re," answered Abul Hassan,
"though I myself have not seen it. I do not even know in what part of
the warehouse you left it. But here are the keys, and as I am busy I
will ask you to get it for yourself."

Ali Cogia made haste to seek out the jar and was much relieved to find
it exactly where he had left it and apparently untouched. He had trust
in Abul Hassan's honor, but a thousand pieces of gold was such a large
sum that he could not but feel some concern until he had it in his own
hands again.

After thanking his fellow merchant for keeping the jar, more earnestly
than seemed necessary, he carried it back to his room in the khan, and
having locked the door he opened it. He removed the two top layers of
olives and was somewhat surprised not to see the gold. However, he
thought he must have covered the money more carefully than he had
supposed. He took out more olives, and then still more, but still
there were no signs of the gold.

Filled with misgivings, Ali Cogia tilted the jar and emptied out the
rest of the olives so hastily that they rolled all over the floor, but
not a single piece of gold was there.

The merchant was dismayed. He could scarcely believe that Abul Hassan
would rob him of his money, and yet there seemed no other explanation.
He knew that the merchant kept his warehouse locked except when he was
there himself, and that no one was allowed to visit it but those with
whom he was well acquainted, and then only upon special business.

Deeply troubled he returned to the merchant's house, determined to
demand an explanation and, if necessary, to force him by law to return
the gold.

Abul Hassan seemed surprised to see Ali return so soon. "Did you
forget something?" he asked. "Or do you wish to speak to me upon some
business?"

"Do you not guess what I have come to speak to you about?" asked Ali.

"How should I guess? Unless it is to thank me again for keeping your
jar for you."

"Abul Hassan, when I went away I left a thousand pieces of gold in the
jar I placed in your warehouse. The gold is now gone. I suppose you
saw some way in which you could use it both for your advantage and my
own. If such is the case, please to give me some receipt for the
money, and I am willing to wait until you can return it to me, but I
think you should have spoken of the matter when I was here before."

Abul Hassan showed the greatest surprise at this address. "I do not
know what you are talking about," said he.