ye answer, ye dirrty ould spalpeen?" he demanded, after a
pause. "Be gorra, av ye don't sphake, I'll give ye one wid my twig."

Saying which, he flourished his shillelagh before the slipper
merchant's face, and then gave him a smart tap on his head.

The grave old Turk then found his tongue, and the reply was such a
startler, that the four travellers were knocked off their moral
equilibrium.

"Tare and 'ounds, ye blackyard omadhauns! Ye thavin' Saxin vaggybones!
ave ye'd only thread on the tail av me coat, so as to give me a
gintlemanly excuse for blackin' yer squintin' eyes, I'd knock yez into
next Monday week, the blessed lot av yez!"

The four visitors stared at each other in wonder.

They had not a word to say for themselves.

No wonder that it took their breath away.

The Irish diver was the first to find his tongue.

"By the blessed piper that played before Moses, here's an Irish Turk!"

"Stop that!" ejaculated the slipper merchant; "av ye call me names,
I'll have a go at yez av ye was as big as a house."

"Ye're Paddy from Cork," retorted the diver.

"Niver," protested the merchant, stoutly.

"Get along wid yez," retorted the diver, "ye Mahommedan Mormonite; now
I'll take short odds to any amount up to a farden that that brogue came
from Galway. Tell the truth, and shame the ould gintleman as shall be
nameless."

The Turk had an inward struggle, and then he confessed. He was an
Irishman, settled for some years in Turkey.

"But devil a word must ye say. Ye'll spoil me shop entirely," he said,
"av the folks hereabout takes me for a Christian gintleman, and I shall
be kilt intirely."

CHAPTER LXVIII.

PADDY MAHMOUD PLAYS THE PASHA--LOCAL STATISTICS--VISIT TO THE
KONAKI--HOSPITALITY VERSUS AL KORAN.

The Irish Turk contrived, after some talk, that our friends should
procure an entry into the palace of the pasha.

"Back stairs infloonce, me boys," said the Irish Turk, with a wink, "is
an illigant institooshn, and is jist as privlint here, sorrs, as it is
in St. James's or at the castle."

"How do you work it?"

"I have my own particular pals, which shall be nameless, at the pasha's
palace."

"Officers?"

The Irish Turk looked very demure and replied--

"Not exactly officers; officeresses, ye understand."

"You're a terrible Turk, Paddy," laughed young Jack.

"When shall we be able to get over the palace?" demanded Harry
Girdwood.

"Come to me in the course of to-morrow after