ature out of which the
various goods were manufactured in different lands, and which afforded
him the means of always purchasing the best and most superior
articles, whereby he obtained such a crowd of customers. In order to
show his gratitude to his master for this instruction, he had given
him, out of the inheritance of his father, this large house, with the
surrounding vast garden, that he might live undisturbed in his secret
studies.

With this man he now took refuge, hoping certainly to receive from him
some information about the native land of his silken butterfly. Upon
his knocking at the door, an old servant, the only one in the house,
opened it, and led him into a chamber in which his old master was
sitting upon a cushion, before a large table covered with a black
cloth. Rolls of parchment with unknown characters, compasses, a
sextant, a triangle, and other instruments, lay scattered round in
disorder. He received Jussuf with friendly nods, without rising from
his cushion, motioning him to sit down opposite, and then said,

"Ah, ah! my Jussuf; this is a rare visit. Hast thou at last been able
to spare an hour from thy business to pay a visit to the old Modibjah?
I hear that thou art become the most popular merchant in all Balsora,
and that thou hast immense connections. I am glad of it; then all is
right and prosperous. What one has once chosen for his calling, for
that one must entirely live. What we do must be done well; and may
that one live who devotes his life to a useful activity!"

Jussuf was prevented by a certain shyness from mentioning his wish at
once to his grave master. He said how he had longed to see him once
more, to hear how he was; and reproached him tenderly for not coming
to see him. He added that he had certainly a great many curious things
in his warehouses, and that he had promised himself the pleasure of
showing them all to his wise master. Perhaps he might find among them
something that might be useful to him, and it would be a pleasure to
him to give it to him.

At these words Modibjah laughed, and answered, "I want none of thy
goods. What I wanted thou hast given me: while thou continuest to me
this house and garden as my property, I am contented, so that I remain
undisturbed. Here I can devote myself to my reflections and my
pursuits undistracted and unobserved by the curiosity of mankind. Then
I should have erred in visiting thee; for thy time is equally taken up
with the cares