me, and taking up the litter, I accompanied them to the merchant's house. Zaide thanked me for my zeal, enquiring to whom she was indebted for such attention. I informed her my name, and professed myself her slave at all times. Her veil being now closely drawn over her face, allowed not of my being gratified by a second view of her transcendent beauty, but the melody of her voice almost compensated me for my disappoint

ment.

Returned home, in an ecstasy I rushed to my father, who was busily employed in his warehouse. "Oh, father!" I cried, “ I have seen the woman whom alone I will wed." Ere he could speak, I ran on with a string of epithets in praise of her beauty, with such volubility that my fond parent conceived me mad; when, however, I at length ceased, the expected question of "Who is the lady ?" burst upon my ears. "Who? Why, who can it be but Zaide, the daughter of Harak, the Deewan ?" said I.

'My father stood fixed to the spot, maintaining an awful silence, which he at length broke by saying, "Oh, my son, what has possessed you? Reflect on the haughty disposition of the Deewan; recollect also his thirst for gold, and his towering ambition. Think you he will ever consent to a union with his daughter? I pray you drive all idea of the kind from your bewildered brain."

The more my father begged and prayed, and the more difficulty he pointed out to me, the more obstinately determined did I become, until, won by my earnest entreaties, my father consented to apply to the haughty Harak. I fell at his feet, pouring out my most grateful thanks, and buoying him up with the cer

tainty of success. My indulgent parent accordingly promised to do all I could desire, but expressed his fears that all would be to

no purpose.

'On the following day my father solicited an interview with the Deewan, leaving me at home in indescribable anxiety for the result of the visit. I had not long to wait; my father returned bathed in tears, declaring we were ruined irreparably, for the Deewan no sooner heard his presumptuous proposals than he fell into a dreadful rage, and rushed to his daughter's apartments, from whence he returned convulsed with wrath. He threatened us with everlasting ruin if we quitted not Cambay in eight-andforty hours. He was prompted to this, probably, by having ascertained from Zaide her partiality towards myself. What stung my father to the quick was his abuse of us-he called us shopkeepers, pedlars, cheating dealers, and expressed his amazement at our audacity in dreaming of obtaining his consent to a union with his daughter, a descendant of a vizier, and connected with royalty itself. When my father's grief had in a measure subsided, he sent a petition to the Deewan to revoke his cruel sentence of banishment from Cambay; but this only exasperated the tyrant the more, and he repeated his orders in so peremptory a manner as to leave no hope of mercy in our bosoms.

'With a heavy heart did my father quit his native country and take up his residence in Thanah, on this island, where, being a stranger, he was looked upon with envy by the rest of the oldestablished merchants of the town, who effected his ruin, and he sickened and died, leaving me a beggar. I was lamenting the loss of my father, my mistress, and my means of subsistence,

when your voice arrested my attention, and interrupted for a moment the melancholy train of ideas floating through my brain.'

The Jew expressed his compassion for the unhappy young man; and his hopes that he should be farther acquainted with him for that possibly it would be in his power to render him assistance. He explained to him, therefore, the situation of his house in Bombay, desiring him to call there after two days' time; and as an earnest of his good intentions, presented him with a sum of money for his present exigencies. Alnusur was extremely grateful to his benevolent fellow-traveller; and promising to call on him at the time appointed, took his leave. Ismael, whose whole thoughts were occupied with one subject only, had enjoyed little or no repose during the night, and he determined to enquire into the circumstances of his fellow-traveller, in the hope that some recent affliction might have so reduced him as to render him a fit tool for the accomplishment of his purposes. Alnusur's melancholy history, therefore, was rather pleasing to the Jew than otherwise, and he determined on enlisting the youth into his service, and employing him in the difficult task of purloining from the Brahmin the wished-for Book of Knowledge. For this purpose did he appoint a meeting with him at his house in Bombay.

Having arranged his business at Thanah, and obtained the money for the Governor, Ismael returned to Bombay, and, agreeably to the appointment, waited for Alnusur, who, equally anxious, was punctual to the time agreed upon. Ismael drew him aside, and thus addressed him :

'Young man, fortune has used you cruelly, but you have now an opportunity of reaping a great advantage. I will serve you by

a liberal advancement of cash, and place you in the way to accumulate a handsome independence, provided you will steadily adhere to business, and make the most of your time and money.'

Alnusur had commenced overpowering the benevolent Jew with expressions of gratitude, when Ismael stopped him, saying : 'Stay, young man ; you must earn these advantages ere you receive them. I have a task to perform, which my age and inactivity prevent my engaging in personally. You are young and strong, and can depend upon your nerves. Will you undertake the business ?' 'That,' replied Alnusur, depends upon the nature of it; and I tell you frankly, if it be murder, or

me.

6

'No, no, no!'interrupted Ismael, ''tis no such thing. Listen to There lives a man in this island who is in the possession of a book containing only a history of Jewish rites and ceremonies, of great importance to me, and of no use whatever to him. In vain have I attempted to bargain with the man for this small book; the more anxious I appear to possess it the more tenacious of it is its ill-natured possessor.'

and I

'This is indeed very strange,' observed Alnusur, think I should be guilty of no crime whatever in obtaining it for you. Would you instruct me how to proceed?'

The Jew's eyes twinkled with delight, and he replied, 'I can direct you to the house wherein this book is preserved, but there are difficulties attending the seizure of it you are little aware of. The name of the man who has the book is Donga Sette, a Brahmin, living in the small village of Geergaum. He seldom quits his house, and when he does leaves such strict orders with his wife to admit neither friends or strangers during his temporary

absence, that to gain a footing, even for a minute, is next to

impossible.'

'Trust me,' said Alnusur; although I am a Mahommedan, I will gain an entrance to the Brahmin's mansion, rely on it.'

6

Allowing you do,' continued the Jew, 'the book is as far from your reach as ever-he keeps it chained in an iron box, fastened to the leg of a huge ugly idol, in the centre of his house. Violence must not be attempted, for although the Brahmin is obnoxious to the Government, yet his money will obtain him justice.'

6

'Artifice,' said Alnusur, often effects what violence cannot.'

‘True, young man,' said Ismael'; 'but it must be artifice most deadly deep which can succeed in the present instance, for the Brahmin keeps the key of the steel chain by which the box is secured to his idol, together with the key of the box itself, continually about his person, and when himself and his wife are both from home (which I believe happens only once a year) the key of his house also.'

'Could I but effect an entrance,' said Alnusur, 'a file might be of use.'

'Not at all,' said Ismael; 'no file, let its teeth be ever so sharp, will be able to cut the polished steel; therefore you must think of some other plan. It may be a year before you even get a clue to the slightest probability of success. I, if satisfied you are daily exerting your ingenuity in my service, will grant you a monthly allowance sufficient for your maintenance; but visit me as seldom as possible.'

Alnusur promised obedience, and swore to be zealously em