articles of furniture contained in this apartment, I
must not omit to mention a small table, on which lay some sheets of
paper (having Arabic characters inscribed on them) a book, and an
inkstand.

When I entered the room, the young ladies brought a straw stool, and
requested me to sit down on it, while they themselves squatted on the
floor. A white muslin curtain hung over a doorway, which led to the
sleeping apartment of the father and mother. Nothing could be more plain
than the furniture of this apartment. Two small French iron bedsteads
indicated, it is true, great advancement in civilization; and between
these bedsteads a piece of carpet covered the rough red tiles with which
the floor was paved. There was neither washing-stand nor toilet-table;
but, indeed, the apartment was so small that there was no room for them.
I was next conducted to the boudoir, where coffee, pomegranates, melons,
and sweetmeats were served. To decline taking any thing that is offered
is regarded as an affront by the Mohammedans, so I was compelled to
receive in my bare hand an immensely large slice of some kind of sweet
cake, spread over with a thick jelly.

The collation being ended, the young ladies conducted me to their own
sleeping-room. Here we found a slave at work. She was a negress, for
whom I was told Sidi Mahmoud had paid 600 francs. I suppose this negress
saw something irresistibly droll in my appearance, for as soon as I
appeared she burst into an immoderate fit of laughter, and it was some
time ere she recovered her composure.

Little Zuleica very good-naturedly opened several trunks to gratify me
with the sight of some of her best dresses. She drew forth a number of
garments of various descriptions, all composed of rich and beautiful
materials. When I say that she had at least twenty elegant tunics of
silk or gauze, and several others richly embroidered with gold, I do not
overrate the number. I expressed my astonishment at the number and
variety of the garments, of which I imagined I had seen the last; but
Zuleica turned to me with an arch smile, which seemed to say she had a
still greater surprise in store for me. Then diving into the lowest
depths of one of the trunks, she drew forth a complete bridal costume.
It consisted of a robe or tunic of rich red damask silk, embroidered
with gold, a gold girdle, a splendid caftan, loose trowsers of silk,
and a vail of white gauze, several yards in length, and sprigged with
gold