstrances of the Imam, by whom he was accompanied, Taleb took up his residence at the house of Aga Yussef, to whom he was a most welcome visiter; for the good and sufficient reason that he brought the Aga certain bottles of medicine, which Abd-al-Waheb had secretly procured from Jiddah; though why so simple a matter as getting medicine for a valetudinarian Aga should be conducted like some smuggling transaction, is beyond our skill to explain.

Yussef exerted himself to dispel his guest's melancholy he told some of his best stories, mixed his choicest sherbet, qualified, as usual, with European medicine; he produced his jesters, exhibited his dancing girls;—all was vain. He at length resolved to try the effect of music, and summoning one of his slaves, desired her to sing some plaintive ditty; adding with a sigh, “I suppose any of my favourite songs would drive you distracted."

The musician thus summoned was a young Asiatic Greek; her voice was sweet but weak; and her first notes scarcely excited Taleb's attention. She sang the following words to a plaintive air;—

The wither'd rose-the wither'd rose,

Though all its beauty's fled;

Of love sincere the emblem shows,

Which dies not with the dead.

Its shrivell'd leaves have lost their bloom,
Clos'd is the fading flower;

But still survives its rich perfume,
In unabated power.

Round me a fragrance too is thrown,
Deathless, dear rose, as thine :
For love hath made my soul its own,
And thee its pledge and sign.

The listlessness of Taleb had quite disappeared before the musician had advanced far in her song. He stared at her with intense interest and surprise, and scarcely waiting the conclusion, shrieked out, "In the name of Allah! where got you those words?" The verses were his own, composed on the rose, floated to him by Werdeh.

The girl blushed, stammered, looked at her master, whose prohibition of all conversation respecting the adventure in the cemetery of Mecca was fresh in her memory. "Answer him, you daughter of an uncircumcised infidel," roared the Aga; an exclamation that by no means tended to restore the poor slave's selfpossession.

"I heard them-that is-I learned. I'm sure I did not mean any harm, but a person we met-the Aga knows best-what shall I say?"

Medicated sherbet had by no means improved the Aga's patience, and he thundered forth-"I will tear that useless tongue of yours out by the roots and throw it for food to my dogs, unless you give a plain answer to a plain question. Who taught you these words."

"It was the ghoule," replied the trembling girl. The answer seemed to have paralysed every body, Yussef was the first to recover from stupor, and removing Taleb to another apartment, he recounted the circum

stances with which the reader is already acquainted, adding, "the poor girl is not yet quite recovered from her delusion; she sits moping all day in some corner. but at night she wanders round the harem singing snatches of songs, which my slaves strive to learn.”

Taleb in turn related his adventures with Werdeh, and besought Yussef to indulge him with an interview. The Aga entreated him first to calm his emotions, and cautioned him against too suddenly rushing into her presence. After some consultation it was agreed that Taleb should try the effect of his voice, and if recognised should then present himself to his beloved.

They went accordingly to the door of her chamber, and by the pale light of a dim moon saw her reclining listlessly on a couch. Taleb began to sing a well-known air, but at the very first words Werdeh started up and rushed towards him, he sprang forward to meet her, and ere Aga Yussef could comprehend what was going on, they had fainted in each other's arms.

Imagination must supply the scenes that took place when they recovered their consciousness; the excitement long threatened to drive both insane, and when morning dawned their memory retained nothing of the events of the night but indefinite images of horror. Aga Yussef might have helped us to fill this gap in the most interesting portion of our narrative, but unfortunately, the agitating occurrences had produced such an effect upon his nerves, that he was obliged to have recourse to his medicine very frequently, and its potency had closed his eyes in sleep.

Taleb and Werdeh were the next day in a high fever; but the symptoms though violent were not dangerous, and the hakem summoned to attend them,

found that frequent messages between his patients were the most efficacious remedies. In less than a week they were able to meet each other again, and Abd-al-Waheb, who had been sent for to Mecca, yielding to the request of Aga Yussef, resolved to have their nuptials celebrated as soon as possible at Medina.

Our tale should end with the marriage of the lovers; and so it would have done but for the Imam who accompanied Taleb to Medina. This worthy priest declared that the re-union of the lovers was a miracle wrought by his prayers and those of his brethren at Mecca. Abd-alWaheb laughed at him, and Aga Yussef swore he would burn his beard. The Imàm returned to Mecca, and gave such a representation of these wondrous events, that when Abd-al-Waheb arrived there with his family and the friendly Aga, instead of being received by his friends in triumph, the whole party narrowly escaped, from the priest-ridden populace, the fate of Saint Stephen. The arrival of a Tartar courier from Constantinople a few days afterwards, bringing the news of the Aga's elevation to the dignity of a Pacha with three tails and to the government of Syria, made a sudden change in the priests who had sons or nephews to dispose of; they at once discovered that Yussef was a paragon of orthodoxy, and beat almost to death the Imàm who had slandered him and his friends. Yussef used his new influence to enable Abd-al-Waheb to sell off his property to advantage, and then took him and his family to dwell under his protection in Syria. Taleb became one of the most eminent merchants of Damascus where his

posterity still reside. Yussef died in his government

from an overdose of his favourite medicine. Werdeh

lived to a good old age, and died the same week as her husband.

In Damascus she is remembered only for her beauty and her virtue; but at Mecca perverted versions of her history are still current, and not a Hajji visits the shrine but brings back some terrific story of "the handsome ghoule."