into his house, and in some way taking up and absorbing the life of his
child. When the world at last fell away and left him asleep, it was with
a dread tapping heavily at his heart.

The purchase which Uel was requested to assist in making proved a light
affair. After diligent search through the city, Syama decided to take a
two-story house situated in a street running along the foot of the hill
to-day crowned by the mosque Sultan Selim, although it was then the site
of an unpretentious Christian church. Besides a direct eastern frontage,
it was in the divisional margin between the quarters of the Greeks,
which were always clean, and those of the Jews, which were always filthy.
It was also observed that neither the hill nor the church obstructed the
western view from the roof; that is to say, it was so far around the
upper curve of the hill that a thistle-down would be carried by a
south-east wind over many of the proudest Greek residences and dropped
by the Church of the Holy Virgin on Blacherne, or in the imperial garden
behind the Church. In addition to these advantages, the son of Jahdai was
not unmindful that his own dwelling, a small but comfortable structure
also of wood, was just opposite across the street. Everything considered,
the probabilities were that Syama's selection would prove satisfactory to
his master. The furnishment was a secondary matter.

It is to be added that in course of the business there were two things
from which Uel extracted great pleasure; Syama always had money to pay
promptly for everything he bought; in the next place, communication with
him was astonishingly easy. His eyes made up for the deficiency in
hearing; while his signs, gestures, and looks were the perfection of
pantomime. Of evenings the child never tired watching him in
conversation.