eplied.

"Let us see."

Looking towards the agitated grocer, the bashaw said, in a modified
tone--

"The law pronounces you guilty. Still, in our mercy and clemency, we
incline to show you favour. Your flute, for which it seems you paid
twenty-five pounds, is forfeited; but, for another twenty-five you may
redeem it."

The orphan was dreadfully indignant.

"What!" he cried, "pay twice over for what's my own property? I won't
pay another farthing, you pot-bellied old humbug."

"What does he say?" asked the bashaw of his vizier; "does he consent?"

The interpreter turned slightly green with dismay as he stammered in
reply--

"He expresses himself utterly overpowered by the--the--splendour of
your highness's magnificent condescension; but--a--a--at the same time
he is not at the present moment able to a--avail himself of it."

"You mean to say he has no sufficient funds--is that it?"

"Yes, your highness."

The disappointed bashaw uttered an angry grunt, and looking savagely at
the prisoner, said to him--

"Since you can't pay, you must----"

"I can pay," shouted the orphan, in a furiously indignant tone; "but I
won't."

The bashaw grinned at him like a fiend, and demanding the flute to be
handed to him, held it up before the eyes of the whole court.

"Be witness all," he exclaimed, "that yonder obstinate Frank despises
our clemency, and refuses to redeem this flute, his property."

"That flute is not his property, it is mine," cried a voice from the
crowd.

At the same moment a portly Turk, in a red fez cap, pressed forward.

He was recognised at once as Kallum Beg, a Turk of distinction, but who
at times had to be treated as a madman.

"That flute is mine, O noble bashaw!" he repeated.

The judge winked and blinked, and seemed greatly perplexed at this
unexpected declaration.

"Yours?" he echoed, at length.

"Yes, your highness. I was robbed of it a week since."

"And that lying son of Shitan told us he bought it for twenty-five
pounds."

"So I did," protested the orphan.

"Silence!" roared the bashaw, "you have made us eat nothing but dirt.
You know you stole it."

Then turning to the rightful owner of the instrument, he said to him--

"Kallum Beg, the flute is yours. Still as you contradicted me in the
open court, declaring it to be your property, when I had declared it to
be the property of another, you are fined fifty sequins."

The Turk grunted, and shrugged his shoulders, for e