going out or coming in, whose insolent and haughty bearing attested their consciousness of making part of a prominent family and belonging to a person of the highest quality. Our love-struck swain made fruitless efforts, by gazing at those thick walls, to discover in what quarter Ayesha's apartments lay. He gazed in vain: the main entrance, an arch describing the shape of a heart, was protected by an inner wall; access to the court was by means of a lateral door which suffered no impertinent glance to enter. Mahmoud-Ben-Ahmed was obliged to retire without having made any discovery; it was getting late and he might have attracted attention. He therefore bent his steps toward Bedreddin's shop, to gain whose favor he made considerable purchases of things of which he was not in the slightest need. He seated himself in the shop, cross-questioned the merchant, examined him upon his trade, inquired if the silks and carpets brought in by the last caravan from Aleppo had met with a good sale, if his ships had got into port without damage; in a word, he had recourse to all the contemptible tricks that lovers habitually make use of; he was in hopes to see Ayesha come into the shop, but he was disappointed in his anticipation; she did not come that day. He went away home with a heavy heart, already branding her as cruel and perfidious, as if she had actually promised him that she would be at Bedreddin's and had broken her word.
When he returned to his room he deposited his babooshes in the niche of sculptured marble that was hollowed in the wall beside the door for that purpose, laid aside the caftan of costly stuff that he had donned with the idea of making himself attractive and appear-
