“Halil Patrona.”

“And what happened after that?”

“The man took the girl home, whose beauty, of a truth, was likely to turn the head of anybody.  He knew not what had happened to her at the Seraglio, in the kiosks of the Kiaja Beg and the Grand Vizier, Ibrahim Damad and in the harem of the White Prince.  For, verily, it is a joy to even behold the maiden, and it would be an easy matter to lose one’s wits because of her, especially if one did not know that this fair blossom may be gazed at but not plucked, that this beautiful form which puts even the houris of Paradise to shame, suddenly becomes stiff and dead at the contact of a man’s hand, and that neither the warmth of the sun-like face of the Padishah, nor the fury of the Grand Vizier, nor the thongs of the scourge of the Sultana Asseki, nor the supplications of the White Prince, can awaken her from her death-like swoon.”

“And didst thou discover what happened to the girl after that?”

“Blessed be every word concerning me which issues from thy lips oh, mighty Padishah!  Yes, I went after the girl.  The worthy shopkeeper took the maiden home with him.  It rejoiced him that he could give to her everything that was there.  He made her sit down beside him.  He supped in her company.  Then he would have embraced her.  So he drew her to his bosom, and immediately the girl collapsed in his arms like a dead thing, as she is always wont to do whenever a man touches her, at the same time uttering certain magical talismanic words of evil portent, from which may the Prophet guard every true believer!  For she spoke the name of that holy woman whose counterfeit presentment the Giaours carry upon their banners, and whose name they pronounce when they go forth to war against the true believers.”

“Was he who took her away wrath thereat?”

“Nay, on the contrary, he seemed well satisfied that it should be so, and ever since then he has left the girl in peace.  He regards her as a peri, as one who is not in her right mind, and therefore should be dealt gently with.  She is free to go about the house as she likes.  Halil will never permit her to do any rough work, nay, rather, will he do everything himself, with his own hands, so that all his acquaintances already begin to speak of him as a portent, and his patience has become a proverb in their mouths.  Halil they say took unto himself a slave-woman, and lo! he has himself become that slave-woman’s slave.”

“Of a truth it is a remarkable case,” observed the Padishah; “try and find out what turn the affair takes next.  And the Teskeredji Bashi shall record everything that thou sayest for an eternal remembrance.”

During this speech the Berber-Bashi had artistically completed the official dressing of the Padishah’s head, whereupon the Ibrikdar Aga came forward to wash his hands, the Peshkiriji Bashi carefully dried them with a towel, the Ternakdji Bashi pared his nails, the Duelbendar placed the pearl-embroidered kauk on the top of his head, and adjusted the long eastern shawl round his waist, the Chobodar handed him his upper jacket, the binis heavy with turquoise, the Silihdar buckled on his tasselled sword, and then everyone, after performing the usual salaams withdrew, except the Khas-Oda-Bashi and the Kapu-Agasi, who remained alone with their master.