li boasted of their beauty, while complaining of
their sadness; this, however, he believed would soon disappear. My
brother was well pleased with his reception, and betook himself to
rest, feeling very hopeful. He had slept perhaps an hour, when he was
awakened by the gleam of a lamp that dazzled his eyes. As he raised
himself in bed, he believed that he must still be dreaming, for before
him stood that little dark-skinned man whom he had seen in Orbasan's
tent. He held a lamp in his hand, and his broad mouth was distorted by
a horrible grimace. Mustapha pinched his own arm and pulled his nose,
in order to convince himself that he was awake; but the apparition
remained as before.

"What will you at my bed-side?" cried Mustapha, as soon as he had
recovered from his astonishment.

"Don't trouble yourself, Master," replied Hassan, "I have found out
your purpose in coming here; nor was your worthy face forgotten by me.
But really, if I had not helped to hang the Pasha with my own hands, I
might perhaps have been deceived. Now I have come to put a question."

"First of all, tell me how you came here," returned Mustapha, furious
at being betrayed.

"I will tell you," replied Hassan, "I could not get along with Orbasan
any longer; therefore I ran away. But you, Mustapha, was the cause of
our quarrel, and therefore you must give me your sister to wed, and I
will assist you in your flight. If you do not agree to this, I will go
to my new master and tell him something about the new Pasha."

Mustapha was beside himself with rage and terror. Now, just as he
believed himself about to attain his object, why must this wretch come
and thwart his designs? There was only one way left in which he could
carry out his plan: he must kill the ugly monster. With one spring he
leaped from the bed and tried to seize the ugly wretch; but he,
doubtless having expected such an attack, let the lamp fall and escaped
in the darkness, shrieking murderously for help.

He was now compelled to give up the young girls, and turn his attention
to his own safety. He went to the window to see whether he could jump
out, and found it was quite a distance to the ground, while opposite
stood a high wall. Suddenly he heard voices approaching his room. As
they reached his door, he grasped his clothes and dagger in
desperation, and swung himself out of the window. The fall was a hard
one, but he felt that no bones were broken, and sprang up to run to the
wall,