The Project Gutenberg EBook of One Of Them, by Charles James Lever

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Title: One Of Them

Author: Charles James Lever

Illustrator: Phiz.

Release Date: June 16, 2010 [EBook #32840]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ONE OF THEM ***

Produced by David Widger

ONE OF THEM

By Charles James Lever

With Illustrations By Phiz

Boston: Little, Brown, And Company.

1902.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JAMES WHITESIDE, M.P., ETC., ETC., ETC.

My Dear Whiteside,--Amongst all the friends I can count over in my own
country, and from whom space and the accidents of life have separated,
and may separate me to the last, there is not "One of Them" for whom I
entertain a sincerer regard, united with a higher hope, than yourself;
and it is in my pride to say so openly, that I ask you to accept of this
dedication from

Your attached friend,

CHARLES LEVER.

Spezia, December 90, 1860.

A WORD OF APOLOGY FOR MY TITLE.

Before I begin my story, let me crave my reader's indulgence for a brief
word of explanation, for which I know no better form than a parable.

There is an Eastern tale--I forget exactly where or by whom told--of a
certain poor man, who, being in extreme distress, and sorely puzzled as
to how to eke out a livelihood, bethought him to give out that he was a
great magician, endowed with the most marvellous powers, amongst others,
that of tracing out crime, and detecting the secret history of all
guilty transactions. Day after day did he proclaim to the world his
wonderful gifts, telling his fellow-citizens what a remarkable man was
amongst them, and bidding them thank Destiny for the blessing of his
presence. Now, though the story has not recorded whether their gratitude
was equal to the occasion, we are informed that the Caliph heard of the
great magician, and summoned him to his presence, for it chanced just at
the moment that the royal treasury had been broken into by thieves, and
gems of priceless value carried away.

"Find out these thieves for me," said the Caliph, "or with your own head
pay the penalty of their crime."

"Grant me but forty days, O king," cried he,