n which
sat the damsels of their harems; the boats were rowed by muscular
eunuchs.

The faces of the three beys lighted up when they saw the damsels being
rowed on the water, and Mukhtar Bey whispered roguishly in Sulaiman's
ear, "Shall we make the old man also one of our party?"

Ali overheard the whisper, and replied, with a smile, "Truly your
damsels are most beauteous"--here he stroked his white beard from end
to end--"I am not surprised, therefore, that you like to stay at home
here and call the wind hot and cold, though it is nothing but the
breath of Allah, and what comes from God cannot be bad. But your
damsels _are_ beautiful, of that there can be no doubt. Now, last
night I dreamt a dream. Before me stood the Prophet, and he told me
how you had challenged him to say which of your damsels was the
sweeter and the more beautiful." (Here the sons regarded each other,
full of fear and amazement.) "The Prophet replied," continued Ali,
"that it was not meet that he should come to your damsels; they should
rather go to him. So I mean to send them to Paradise."

"What doest thou?" cried all three sons, horror-stricken.

The only answer Ali gave was to give a long shrill whistle, at which
signal the eunuchs drew out the plugs from holes secretly bored at the
bottom of the three boats, leaping at the same time into the water,
and leaving the boats in the middle of the lake.

The damsels shrieked with terror as the water began to rush into the
boats from all sides. The air was filled with cries of agony.

Mukhtar rushed madly to the door and found it locked. With impotent
violence he attempted to burst it open. Sulaiman meanwhile tore away
at the iron window-grating with both hands, as if he fancied himself
capable of pulling down the whole of the vast building by the sheer
strength of his arms. The blue-eyed Albanian girl and the languishing
Jewish damsel, with the fear of death in their eyes, looked up at the
closed window; the waves had already begun to swallow their beautiful
limbs.

Only Vely Bey remained motionless. He, at any rate, had not sinned. He
had not angered the Prophet in that orgie of amorous rivalry. He had
loved one only, by her only had he been loved, and she, yes, she was
perishing there among the others!

The boats sank deeper and deeper; nothing could be heard but the
cries of the drowning wretches in all the accents of despair. The two
sons saw their damsels dying before their eyes, and w