tower, and at length arrived at the
royal apartments by the subterranean passage. Bababalouk was parading to
and fro, and issuing his mandates with great pomp to the eunuchs, who
were snuffing the lights and painting the eyes of the Circassians. No
sooner did he catch sight of the Caliph and his mother than he exclaimed,
"Hah! you have then, I perceive, escaped from the flames; I was not,
however, altogether out of doubt."

"Of what moment is it to us what you thought, or think?" cried Carathis;
"go, speed, tell Morakanabad that we immediately want him; and take care
how you stop by the way to make your insipid reflections."

Morakanabad delayed not to obey the summons, and was received by Vathek
and his mother with great solemnity; they told him, with an air of
composure and commiseration, that the fire at the top of the tower was
extinguished; but that it had cost the lives of the brave people who
sought to assist them.

"Still more misfortunes," cried Morakanabad, with a sigh. "Ah, Commander
of the Faithful, our holy Prophet is certainly irritated against us! it
behoves you to appease him."

"We will appease him hereafter!" replied the Caliph, with a smile that
augured nothing of good. "You will have leisure sufficient for your
supplications during my absence; for this country is the bane of my
health; I am disgusted with the mountain of the Four Fountains, and am
resolved to go and drink of the stream of Rocnabad; I long to refresh
myself in the delightful valleys which it waters. Do you, with the
advice of my mother, govern my dominions, and take care to supply
whatever her experiments may demand; for you well know that our tower
abounds in materials for the advancement of science."

The tower but ill suited Morakanabad's taste. Immense treasures had been
lavished upon it; and nothing had he ever seen carried thither but female
negroes, mutes, and abominable drugs. Nor did he know well what to think
of Carathis, who, like a chameleon, could assume all possible colours;
her cursed eloquence had often driven the poor Mussulman to his last
shifts. He considered, however, that if she possessed but few good
qualities, her son had still fewer; and that the alternative on the whole
would be in her favour. Consoled, therefore, with this reflection, he
went in good spirits to soothe the populace, and make the proper
arrangements for his master's journey.

Vathek, to conciliate the Spirits of the subterranean