This cave was known to no one else, and Mohammed carefully preserved
the secret of its existence.

This cave was his palace! Here he could dream of the future; here,
in impenetrable solitude, he could dwell with his thoughts; from
here he could look up and implore counsel from the heavens above, or
look down at the foaming sea beneath, and refresh his soul with its
majesty.

By degrees he had made this cave habitable. Who knows but it may be
necessary to seek it as a refuge from pursuit and danger some day?
Who knows but that he may be compelled to seek safety here some day
from his enemies, or even from his friends?

Whatever he could spare from the little sums of money which his
mother occasionally gave him, or from the presents of Mr. Lion or
his old uncle, he devoted to the purchase of bedding, or some other
article of furniture of the kind used in the huts of the poor. And
then at night, when no one could see him, he would creep with these
things into his cave, his palace of the future. Sometimes, while
sitting there dreaming, the deep-blue sky looking down upon him, the
sun throwing a ray of golden light through the cave, strange visions
would appear to him. The cave would transform itself into a
glittering palace, and the wretched mat that lay on the ground
became a luxurious silken couch, on which he reclined, smoking his
tschibak, while slaves stood around in reverential attitudes, ready
to do his bidding. When seated on his rickety stool--a costly
possession--for it had been bought with the last remnant of his
money, it seemed to him that, clothed in purple, he had mounted his
throne, around which wondrous strains of melody resounded. It did