e you, had given them a slight
foretaste."

"Then," cried Franz, "it is hashish! I know that--by name at least."

"That is it precisely, Signor Aladdin; it is hashish--the purest and
most unadulterated hashish of Alexandria,--the hashish of Abou-Gor, the
celebrated maker, the only man, the man to whom there should be built a
palace, inscribed with these words, 'A grateful world to the dealer in
happiness.'"

"Do you know," said Franz, "I have a very great inclination to judge for
myself of the truth or exaggeration of your eulogies."

"Judge for yourself, Signor Aladdin--judge, but do not confine yourself
to one trial. Like everything else, we must habituate the senses to a
fresh impression, gentle or violent, sad or joyous. There is a struggle
in nature against this divine substance,--in nature which is not made
for joy and clings to pain. Nature subdued must yield in the combat, the
dream must succeed to reality, and then the dream reigns supreme, then
the dream becomes life, and life becomes the dream. But what changes
occur! It is only by comparing the pains of actual being with the joys
of the assumed existence, that you would desire to live no longer, but
to dream thus forever. When you return to this mundane sphere from
your visionary world, you would seem to leave a Neapolitan spring for a
Lapland winter--to quit paradise for earth--heaven for hell! Taste the
hashish, guest of mine--taste the hashish."

Franz's only reply was to take a teaspoonful of the marvellous
preparation, about as much in quantity as his host had eaten, and lift
it to his mouth. "Diable!" he said, after having swallowed the divine
preserve. "I do not know if the result will be as agreeable as you
describe, but the thing does not appear to me as palatable as you say."

"Because your palate his not yet been attuned to the sublimity of the
substances it flavors. Tell me, the first time you tasted oysters, tea,
porter, truffles, and sundry other dainties which you now adore, did you
like them? Could you comprehend how the Romans stuffed their pheasants
with assafoetida, and the Chinese eat swallows' nests? Eh? no! Well, it
is the same with hashish; only eat for a week, and nothing in the world
will seem to you to equal the delicacy of its flavor, which now appears
to you flat and distasteful. Let us now go into the adjoining chamber,
which is your apartment, and Ali will bring us coffee and pipes." They
both arose, and while he who calle