r empty
baskets, bargaining there by the ships, when the barrels of emeralds
came up from the hold. Or would that he had seen the fountains there
in silver basins in the midst of the ways. I have seen small spires
upon their ebony houses and the spires were all of gold, birds
strutted there upon the copper roofs from golden spire to spire that
have no equal for splendour in all the woods of the world. And over
London the desiderate city the sky is so deep a blue that by this
alone the traveller may know where he has come, and may end his
fortunate journey. Nor yet for any colour of the sky is there too
great heat in London, for along its ways a wind blows always from the
South gently and cools the city.

"Such, O Friend of God, is indeed the city of London, lying very far
off on the yonder side of Bagdad, without a peer for beauty or
excellence of its ways among the towns of the earth or cities of song;
and even so, as I have told, its fortunate citizens dwell, with their
hearts ever devising beautiful things and from the beauty of their own
fair work that is more abundant around them every year, receiving new
inspirations to work things more beautiful yet."

"And is their government good?" the Sultan said.

"It is most good," said the hasheesh-eater, and fell backwards upon
the floor.

He lay thus and was silent. And when the Sultan perceived he would
speak no more that night he smiled and lightly applauded.

And there was envy in that palace, in lands beyond Bagdad, of all that
dwell in London.

Thirteen at Table

In front of a spacious fireplace of the old kind, when the logs were
well alight, and men with pipes and glasses were gathered before it in
great easeful chairs, and the wild weather outside and the comfort
that was within, and the season of the year--for it was Christmas--and
the hour of the night, all called for the weird or uncanny, then out
spoke the ex-master of foxhounds and told this tale.

I once had an odd experience too. It was when I had the Bromley and
Sydenham, the year I gave them up--as a matter of fact it was the last
day of the season. It was no use going on because there were no foxes
left in the county, and London was sweeping down on us. You could see
it from the kennels all along the skyline like a terrible army in
grey, and masses of villas every year came skirmishing down our
valleys. Our coverts were mostly on the hills, and as the town came
down upon the valleys th