and again she lifted her veil.  ‘Madam,’ says I, ’these dates are much too cheap at the price which I have mentioned; it really is impossible to take one para less; observe, madam,’ says I, ’the beauty of them, feel the weight, and taste them,’ says I, ‘and you must acknowledge,’ says I, ‘that they are offered to you at a price which,’ says I——­”

“Holy prophet!” cried the pacha in a rage; “I will hear no more of your says I’s:  if you cannot tell your story without them, you shall fare worse than Ali.”

“May it please your highness, how will it be possible for you to know what I said, unless I point out to you what I did say?  I cannot tell my story without it.”

“I’ll see that,” replied the pacha, in a savage tone; and, making the sign, the executioner made his appearance.  “Now, then, go on with your story; and, executioner, after he has repeated says I three times, off with his head!  Go on.”

“I shall never be able to go on, your highness; consider one moment how harmless my says I’s are to the detestable you knows of Ali.  That’s what I always told him; ‘Ali,’ says I, ‘if you only knew,’ says I, ‘how annoying you are!  Why there,’ says I!” At this moment the blow of the scimitar fell, and the head of Hussan rolled upon the floor; the lips from the force of habit still quivering in their convulsions, with the motioning which would have produced says I, if the channel of sound had not been so effectually interrupted.

“That story’s ended!” observed the pacha in a rage.  “Of all the nuisances I ever encountered, these two men have beat them all.  Allah forbid that I ever should again meet with a says I, or a you know!”

“Your highness is all wisdom,” observed Mustapha; “may such ever be the fate of those who cannot tell their stories without saying what they said.”  The pacha, irritated at his disappointment, and little soothed by the remark of Mustapha, without making any answer to it, was about to retire to his harem, when Mustapha, with a low salaam, informed him that the renegade was in attendance to relate his Second Voyage, if he might be permitted to kiss the dust of his presence.  “Khoda shefa midehed—­God gives relief,” replied the pacha, as he resumed his seat:  “let him approach.”

The renegade entered and, having paid the customary obeisance, took his seat, and commenced the narrative of his Second Voyage.

May it please your most sublime highness, the day after I embarked, we sailed with a fair wind, and having cleared the Straits, flattered ourselves with the prospect of a successful voyage; but we were miserably disappointed, for three days afterwards we fell in with a small brig under English colours.  As she was evidently a merchant vessel, we paid no attention to her running down to us, supposing that she was out of her reckoning, and wished to know her exact