longer burthened my mind with the remembrance of the beggar, or his awful prognostications, and treated in the same manner every miserable petitioner for aid who presumed to approach me. My extravagance kept pace with my pride and insolence; and although the allowance made me by my father, together with a share in the profits of his merchandise, was more than enough, with economy and prudence, to have enabled me to purchase the indulgence of every luxury, yet a mind like mine was difficult to be kept in check by any regular limited income, and I entertained serious thoughts of robbing my own father, and was only deterred by the recollection that by so doing I should, in truth, be only robbing myself, as I had become a partner in his concerns.

I proposed, at a meeting of the sect, to proceed to Afghanistan, for the purpose of enquiring into the condition and progress of the Sufis in that country; and to enable me to secure converts, and maintain our consequence, insisted upon sallying forth in the most sumptuous manner, intending, in reality, to convert the money I might be furnished with entirely to my own use and amusement. A large subscription was collected, and everything was ready for my departure, when an event happened which entirely put an end to my projects. This event was the death of my father. He had received an account of a great failure in his mercantile speculations, which, with my consent, had been entered into. My father could not stand the shock of this intelligence; he took to his bed, from which, alas! he arose no more. In his dying hour he thus addressed me :

'Yasmin, my son, I am about to leave you for ever. Perse vere in the faith, neglect not the ordinances of Sufiism, and you

will yet succeed in all your undertakings. I have now little wealth to leave you. Here are the keys of my strong-chest; its contents, with several bonds and notes, are yours by my will, but this house is your cousin's. On his arrival be kind to him. Strengthen each other in the true religion, and may you prosper.' Thus died my father, leaving me, who expected on his decease to become possessed of unbounded wealth, heir to almost nothing.

On examining the contents of the chest, a bag, containing one thousand toomauns, with several bonds, were all that met my eye. I could not, would not believe that this was the only sum the house contained. 'There is some trick,' cried I; and my cousin, who is to have the house, is doubtless correctly informed where the money is buried.' As soon as the remains of my father were interred I set to work to search for treasure; a hundred labourers were dispersed all over the house, with orders to dig and penetrate walls, although they might be six feet thick. I myself assisted, until, unused to such fatigue, I was compelled to desist, carrying, however, lighted torches into every nook and corner of the building. I was interrupted in my search by hearing the cries of 'Fire, fire!' from persons above and in the street.

I attempted to rush from the place where I was, to gain access to the strong-box, hoping to be able to secure the little money it contained; but the number of the workmen, together with the volumes of smoke which filled the narrow staircase, rendered a hasty retreat impossible. At last I approached the small treasure closet, and was in the act of stepping on the floor of the room which led to it, when it gave way, and a burst of fire dreadful to behold rendered my progress impracticable. Still hankering

after the toomauns, I maintained my ground until several voices begging me to withdraw aroused me, and I quickly retreated into the street, which I had scarcely gained when the whole edifice, with a tremendous crash, fell to the earth, amidst the screams of the affrighted populace.

No one afforded the least assistance; nor, had they been so inclined, I saw not how it could have been of any service, for I had no doubt but that the fire was owing to myself, in carelessly thrusting my torch into every corner of the mansion; and the sudden falling in of the building was doubtless to be attributed to the zeal of my workmen, who had undermined its foundations. In situations like mine a show even of inclination to lend assistance is gratifying; but, alas! how could I expect aid from persons I had contemned, from the rabble I had despised? It was provoking to behold the apathy of the mob; but it was insufferable to see the Guebres' falling down and worshipping with delight the very flames which caused my ruin; and, as if the sight of these wretches was not sufficient to add to the sting of adversity which now goaded my heart, on turning round I beheld the old beggar who had predicted my downfall. He thrust forward his dirty-bearded chin, saying, with a look of malignant joy, 'I told you so, Sufi; the time is come sooner than I had imagined. God preserve thee, Sufi !'

He then turned on his heel, leaving me to view the progress of the desolation before me. Why I stood there I know not. I suppose I imagined when the fire should have consumed the building, the strong-box and the bag of toomauns were to rise 1 Fire-worshippers.

from its ashes. The poorer classes now flocked around the burning wood, striving to secure something from the conflagration.

'Of what use is that piece of half-burned wood to you?' said I to a ragged old man, who was walking away with a blackened rafter on his shoulders.

'Whatever is saved from a burning house must be reckoned gain,' said the old Mahommedan; 'and surely, Sufi, you must in the course of your learning have heard or read this proverb.'

Angry at the fellow's insolence, I cried, 'That gain, as you call it, is mine, sirrah! Throw down the wood.'

'Take it!' said he, throwing it with violence on my toes, which caused me to bellow with pain.

'What have you gained, Sufi ?' said another forlorn fellow, who was raking amongst the dying embers.

A laugh from behind me made me turn my head, when the abominable old beggar once more met my eye. Enraged at thus seeing myself the sport of the very rubbish of the city, I gave the insolent old fellow a box on the ear, and bade him begone. Instead of resenting, the provoking old man only laughed louder and louder, and at last screamed with delight, walking slowly away, tapping his lean belly and pointing to his mouth, as much as to say, 'You will come to this, and I rejoice at it.'

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CHAPTER XI.

THE DYER'S STORY (continued).

THE only persons who condoled with me were my two proselytes, who might perhaps more justly have been denominated satellites, though not of a glorious but a fallen star. Well aware the sympathy of these youths proceeded from interested motives, I received their sighs and expressions of regret with a peevishness which I hoped would have rid me of their company, but in this I was mistaken. They followed me wherever I went; if I stopped, they did so likewise; if I walked quick, they kept pace with me. I was about to dismiss them in anger, when prudence whispered, 'It is policy for a ruined man to be friends even with beggars.'

We therefore walked about the streets, where I had the mortification of perceiving, by the leer of the fakeers and beggars, how rapidly the report of my ruin had run through the city. Some of the latter when passing me would, in imitation of myself in the days of my prosperity, hold their tattered garments close to their miserable bodies, pretending to fear contamination from my touch. All this I was compelled to suffer in silence; an angry word would otherwise have drawn a swarm of insolent ragamuffins around me,