breast a discoloured piece of parchment.

"Very good," replied the pacha, rising. "Mustapha! let it be put into
Arabic by the Greek slave, who shall read it to us some evening when we
have no story-tellers."

"Be Chesm! Upon my eyes be it," replied Mustapha, bowing low, as the
pacha retired to his harem.

Chapter V

The pacha had repeated his perambulations for many nights, without
success; and Mustapha, who observed that he was becoming very impatient,
thought it advisable to cater for his amusement.

Among those who used to repair to Mustapha when he exercised his former
profession, was a French renegade, a man of considerable talent and
ready invention, but a most unprincipled scoundrel, who, previous to the
elevation of Mustapha, had gained his livelihood by daring piratical
attempts in an open boat. He was now in the employ of the vizier,
commanding an armed xebeque which the latter had purchased. She passed
off as a government cruiser, but was in reality a pirate. Selim, for
that was the name which the renegade had adopted when he abjured his
faith, condemned every vessel that had the misfortune to meet with him,
taking out the cargoes, burning the hull, and throwing the crews
overboard, with the privilege of swimming on shore if they could. By
this plan he avoided the inconveniences attending any appeals from the
jurisdiction of the High Court of Admiralty, which he had established
upon the seas.

The consequence was, that his cruises were more successful than ever,
and Mustapha, who was not content with pillaging the pacha's subjects on
dry land, was amassing a large fortune at their expense by his maritime
speculations.

Occasionally, bales or packages would be recognised when landed as
having the identical marks and numbers of those which had been shipped
from the quay but a fortnight before; but the renegade could always give
a satisfactory explanation to the vizier; and after a Jew, who could not
bear the idea of parting with his property without remonstrance, had
been impaled, people shrugged up their shoulders and said nothing.

Now it occurred to Mustapha, that Selim might be able to assist his
views. He talked fast and loud, vaunted his own exploits, curled his
whiskers as he swore to the most improbable assertions, and had become a
general nuisance and terror since he had obtained the vizier's
protection.

Mustapha sent for him, and, as a preliminary question, inquired if ever
he had