nder Hunniades carries everything before him," said his companion.

"And that accursed Iskander," said the old man.

The chief eunuch, finishing his vase of sherbet, moved away. The
Armenian physician followed him.

CHAPTER 9

The chief eunuch turned into a burial-ground, through which a way led,
by an avenue of cypress-trees, to the quarter of the Seraglio. The
Armenian physician, accompanied by his page, followed him.

"Noble sir!" said the Armenian physician; "may I trespass for a moment
on your lordship's attention?"

"Worthy Hakim, is it you?" replied the chief eunuch, turning round with
an encouraging smile of courteous condescension, "your pleasure?"

"I would speak to you of important matters," said the physician.

The eunuch carelessly seated himself on a richly-carved tomb, and
crossing his legs with an air of pleasant superiority, adjusted a fine
emerald that sparkled on his finger, and bade the Hakim address him
without hesitation.

"I am a physician," said the Armenian.

The eunuch nodded.

"And I heard your lordship in the coffee-house mention that the Sultan,
our sublime Master, had offered a rich reward to any one who could
effect the cure of a favourite captive."

"No less a reward than one hundred purses of gold," remarked the eunuch.
"The reward is proportioned to the exigency of the cue. Believe me,
worthy sir, it is desperate."

"With mortal means," replied the Armenian; "but I possess a talisman of
magical influence, which no disorder can resist. I would fain try its
efficacy."

"This is not the first talisman that has been offered us, worthy
doctor," said the eunuch, smiling incredulously.

"But the first that has been offered on these terms," said the Armenian.
"Let me cure the captive, and of the one hundred purses, a moiety shall
belong to yourself. Ay! so confident am I of success, that I deem it
no hazard to commence our contract by this surety." And so saying, the
Armenian took from his finger a gorgeous carbuncle, and offered it to
the eunuch. The worthy dependent of the Seraglio had a great taste in
jewellery. He examined the stone with admiration, and placed it on
his finger with complacency. "I require no inducements to promote the
interests of science, and the purposes of charity," said the eunuch,
with a patronising air. "'Tis assuredly a pretty stone, and, as the
memorial of an ingenious stranger, whom I respect, I shall, with
pleasure, retain it. You were say