aw here referred to his vizier.

"What says the law?" he asked, in a low tone. "Does it permit a man to
do what he likes in his own room?"

The vizier scratched his nose and reflected.

All the officials scratched their noses and reflected.

After a moment the vizier replied--

"It all depends, most wise and illustrious. If the owner of the room be
a true believer, he may turn it upside down if he please, not else."

"Good; and this flute-player is an infidel--a dog."

"I beg your pardon, sir, I'm a retired grocer," put in Figgins, who
overheard the remark.

"Silence," growled the bashaw; "go on, plaintiff."

"Well, your highness," continued Bosja, "I continued to get worse and
worse under this dreadful 'too-tooting', until at last, driven to
desperation, I sprang from my bed, and hammered at the wall, imploring
him to be quiet."

"And he still refused?"

"He did, your mightiness."

"And you?"

"I was imploring Allah to soften his unmerciful heart, when suddenly he
burst through the partition, which was thin----"

"No, no, no, your worship," interrupted Mr. Figgins, vehemently, "it
was he who burst through, not me."

"Silence," cried the bashaw; "dare not to interrupt the words of
truth."

"But they're not words of truth, your worship; they're
abominable--false."

"Silence, dog," shouted the potentate, crimson with anger.

"Silence, dog," echoed the rest of the judicial body.

"Continue, plaintiff."

"Well, your highness," went on Bosja, "he then seized me violently,
tore my turban from my head, and endeavoured to thrust his diabolical,
'too-tooing' instrument down my throat."

"To which you objected?"

"Strongly, your highness. I seized the flute in self-defence, and it
came in half in my hand, and he then dragged me from the room, and with
gigantic strength, hurled me backwards down the stairs."

"Allah Kerin, it was a mercy your back was not broken," exclaimed the
bashaw.

"I feel sore all over, your highness," said Bosja, ruefully, "and fear
I am seriously injured."

"And the culprit was endeavouring to escape, was he not?" asked the
judge.

"He was, your mightiness, when my soldiers discovered him clinging to
the wall," replied the officer of the soldiers.

"Wallah thaih, it is well said."

The bashaw conferred again with his vizier for a moment, and then,
turning towards the luckless Figgins, who found himself changed from
the plaintiff into the defendant, he said to him ster