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352 author of the "City of the Great King." They asked after her with warm-hearted kindness.

Suddenly, while we were speaking, the two younger wives started up, and went to the other side of the garden, crouched down in the shadow of the wall, and made their way cautiously down to their rooms. I said, "What has disturbed you?" The old wife, who did not move, directed my attention to a window, or rather a small square opening, in a house not far off. A man was looking from it, evidently surprised to see a stranger there, for he lifted up some children to look at me. The old woman said, "Never mind, let us gather some flowers before we go down." There were dahlias, hollyhocks, balsams, scavias, African marigolds, everlastings, roses, sweet basil, and myrtles in full blossom. I made a bouquet of the three last, and the woman said, "Why have you passed all the other flowers to take these ?" I said, "These are the flowers I love the best for their scent and for their beauty." She said, "Even as you love one flower better than another, so God loves one creature more than another. You are one of the favorites of God, and he protects you in all dangers."

She wore by her side a flat gold box, about four inches wide and six inches long, suspended by a double chain. It was engraved with sentences from the Koran, and she said that it contained a charm against the power of an evil eye, and against sorcery. I told her I never wore charms. She replied, "You do not require any—no one can hurt you."

We went down into the women's room. The two young wives were waiting for us at the wide-open door, and had prepared coffee and sweetmeats for me. The room was large and low, without any windows; there were small holes near the ceiling.

I saw several young children. They seemed very much neglected, and the flies were allowed to tease them terribly, clustering on the edges of their unwashed eyelids, and buzzing about their sugar-crusted lips.

The sun was going down, and the muezzin cried out from