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 I laughed, too, tremendously relieved that he was not angry with me.

"I remember you well now," he went on, "and, if you are not any better disciplined than you were a few years ago, you will make a troublesome handful of a wife," and again he roared. "I told your precious brother once that, if he didn't use more discretion in bringing you up, you would keep him pretty busy. And now what do you think I can do for you?"

"Why, you will just get me out of here, and drive me to the Kallerghis, where I am staying."

Arif Pasha looked at me with a kind of puzzled exasperation. "How old are you?" he asked.

"Sixteen."

"Well, can't you see that if I drove you there at this hour your reputation would be ruined?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed blankly. "Then what must we do?" I was quite willing to leave it all to him.

A fresh access of merriment overcame the Turk. He laughed till the tears came into his eyes. I stood by, inclined to join in with him, yet not quite sure whether it was directed against me or not. In truth, there was a sardonic humour in the situation which I did not understand until some hours later.

"Did ever a man find himself in such a position!" he gasped, wiping his eyes. "Here I am routed out of bed at an unearthly hour, and