father's death. The treasury and the army are the two great means
to this end. Those possible rivals who have not been sent away to
Tafilált are as often as not imprisoned or put to death on some slight
charge, as used to be the custom in England a few hundred years ago.

This method of bequeathing rights which do not come under the strict
scale for the division of property contained in the Korán is not
confined to Royalty. It applies also to religious sanctity. An
instance is that of the late Shareef, or Noble, of Wazzán, a feudal
"saint" of great influence. His father, on his deathbed, appointed
as successor to his title, his holiness, and the estates connected
therewith, the son who should be found playing with a certain stick,
a common toy of his favourite. But a black woman by whom he had a son
was present, and ran out to place the stick in the hands of her own
child, who thus inherited his father's honours. Some of the queens of
Morocco have arrived at such power through their influence over their
husbands that they have virtually ruled the Empire.

Supposing, however, that the damsel who has at last found admittance
to the hareem does not, after all, prove attractive to her lord, she
will in all probability be sent away to make room for some one else.
She will be bestowed upon some country governor when he comes
to Court. Sometimes it is an especially astute one who is thus
transferred, that she may thereafter serve as a spy on his actions.

Though those before whom lies such a career as has been described will
be comparatively few, none who can be considered beautiful are without
their chances, however poor. Many well-to-do men prefer a poor wife
to a rich one, because they can divorce her when tired of her without
incurring the enmity of powerful relatives. Marriage is enjoined