hanged in one night, that I cannot find my house, nor even the street
in which it is situated."

"Follow me," said the Angel of God; "I will conduct you thither."

Jemlikha, still accompanied by the King, the Beys, and the Viziers,
followed the Angel of God, who after some time stopped before a door
and disappeared, saying to him, "Behold your house."

Jemlikha, through his confidence in God, entered into it, and saw an
old man, unknown to him, and who was surrounded by several young
people. He saluted them all very politely, and said very affably to
the old man, "This house, I believe, belongs to me; why do I find you
here? and what business have you to do in it?"

"I believe you are mistaken," replied the old man, with the same
affability. "This house has long been in our family. My grandfather
left it to my father, who is not yet dead, but who indeed has but one
breath of life left."

The young men would have answered, and were enraged at Jemlikha; but
the old man said to them, "Be not angry, my children; passion is never
necessary. He has perhaps some good reason to give us: let us hearken
to him."

He afterwards turned himself towards Jemlikha, and said to him, "How
can this house belong to you? By what right do you pretend to it? Who
are you?"

"Ah! venerable old man," returned Jemlikha, "how can I tell you of my
adventure? None of those to whom I have related it will give credit to
it; I cannot myself comprehend it: judge of the situation I am in!"

The old man, touched with his affliction, said to him, "Take courage,
my child: I interest myself in your fate; my heart was moved at the
sight of you."

Jemlikha, reassured by this discourse, related to the old man all that
had happened to him; and he had no sooner heard his story than he went
and brought out a picture to compare it with Jemlikha. When he had
examined him for some time, he sighed, and his trouble and concern
increased. He kissed the picture several times, and threw himself at
the feet of Jemlikha, prostrating his wrinkled countenance, and his
beard, whitened by age, upon the ground. At length he cried out,

"Oh, my dearest ancestor!"

The torrent of tears which ran from his eyes prevented him from
saying more. The King and his Viziers, whom this scene had rendered
very attentive to the conversation, said then to the old man,

"What! do you acknowledge him for your ancestor?"

"Yes, sire," replied he: "he is the great-great-father of m