y, however, and when Mr. Lawrence flung a handful
of small coin among them they scrambled vivaciously, salaamed to him
and to the girls, and showed every white tooth with pleasure at the
"backsheesh."

"Dear me! It seems to be all climb here," remarked Faith wearily,
after an hour or two of the rough native streets, which divide the old
town and make it like a different place, as compared with the new.

"Yes, it's climbing, either way you take it," said Dwight. "You can't
even have the fun of sliding down-hill after getting up, for these
steps are so rough you've got to pick your way every instant, or take a
tumble. Now, what is that? Did you ever see anything so queer? Why,
_what_ is it?"

Even Mr. Lawrence was nonplussed for a moment, but presently broke into
laughter, in which he was quickly joined by the rest, for the queer
figure approaching turned out to be a vender of monkeys, and he had
certainly chosen a most novel device for carrying his lively burden. A
tall branch of considerable size had been freshly cut from an olive
tree, and its leaves still hung, coldly-gray, and only half wilted,
from the twigs.

Among this foliage were clustered a dozen or more of the little
creatures, each fastened by one leg to prevent escape. This tree-like
branch was carried straight upward, like a flag-staff, by a stalwart
Mohammedan who, with his burnous wrapped about him, in all the dignity
of a Roman senator, stalked steadily ahead, once in a while breaking
into an odd cry that told his wares, but, as Mr. Lawrence suggested,
sounded more like the slogan of a Scottish chieftain going into battle.
Altogether, he was an odd and striking spectacle.

They stopped the man to parley with him, and in a mixture of French and
Arabic he managed to inform Mr. Lawrence that his monkeys were well
trained and tamed, and that they came from the Vallee des Singes,[1]
not far away.

"Oh!" breathed Faith in an aside to her sister, as the men were
conferring, "aren't they the cunningest things? And so little! Hope,
I've a great mind to buy one in place of poor Hafiz. Don't you think
it would be fun?"

"Y-yes, of course. But aren't they dreadfully mischievous?"

"All the more fun, then! I certainly am going to buy one. Father said
the money he gave us was to be spent for fun, and there's nothing
funnier than a monkey."

Faith looked and felt like a naughty child. It was seldom she asserted
herself against the known inclin