do with a letter addressed to him is, certainly, to open and read it.

And this is what was written in the letter.


"WORTHY HALIL PATRONA!

"I told you that I was a poor man, but that was not true; on the
contrary, I am pretty well to do, thank God! Nor do I wander up and down
on the face of the earth in search of herds of cattle stolen from me,
but for the sake of my only daughter, who is dearer to me than all my
treasures, and now also I am in pursuit of her, following clue after
clue, in order that I may discover her whereabouts and, if possible,
ransom her. You have been my benefactor. You fought the drunken
Janissary for my sake, you shared your dwelling with me, you made me lie
on your own bed while you slept on the bare ground, you even took off
your kaftan to make my couch the softer. Accept, therefore, as a token
of my gratitude, the slender purse accompanying this letter. It contains
five thousand piastres, so that if ever I visit you again I may find you
in better circumstances. God help you in all things!

"Your grateful servant,

"JANAKI."

"Now, didn't I say he was mad?" exclaimed Halil, after reading through
the letter. "Who else, I should like to know, would have given me five
thousand piastres for three red onions?"

Meanwhile, attracted by the noise of the conversation, a crowd of the