st of the day examining and admiring my purchases.

The lamp, though, pleased me most of all, although it was so old and
battered. It was so very quaint and uncommon, and so typically Oriental
in design--in fact, I felt sure there was not another like it in the
world.

The time came, however, for packing up, and I had to get everything
ready for the morning, so that I might be in time for the early train.

I had carefully wrapped up the other things, and was just taking a last
look at the lamp before putting it into the bag, when, turning around
for no apparent reason, I caught sight of a yellow turban on the floor.

"Dear me!" I thought, "I suppose I must have brought this away from the
Bazaar, with my other things, by mistake. What a nuisance! Now I shall
have to take it back again, I suppose, or--No! it's Shin Shira's. And
here comes the rest of him!" for I could see a little hazy yellow figure
gradually growing out of nothing.

"Ah! just in time, I see," said the little fellow, when he had quite
appeared. "I did so hope that I should be able to be visible again
before you left Baghdad. Well, how did you get on? You've got out of
prison, I'm glad to see."

I told him about the crystal, and how I discovered that it was Mustapha
who stole the diamond.

"Phew!" he whistled when he heard this. "I felt sure someone had stolen
it, but I didn't think of Mustapha. I never liked the man, though,
personally, and I'm glad he's found out at last. He has done a lot of
harm to many people in Baghdad, and he will be rightly punished. What is
to be done with _my_ diamond?" he inquired anxiously.

"Oh, you're to have it back whenever you like to go for it, and you'll
receive an apology at the same time," said I.

"Very well, then, I'm off to get it first thing in the morning," said
the little fellow gleefully. "I prize that stone far above its intrinsic
value, for it was given to me by my beautiful Princess, you know, and I
would not lose it for anything. But, I say! what's that curious-looking
old lamp in your hand? May I look at it?"

I handed it over to him.

"It's just a little thing which took my fancy at Mustapha's sale, and
which I picked up for a trifle," said I.

"It's very dirty--wants cleaning badly," declared Shin Shira. "Why, I
believe it's solid brass, though it looks like rusty iron in its present
neglected state," and he seized a duster which was lying handy and gave
the lamp several smart rubs.

"Just