become the same."

Shiraz bowed his head with grave courtesy.

"It was also told to me that you served a rich master and have stored up
wealth."

"The way of honesty is never the path to wealth," responded Shiraz, in
tones of reproof. "So it is written in the Koran."

Leh Shin accepted the ambiguous reply with an unmoved face.

"Thy friend is under the hand of devils?"

He put the remark as an idle question.

"He is tormented," replied Shiraz, pulling at his beard. "He is much
driven by thoughts of evil, committed, such is his dream, by another
than himself; and yet the _Sirkar_ hath said that the crime was his own.
The ways of Allah are veiled, and Mah Myo is without doubt no longer
reasonable; yet he is my friend, and doth greatly profit thereby."

"Ah, ah," said the Chinaman, placing a hubble-bubble before his guest,
who condescended to shut the mouthpiece in under his long moustache,
while he sat silently for nearly half an hour.

"Dost thou sell beautiful things, Leh Shin?" he asked. "I have a gift to
bestow, and my mind troubles me. The Lady Sahib of my late master
suffered misfortune. She was robbed by some unknown son of a jackal, and
thereby lost jewels, the value of which was said to be great, though I