h he poured very good wine.

After they had sat some time in this room, the Caliph proposed that
they should proceed to inspect and pass judgment on the two beautiful
female slaves. The slave merchants therefore conducted the Caliph and
Giafer to a smaller apartment elegantly fitted up, where, on a divan of
the richest materials and most exquisite workmanship, was seated an
Indian slave of the rarest beauty.

The Caliph, who was ever an enthusiastic admirer of lovely women, stood
for some moments lost in astonishment and delight.

"Surely," said he, at length, "you have nothing more beautiful that you
can show us. I must have this slave, and will give you ten thousand
pieces of gold for her."

"If you are pleased with this slave," said one of the merchants,
without noticing the Caliph's offer, "what will you say of the other?"

Then leading the way from the room of the beautiful Indian, which was
splendidly upholstered with hangings and furniture in crimson and gold,
he led the way through a short passage to another room, where all the
fittings were of silver and dark blue. In this room, instead of the
black-haired and dark-eyed Indian, sat a Persian beauty, whose hair was
light and fine as new spun silk, and whose lustrous blue eyes and
absolutely perfect form defy description.

The Caliph stood entranced at the sight. At length he exclaimed--

"From what country does that lovely creature come? Is she really a
woman, or is she not rather a fairy whom some enchantment has brought
among us?"

"If," said the slave merchant, "you bid me ten thousand pieces of gold
for the slave in the other room, how much will you offer for this?"

"I will give you," said the Caliph, "forty thousand dinars, and not
think her dear at that price."

"Asmut," said the merchant to his companion, "did I not tell you that
my slave girl was better than yours? And behold this honest merchant
offers four times as much for her as for your Indian."

"It is easy enough," retorted the other, "for some fellow you pick up
in the bazaar, and who has not probably a thousand dinars in the world,
to talk of ten thousand for this slave, and forty thousand for that.
It will be time to defer to his opinion, I think, when we see the
thousands he talks of so glibly."

"Without doubt," said the first speaker, "this honourable merchant
would not offer a price, however large, for the slaves, unless he were
able to find the money. If he has not so