CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE Cornell University Library PR 4809.H87A3 Aladdin in London. 3 1924 013 486 133 ALADDIN IN LONDON The original of tliis bool< is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924013486133 ALADDIN IN LONDON A ROMANCE FERGUS HUME LONDON ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK 1892 If by chance some wight ambitious Gained Aladdin' s lamp of magic. Fate, as noiv, would be capricious, Life would still be ever tragic. Ever fade desired to-morrows. Curst despair supplants elation. Wishes gained are bitter sorrows, Joy lies in anticipation. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I- Cupid up to Date 1 II- Destiny 19 III. Bagdad in the West ...... 35 IV. An Extraordinary Coincidence ... 51 V. The Talisman 63 VI. Janshah . ... . . 70 VII. The Anger of Major Measukey ■ 93 VIII. The Course op True Love runs Smooth 102 IX. A Treaty with the Enemy . . 117 X. Wedding Bells . 129 XI. The Ma.ior makes a Proposal . 139 XII. Pleasure and Politics . . 1.52 XIII. Conspiracy . ... .169 XIV. Hilda gives her Opinion . • 180 XV. A Midnight Meeting . 195 XVI. The Oriental Express ... .211 XVII. Villa Tvartko . . . -226 XVIII. The Keys of St. Peter . . . .241 XIX. A Modern Patriot . . 258 XX. The Calm before the Storm . 275 XXI. New Rings for Old .... 288 XXII. The Storm breaks ....... 305 XXIII. Sauve qui peut 319 XXIV. Boot and Saddle .331 XXV. The Power of the Ring 344 XXVI. Sanctuary 360 XXVII. Down with the Republic 371 VI CONTENTS XXVIII. Long lite the Queen 382 XXIX. The Gratitude of Pkince.s , , . .j92 XXX. Feminine Diplomacy .... 407 XXXI. The Will of Bkahma ... . . 420 ALADDIN IN LONDON. CHAPTER I. CUPID UP TO DATE. " In no way do I wish to force your inclinations, my dear Hilda," said Lord Kenny, taking up liis favourite position on the hearthrug. " I simply point out to you that Sir Eichard is rich and Mr. Dacre is poor. Your common sense should tell you wliich to choose." " Common sense says the former, my heart the latter," answered Hilda sadly. " Then take the advice of common sense ! " " And by doing so, ruin my life." " Egad, if you choose Dacre you '11 ruin mine," rejoined his lordship easily. " We are as poor as Job, my dear girl, but hardly so patient. If you do not marry money, the Havard family, as represented by me, will become hopelessly insolvent." " We have been nothing else but insolvent, papa, since I left the schoolroom." " Oh ! long before that, my child, long before that. Do not blame me, but your grantlfather ! He was the Regent's friend, and that friendship cost him liis fortune. He left me nothing but his extravagant tastes, without the means of gratifying them." 2 ALADDIN IN LONDON. " But you have gratified them all the same." " I admit it, I admit it," said her father airily ; " the force of habit, my dear child, nothing more. What is bred in the bone, you know. One cannot be the son of a duke and have the tastes of a plough- man. I'm a great behever in heredity, Hilda. Oh yes ! The duke was fond of the turf ; so am I. He liked to buy whatever pleased him ; so do I ! What between this hereditary failing and your grandfather's extravagance, things have for many years been very unpleasant, in a pecuniary sense." The Hon. Hilda Havard leaned forward and lested her elbows on her knees, a position which shocked Lord Kenny mightily. " My dear Hilda, remember your father is pres- ent. Ah, that is better," as she lay back wearily in her chair. " AA^ell, as I was sapng," he resumed with a smile — " by the way, Hilda, what was I saying ? " " I don't know, papa. Never mind that. What is it you wisli me to do ? " " I "II put it in a nutshell. Accept Sir Richard Denham." " Has he spoken to you ? " "My dear child, they Lave both spoken tome," said Havard, glancing at his watch. " They paid me and you the compliment of asking me to permit them to pay their addresses to Miss Hilda Havard, — in other words , they wish to make proposals of marriage. I gave them both permission." Hilda started angrily from her chair. CUPID UP TO DATE. 3 " Papa, you surely did not do such a thing." "Why not?" replied Lord Kenny, trifling with his eye-glass. " It 's strictly private and confiden- tial, and I wished to give you your free choice. Dacre is coming to-day, Denham to-morrow. I knew you could not stand two proposals in one day, so I put them as far apart as was possible.'' He was such an utterly selfish old man that he could not see but that he had acted in the most delicate nianner. It never occurred to his frivolous mind that he was placing his daughter in an ex- tremely unpleasant position. Hilda did not try to undeceive him. She knew her father too well. " You might have told Mr. Dacre that you had other views, and so spared me the jDain of refusing the man I love," she said, walking across to the win- dow, deeply wounded by her father's want of con- sideration. "No ! I wish to let you choose for yourself," said the old beau complacently. " Marry whichever you please. I should prefer Denham as a son-in-law, myself." " And I should prefer Wilfred Dacre as a hus- band," retorted Hilda coldly. " I do not know why yoii keep up this pretence of free-will. Your idea is that I should marry Sir Richard, and yet you pre- tend that I can choose either. It 's Hobson's choice." " Oh dear, dear, what an extremely vulgar expres- sion," murmured his lordship in an annoyed tone. " I beg of you, Hilda, to recollect that your father is present. Your language grates on my ear. What is 4 ALADDIN IN LONDON. the matter ? " he added sharply, seeing her draw back from the window. " Mr. Dacre is at the door ! " she replied in a low tone. " Is he, indeed ! " said Lord Kenny jocularly. " Happy the wooing that 's not long a-doing. Send him about his business, Hilda. Remember what is at stake. Either you must accept Sir Richard's offer or the name of Kenneth Havard will figure in the Bankruptcy Court." " I will remember," she murmured, as he ad- vanced to embrace her. " Xo ! do not kiss me, father." " Hilda, this emotion is extremely ill-bred," re- plied Lord Kenny with great dignity. " However, your suitor is on the stair, so I have no time to argue the matter. Good-ljj-e fur the present, my child, and remember I give you a free choice of a husband."' Hilda was so disgusted with her j'ather's hypo- crisy that she could only bow her head in token of acquiescence, and Lord Kenny, satisfied that she would carry out his instructions, left the room with a benign smile. On the way down to the hall, he met AVilfred coming up the stairs, and paused to press his hand with great cordiality. " You have my best wishes, Mr. Dacre," he said politely. " It is true I had other views for my daughter, but Hilda shall choose for herself. Yes, she shall choose for herself." " Thank you. Lord Keunjr. I know you are my friend." CUPID UP TO DATE. 5 Then they parted with mutual good will, ^Vilfred going up to the drawing-room, Lord Kenny down to his club. As he walked along the street, he smiled to himself with great satisfaction, and never gave a thought to the refined cruelty of the whole affair. " A hand of iron in a velvet glove," he said exult- ingly ; " that is what Hilda needs. Had I not man- aged things so delicately, she woidd have married Dacre iu spite of me. As it is, I am afraid there is no chance of his becoming my son-in-law." Meanwliile Wilfred, much elated by Lord Ken- ny's kind manner, had entered the drawing-room with a joyful sense of coming victory. HUda, having recovered her usual manner, advanced to meet liim with an artificial smile. Luckily, the bhnds were down, and he could not see the look of pain in her eyes. All he beheld was this beautiful, queenly woman whom he worshipped, and, ignorant of Lord Kenny's tricky diplomacy, he felt confident he would leave the room her accepted lover. On her side Hilda was suffering agonies. She loved Wilfred Dacre with the whole strength of her nature, and in any other case would have accepted him at once. Her father, however, with cruel in- genuity, had placed her, so to speak, on her honoiu- by casting the burden of his pecuniary helijlessness on her shoidders, and she resolved to sacrifice her- self for his benefit at the cost of her own happiness. When she saw the happy smUe on Wilfred's face, she nearly broke down, but steeling herself to the ordeal, asked him to be seated, in conventional tones, which she hardly recognized as her own. 6 ALADDIN IN LONDON. Wilfred, however, was too anxious to know his fate to waste any time in idle conversation, and, crossing over to her side, took her hands in his own. " Hilda ! " he said, looking at her downcast face, " you can surely guess my errand here to-day."' He expected she would lift her face and let him see the love-light in her eyes, but she neither moved nor spoke. Like a statue of stone she stood before him with drooping head ; and marking tliis apathy, a sudden dread entered his heart. Finely strung natures such as his, intuitively forecast the future ; and in spite of a desperate effort to look on the bright side of things, he felt that he must be pre- pared for the worst. " You cannot misunderstand me," he whispered ui an agitated tone ; " you must know how I love you. For months I have worshipped you in silence, but dared not speak because of my poverty. Now things are changed. I am able in all honour to ask you to become my wife." " What do you mean ? "' asked Hilda, a gleam of hope in her eyes. " I mean that I love you ! " he said with feverish earnestness. " Yes ! but 3'our position ? " she faltered, looking at him anxiously. " j\Jy position ! " said Wilfred in a satisfied tone of voice. " Ah ! that is quite altered and for the better. Up to yesterday I M'as an idle pauper with just enough to keep body and soul together. I had money when my parents died, but with the folly of youth I ran through my inheritance. That was be- CUPID UP TO BATE. 7 fore I saw you, else I might have been more careful. When you came into my life, I was too poor to ask you in marriage, so I went to an old friend of my father's who has much political influence. He, last week, obtained for me an appointment to a consul- ship in Cuba, and I have come to ask you to share it with me. It is not a great position, but it may be the prelude to better things." Hilda's face fell as he spoke. Her momentary dream vanished, for she well knew that her father would never consent to such a penurious match. In the eyes of Lord Kenny, the post of a consul in a distant island would be nothing — worse than no- thing, seeing it entailed absence from England. For herself she would have been glad to share such exile with the man she loved, but Lord Kenny had placed her duty clearly before her, and against her own in- clination she was forced to obey. With a smiling face Wilfred waited to hear her exclamation of joy at his good news, but to his dismay she shrank from his embrace and flung herself sobbing into a chair. The reaction was too great, and, much as she strove to preserve her calm, all the woman in her revolted against the unnatural repression demanded by con- ventionality. Much alarmed, Wilfred knelt beside her, and strove with fond endearments to restore her cheer- fulness ; but she pushed him away, crying the more bitterly as she thought of the pain she was about to inflict on this devout lover. " My dear Hilda, what is the matter ? " said Wil- fred, pained and perplexed at this strange behaviour. 8 ALADDIN IN LONDON. " I tliought you would be pleased at sucli good news." " It is good to you, but not to me," sobbed Hilda, trying to control her hysteria. " I am very soriy, Mr. Daere — Wilfred, but — but I cannot marry you." " Oh ! surely you do not mean that," said Wilfred, doubting the evidence of his own ears. " I know you love me. You would not have listened so patiently did you not love me." By this time Hilda had recovered herself, and, with a pale, set face, spoke the words which had been put into her mouth by her father. The effort was great, but the necessity was greater, and she uttered them with painful deliberation. " I cannot marry you, Wilfred. It is impossible." " But you love me, Hilda. Ah, never deny it. I can see love in your eyes." " Yes ! I do love you," she replied in a low tone, suffering him to take her hand, " but for my father's sake I dare not become your .wife." "Your father?" echoed Daere in surprise. " Why, only now on the stairs he gave me his best wishes." Hilda's lips curled \vith disdain. " What he says and what he thinks are two very different things. He wants me to marry Sir Richard Denham." " Impossible," said Wilfred, turning pale with emotion. " He gave me permission to pay my ad- dresses." " That is because he wished to leave me free CUPID UP TO DATE. 9 choice," replied Hilda in an ironical tone, the pur- port of which was quite lost on her auditor. . " In that case you will marry me," he exclaimed joyfully. "You do not love Denhani, and you do love me." "For God's sake, do not speak any more," she cried, rising quickly. " I cannot marry you, Wil- fred. Go! go! and leave me." " To marry Denham ! " said the young man fiercely. " I will not. You shall not marry that man." " I did not say I was going to marry him." " Not in words, perhaps, but you mean to do so. Oh," he cried, covering his face with his hands, " I cannot believe it." HUda noiselessly flitted across the room. She could not bear to witness the distress of her lover, and, but for the desire to keep up her womanly dig- nity, would have told him of her father's treachery. Letting his hands fall idly by his side, he heaved a sigh and looked gloomily at the floor. For the mo- ment Wilfred was puzzled how to act, as he could not but see that Hilda's refusal was based on no reasonable grounds. In fact, she gave no reason whatever for her refusal, and yet she declared she loved him dearly. It was impossible to reconcile her actions with her words, and he felt greatly per- plexed as to what was the best course to pursue. While thus thinking, a low sob sounded through the room, and he lifted his eyes to see Hilda leaning against the wall in a half fainting condition. In a moment he was by her side. 10 ALADDIN IN LONDON. " Hilda ! " he said calmly, without a trace of pas- sion in his tone, " let us talk over this matter quietly." She bowed her head and suffered herself to be led back to her chair. " I cannot believe you are a coquette," said Wil- fred deliberately, " yet this sudden refusal almost persuades me that you are. For the last few months I have been your shadow and you did not discourage my attentions. I cannot offer you wealth, yet I can give you love and comfort. If you are the woman I believe you to be, you wiU become my wife ; if not " — Hilda looked up in alarm as he paused for an in- stant. " If not ! " she faltered. " God knows ! " replied Dacre gloomily. " You will perhaps have a ruined life laid to your charge." " It is cowardly to talk in such a manner," she said indignantly. " If I could marry you I would, but it is impossible. You know it is impossible," she cried, with angry insistence. "My father ex- pects me to make a good match, and I dare not dis- obey him." " Your father leaves you free to choose." Hilda t^\'isted her hands together in hopeless de- spair. Duty to her father forbade her to teU the truth, so she evaded a direct answer. "Please go, Mr. Dacre, and ask me no more questions." " I will not go, and I will ask questions," he re- joined sternly. " No woman has a right to play with CUPID UP TO DATE. 11 a man's heart as you have done. What do you think my life will be without you ? Betrayed by a woman, can I ever believe in your sex again? If you "— " Oh ! " she cried, clenching her hands, " cease your reproaches. Is it easier for me than it is for you ? You suffer, I also suffer. I love you dearly. I would give up the world for you, but I am not free to follow my inclination." "WiKred looked at her with much perplexity. " Oh, if you were only rich," she cried in despair. " For myself, I care not for money, but I must con- sider my father." " You evidently do not consider me." " Unjust ! unjust ! Do I not owe my first duty to my father ? " " Not when it concerns your life's happiness." She wrung her hands in bitter sorrow. " Oh ! how cruel a man can be. You think only of yourself, not of me. If your life is ruined, what of mine ? Do you deem for a moment that money wiU mend my broken heart ? I would tell you all, but I dare not." "AUwhat?" She made no answer. " Do you know what I intend to do ? " he said reso- lutely. " I intend to ask Lord Kenny the meaning of this mystery. You refuse me an explanation. He will not dare to do so." " WiKred ! " He had nearly reached the door, but on hearing that appealing cry, looked back with a frown. Her 12 ALADDIN IN LONDON. arms were outstretched, as to take him to her breast ; and all his anger vanishing at the sight, he sprang back to her side. " My darling ! my poor darling ! " he whispered, holding her tightly to his heart. " I do not blame you. I have been harsh and cruel to speak as I have done ; but think what your refusal means to me. I wiU not accept your answer of to-day. At once I will see your father, and if he freely consents to our marriage " — " I will many no one but you," she whispered, in- terrupting him hurriedlj". " He wants me to become the wife of Sir Richard Denhani, but I will never consent. He shall not wreck our happiness for his selfish pleasure. I owe a dutj^ to you — to myself, as well as to him. Go and see him, Wilfred, and tell him all. He must consent in the end. Go ! Go ! " WUfred pressed a kiss on her lips, and, not trust- ing himself to speak, ran quicldy out of the room. Hilda hastened to the window and saw him walk rapidly down the street, then, in a state of utter exhaustion, went to her room to lie down. The or- deal had been too much for her, and, torn by conflict- ing doubts, she did not know how to act. Her father, her lover, — it was impossible to obey both ; and the more she thought over the situation the more perplexing did it become. Despite the transparent selfishness of Lord Kenny's character, his daughter loved him dearly ; and unfortunately her spirit was too weak to stand against his strong wiU. She was no Amazon to fight her own battles, but a tender and loving woman, with many of the weaknesses of a CUPID UP TO DATE. 13 feminine nature. So in the present predicament she felt absokitely helpless between the two men. Yet though Hilda was not of the stuff of which heroines are made, neither did her character err on the side of feebleness. She was simply a woman of strong affections, unable to decide between father and lover. Besides, she was but twenty years of age, and had no mother to take her part. Lord Kenny was very angry, when from behind the pink sheet of the " Globe " he saw Wilfred enter the club. He instinctively guessed that there was trouble in the wind, and, disliking scenes, would have given a great deal to have avoided the meeting. As it was, he hoped to escape observation behind his paper ; but Wilfred recognized him at once, and walked straight up to his chair. The young man's demeanour was so aggressive that Lord Kenny thought he would make a scene there and then. WiKred, however, was too wise to lose his temper, and saluted his lordship in a dangerously bland manner. " Well, my dear Dacre ! " said the latter uneasily, " I trust you have had a satisfactory interview." " Lord Kenny, I wish to speak to you in private ! " replied Wilfred, taking no notice of the remark, — ■ an omission which by no means reassured the old gentleman. "By all means ! " said his lordship with alacrity, getting on his legs. "Come to the smoking-room. There is no one there." If there was to be a scene, it was as well to get it over at once. The old dandy did not lack cour- 14 ALADDIN IX LONDON. age, and had fully made np his mind that Wilfred should not come off best in the encounter. Dacre was j'lung and hot-tempered, Lord Kenny cool ;ind diplomatic, so he had little dotibt but that the result would be in his favour. Havard, however, did not know the temper of his adversary, and found him more of a match than he expected. But what could unthinking youth do against thoughtful age, especially when the latter was selfish and unscrujou- lous in the extreme ? " Well, my dear fellow," began his lordship suavely, when they were seated in the smoking- room, " and what is it you wish to say ? " " I asked Miss Havard to be my wife, and she has refused me." " I am deeply sorry, Dacre, but I cannot interfere. You had my best wishes, you know." " Yes ! I believe I had," replied Wilfred ironi- cally, " but they did not do me much good. It is no use beating about the bush. Lord Kenny. I know too much to take your daughter's refusal seriously.'' " I am at a loss to understand your meaning, sir." " That is not impossible. However, I can easily make it clear. Miss Havard loves me and would marry me but for you." " But for me I " said Lord Kenny with well acted surprise. " iVly dear sir, why bring me into the mat- tei' ? My daugliter's choice rests with herself." " Oh no, it does n't. She did not explain her meaning at any great length, but from what she said I gathered that you wish her to make a rich marriaae." CUPID UP TO DATE. 15 " Every father wishes to do the best he can for his child," returned Lord Kenny evasively. " As a matter of fact, you must admit you are not weU ofe." " I have the offer of a consulship in Cuba ! " " Good Lord ! " said Havard indignantly. " Do you think for a moment, Mr. Dacre, that I will permit my daughter to go to Cuba! " " It 's a very pleasant island," stammered Wil- fred, finding himself at some disadvantage, for he could not but be aware that his offer sounded very far from tempting. "A yellow-fever island," corrected Lord Kenny with great disdain. " Let us speak plainly, Mr. Dacre. I gave you permission to ask my daughter to be your wife. She has refused you ; so, as a gen- tleman, you must retire." " In favour of a wealthier suitor, I suppose," said Dacre, with an angry flush on his face. " Precisely ! You see I treat you with frankness." " And woidd you sacrifice your daughter's happi- ness for a wealthy match, my lord ? " " That, sir," said the other with great hautem*, " is not a question for you to ask." Decidedly, Wilfred was getting the worst of the argument, and in a despairing mood looked piteously at the impenetrable old gentleman. "If you only knew how I love her," he groaned, burying his face in his hands. " Pooh ! All young men are like that," said Lord Kenny indulgently. "I was in love haK a dozen times myself when I was a boy." 16 ALADDIN IN LONDON. " I am twenty -five years of age. You can hardly call that boyish," retorted Wilfred rather nettled. " I have had my half loves, as the French call them, but this is the love of my life. If I lose Hilda my life is ruined." " Not a bit of it, Mr. Dacre. You '11 soon forget all about her in Cuba." " I am not going to Cuba." " Pardon me ! I understood you to say you were ! " " Not now. I only accepted the appointment because I hoped your daughter would be my wife ; but now — all ! it is useless to me." " Then what do you intend to do ? " " Go to the devii 1 " Lord Kenny frowned and arose from his seat with great dignitj^ " I do not care about hearing such language, ^Ir. Dacre ; so, if you permit me, I will retire." " Is there no hope ? " asked Wilfied appealingly. "Not in the least," answered the peer franldy. " It is no use, my deceiving you, Mr. Dacre. I wish my daughter to make a rich marriage, and all my in- fluence will be used to induce her to do so." " She may risk your anger and marry me." " She will not do that, nor do I think that as a gentleman you can aslv her to do so. After to-day I am afraid our acquaintance must cease." " I suppose so," said Wilfred disconsolately, "but it is very hard on me." " So you think now, but you will soon get over it. Go to Cuba, and if you don't die of yellow fever. CUPID UP TO DATS. IT you will marry some one far more suited to you than Hikla would be." " Never ! I will live and die a single man. Is it only on the ground of poverty that you object to me as a son-in-law?" " Yes, I think so. I have never heard anything against your character," replied Lord Kenny be- nignly. " If you were rich I would not mind the marriage at aU, but as it is " — His lordship shrugged his shoulders to express his inability to complete the sentence, and walked off. At the door, however, he glanced back, and, seeing how utterly dejected the young man looked, re- turned with slow dignity. He was a selfish old pagan, but for the moment he remembered that he also had been in Arcady, and laid his hand Idudly on Dacre's shoulder. " Come ! come ! sir, be a man. There are as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it." Wilfred shook the hand impatiently off his shoulder. " I shall not give up all hope yet," he muttered between his teeth. " It will be wiser for you to do so. Unless," added Lord Kenny, looking over his shoulder, " you find the lamp of Aladdin." He went out chuckling as though he had made an excellent joke, and Wilfred sat miserably in his chair. Then he wrote a letter to Hilda telling of the failure of his mission and beseeching her to be true to him. He sent this on to Curzon Street by a 18 ALADDIN ly LONDON. special messenger, desiring the reply, if there was any, to be brought to his chambers in the Albany. " I won't give up all hope," he said, when this business was finished. " There 's many a true word spoken in jest. I may find Aladdin's lamp after aU." CHAPTER II. DESTINY. At the age of twenty-five a man's character is hardly formed. It is true that to a keen observer the indications of futurity are there, but, vague and uncertain as they are, it is difficult to foresee what shape they will ultimately assume. A rake may re- form to sobriety and sense, the sedate youth may in middle age fall into the snares of dissipation ; but with the generality of men this change for the better or the worse takes place between twenty and twenty- five. That the child is the father of the man is undoubtedly true in the main, but there is a space between these two extremes in which the character resolves itself into chaos. The world of childhood is overwhelmed by the awakened pas- sions of puberty, which lage unrestrained during the period of adolescence, and it is out of this incoherence that the new heavens and earth of maturity are formed. The will now growing stronger controls the j)assions according to the in- herent nature of the being, and, sending them in the self-desired direction, thus creates, so to speak, the thinking and doing individual as he is to exist, till death once more changes his entity into we know not what. 20 ALADDIN IN LONDON. lu some cases this crisis takes place earlier, in others later, but for the geneiality of mankind it happens at the age above stated. AVilfred, therefore, was at the most critical point of this dangerous age, and the circumstances of love and poverty formed powerful factors in the settlement of his fate. Un- fortunately, he had no one in whose experience he could find guidance. In addition to this he was gifted with the curse of a highly imaginative nature. Such a spirit sees the world in a more exaggerated light than the ordinary man. A fanciful mind endues everything with non-existing attributes, and can see miracles where the more phlegmatic tem- perament beholds only the common -place. The possessor of such a dangerous faculty feels the extremes of joy and pain. Gifted with an almost spiritual insight, he extracts delights and sorrows alike from trivialities, and so creates for himself an ideal world uncomprehended by the average mind. In that ideal world he is supremely happy ; but contact with actuality, by jarring the delicacy of his mind, inflicts on him pains as keenly felt as are his pleasures. Such beings are out of place in the world of to-day, where everything is measured by the hard-and-fast iide of •\\hat is called common sense, and they lead a life of alter- nate ecstasy and torture \vhich brings them early to the grave. With such a nature, "\^^ilfred M'as apt to overesti- mate aU things, and with' him disappointment meant despair. Thus his interview with Lord Kenny threw him into the slough of despond, and what many a DESTINY. 21 man would have borne with equanimity rendered his life for the moment absolutely unbearable. Nor were his spirits soothed by the receipt of a letter from Hilda, which set the seal on his disap- pointment. Evidently written at the dictation of Lord Kenny, the burden thereof was good-bye for ever. Divested of all graciousness, this meant that he would see her no more, — that everything was at an end. Wilfred saw plainly that, dominated as was her will by that of Lord Kenny, Hilda would marry Denham, and that there was absolutely no chance of stopping such a hateful marriage. He loved Hilda passionately, she returned that love, and out of their mutual affec- tion they had constructed an ideal world, which the practical sense of Lord Kenny had shattered at one blow. The romance of their love was gone, and now but reality remained, — reality which pertained to the folly of a moneyless marriage. He saw it all now, — he could not help seeing it, so jilainly was it placed before him ; and, beggared of romance, of money, of love, he foresaw nothing but a future of despair. Wilfred had two sides to his character, — the mm- of-the-world side created by experience, and the imaginative side inherent in his being. This latter was now dominating his nature, and therefore, in accordance with the dictates of an excited brain, he madly went to extremes. All was over for him, no- thing could restore his peace of mind, — life was hell, and the sooner he left this world the sooner would his self-torture be ended. This was but the mid- 22 ALADDIN IN LONDON. siimmp/ madness of youth, though he never looked at the matter in that light. Worked up into a perfect frenzy by fancied wrongs whicli in his distempered mind assumed gigantic proportions, without a thought of the sin he was about to commit, he loaded his pistol. In another moment this mad- man would have been lying dead on the floor, when a sharp knock at the door brought him down with harsh insistence from the world of fantasy to that of fact. With an ejaculation the reverse of compli- mentary, he pushed the weapon under some loose pa^jers on the table, and went to see who had dis- turbed him at so critical a moment. His visitor proved to be Alajor ]\Ieasurby, with whom he had made an engagement to go to the theatre that evening, — an engagement which had entirely escaped his memory. " Upon my wonl, Dacre, you are treating me in a very shabby manner,'' said the major, \\'ho was an extremely irascible individual. " I have been wait- ing at the club for quite half an hour, and never a sight of 3'ou did I see." " Why, what is the matter? " stammered "Wilfred, whose brain was gradually cooling down. "Matter!" echoed Measurby, taking a chair; " why, have n't we a box at the Ciu'tain Theatre to-night? " "Oh, the theatre," replied Wilfred mechanically. "I — I beg your pardon, Major, but I quite forgot the engagement." •• What 's the matter with you, Dacre ? " said the major in an astonished tone ; " your face is as pale as a ghost, man. Have you had bad news ? " DESTiyr. 23 "No," replied Wilfred shortly, " I have not." " Ah, then it 's debts ? " "No." " No ? Then there must be a woman in the case." " Nonsense ! " retorted Wilfred sharply ; " it has nothing to do with a woman." " Well, if it 's none of the three, what makes you so Avild looking? " " I have a headache." Major Measurby laughed derisively, and placed his elbows on the table in order to make some ironical reply. In doing so he disarranged the papers and caught sight of the pistol, whereat the expression of his face changed. Dacre, seeing he was found out, dropped into his chair with a groan and covered his face vnth his hands. Measurby looked at him for a few moments in silence, as he did not well know what to say. An awkward pause ensued ; but the major, accustomed in his adventurous life to act promptly in emergencies, was the first to recover himself. He saw that there was a spirit-stand on the sideboard, and speedily poured out a glass of brandy, with which he- approached Wilfred. "Here, my boy," he said in a persuasive tone, " just drink this up and then we will talk matters over. I may be able to help you." Wilfred, utterly broken down by the strain of the day's events, did as he was ordered, and, having placed the empty glass on the table, looked inquir- ingly at the major. That old campaigner had thrown off his cloak and resumed his seat, from 24 ALADDIN IN LONDON. whence he regarded Dacre in a very critical manner. EJiowing Wilfred's excitable nature, he gave him time to recover himself ; and for fully two minutes they sat looking at one another in silence. " Come now, my boy, what is the meaning of all this? " he said, at length, laying his hand on Wilfred's knee. " Nothing that I can tell you," replied Dacre, in no wise prepared to make a confidant of the major. " And why not ? ' Open confession is good for the soul,' " said Measurby in a joking tone ; then more seriously, " My dear Dacre, I have no wish to force your confidence, but, believe me, I may be of more use to you than you think. I arrived, you must admit, at a very oiJiJortune moment. This shows me," continued the major emphatically, " that you are influenced by me, — in other words, that I have been led to you by Fate."' " By Fate ! " reiterated Wilfred, with a smile of disdain ; " surely you don't believe in that rubbish." '■ Is it rubbish? " asked Measurby ealml}^. " The West says " yes,' the East says ' no.' I prefer to believe in the latter." " Then you are a fatalist." , " I am. That conies of having lived so long in Asia. The doctruies of Islam lla^■e coloured my life. I believe, that all our actions are under the control of the deity called Fate." "Then your coming here, according to your theory, was fated." " It was. Had I not arrived here to the second, you would now be dead." DESTINY. 25 "Only a coincidence."' "A coincidence which shows me that I have been brought into your life to help you in your troubles." " You cannot do that, — unless you give me a fortune." " Well, I may perhaps be able to do so," replied the major serenely. " Come ; make me your father confessor." Wilfred hesitated. This conversation was already influencing his mind, as he was in that state of inde- cision when men catch at straws. At such moments the ordinary currents of life are diverted by chance circumstances into other channels, and Wilfred, with a thrill of superstition, felt that this conversation would decide the course of his future life. With his imaginative mind, he was prone to superstition, and was more affected by it than he cared to admit. Measurby had arrived so pat to the moment when he was contemplating self-destruction, that it did indeed look as though Fate had guided him hither. It would perhaps be wise to confide his troubles to this messenger of Destiny. If that messenger had only been any one but Major Measurby ! The old soldier had not a good reputation. As a military man his character was irreproachable, for he had fought bravely in the frontier wars of the Em- pire ; but, socially speaking, people were inclined to look upon the major as little better than an adven- turer. He had lived most of his life in India, and, having retired of late years, was now residing in England on his pension. This was a very fair and 26 ALADDIN IN LONDON. above-board record ; still his general habits were so mysterious that he was generally regarded as a dangerous person. Some one had discovered that he employed private detectives, but what use he made of them was a mystery. Still, the very name of a private detective smacks of some disreputable secret, and there were those who hinted at dark sto- ries in connection with Measurby's career. Wliether such gossip came to his ears it is impossible to say, but, if it did, he took no notice of such idle rumours, but went serenely on his way. In person the major was tall and bulky, with a weatherbeaten face, grey hair and a grizzled mous- tache. He was as straight as a dart ; dressed irre- proachably, and had a pair of remarkalily keen blue eyes which saw everything. He might have been a scamjj or a good man, an adventurer' or a million- aire ; but whatever was his real character no one ever found it out, and the major was kno\\Ti as he chose to be known. For some unaccountable reason he had taken a great fancy to Wilfred, and, having very ingratiating manners, had become quite intimate with the young man. Up to this moment, however, Wilfred had never known that Measurby was a fatalist, and the knowledge considerably startled him. Altogether he was somewhat perplexed how to act. If he refused to tell his troubles to the major, matters would re- main in the same unsatisfactory condition ; but if he did make him his confidant, the wily old soldier might show him a way out of his difficulties. While these thoughts were passing through his mind the DESTINY. 27 iiKijor stared at him steadily with his keen blue eyes. Perhaps he hypnotized "Wilfred into obedience, but at all events that distrustful man found himself telling all his troubles to the major, — with certain reserva- tions. " I need not mention names, Major," he said hur- riedly, " nor need I relate a long history. The whole affair is very simple. I have not a penny in the world, and the woman I love is about to marry another man." The major nodded sympathetically and lighted a strong cigar. " I gTiessed as much before you spoke,*' he said between puffs of smoke. " AU clubland knows you are on your last legs as regards money, and also that Miss Havard is going to marry Denham." " I mentioned no names," replied Wilfred stiffly, annoyed at this penetration. " Of course not ; but I am right all the same. Is that not so ?" He waited for a reply, but receiving none, resumed his speech. " Silence gives consent. Well, and what do you propose to do ? " " Get out of the world." ■' Nonsense ! That woidd be the act of a coward. Besides, now that Fate has guided me to your side, I may help you." " To marry Hilda Havard ? " " Yes ! " '• My dear Measurby, if you can do that I will sub- scribe to your theory of Fate, in which at ])resent I don't believe." " I see that brandy has done you good," said the major in a tone of great satisfaction. " Now 3 28 ALADDIN IN LONDON. you talk sensibly. You proj)osed to Miss Havard to-day." " Yes, I did ! " replied Wilfred defiantly, thinking it best to confess all. " And she refused you. Oh yes ! you need not deny it. That pistol would not have been there had she accepted you as her husband. Well, with all this excitement you have eaten nothing all day. Such abstinence, in connection with your disappoint- ment, has upset you thoroughly. Hence your idea of suicide. After an hour at the theatre and a good supper you will look at the matter in a more philo- sophical light." " I wish neither theatre nor supper," said Dacre sulkily. " You don't know what is good for you," retorted the major grimly. " I am your physician, young man, and I am going to cure you. Now go and dress at once, and then we will go to the theatre ; afterwards supper at my rooms, and then," added Measurby in a significant tone, "I should not be sur- prised if you met with an adventure." " What do you mean ? " " I will tell you after supper. Meanwhile dress as quickly as you can." Curiosity overpowered every other feeling, and Wilfred, half against liis will, went off to put on his evening suit. The conversation had done him good, for he no longer thought of suicide, but looked for- ward with consider.able bewilderment to the conver- sation after supper. It might be that the theory of Fate guidance was true after all, and the events of DESTIXY. ' 29 this night would enable him to marry Hilda in spite of her father's prohibition. At all events, he was fascinated by the major's proposition, and dressed himself with all speed. " I have changed my mind," said Measurby, when Wilfred returned to the sitting-room. " We will go to my rooms and have supper at once. A good meal will do you more good than the theatre." " I am quite agreeable," answered Wilfred list- lessly. " Yoiu' comedy wHl be amusing if nothing else." " Perhaps the comedy may turn out to be a tra- gedy," observed the major dryly. " Just slip this pistol into your pocket." " And for what reason ?" asked Dacre, accepting the weapon. Measurby shrugged his shoulders and led the way out of the room. " My campaigning life has always taught me to be prepared for emergencies," he said as they descended the stair. " I wish you to try an experiment to-night, and it may lead you into queer places." Decidedly the major was remarkably mysterious, and Wilfred had half a mind to draw back lest he should entangle himself in some trouble. When he reflected, however, that he had lost all that he valued in life, that things could not possibly be worse than they were, he no longer hesitated, but determined to follow out whatever advantage there might be, to the end. " I cannot exactly make out what you mean," he said to his host when they were seated at the supper 30 ALADDIX IX LONDON. table, " and a« a rule I would refuse to be influenced by you as I am to-night. But with ine things have come to such a pass that I feel ready to indulge in whatever folly you may suggest." " I am not going to suggest any folly," answered Measurby quietly. " I only wish by means of suj)per and conversation to bring you back to your normal state of mind. You are too young to think of such a mad thing as suicide. It 's a cowardly course to take at the best, and a man is a fool who adopts it. To-morrow you will thank your stars that I arrived when I did and saved you from such idiotcy." " But the adventure you promised me, Major." " Humph ! There may be an adventure and there may not. I am reallj- promising you nothing, but am only putting you in the a\ ay of trying a little experiment which is a favourite one with myself. However, I '11 tell you ever^'thing after supper. Meanwhile make a good meal, and reflect how near you have been to making a fool of yourself." Despairing lover, actual pauper as he w^as, AVil- fred made an excellent supper, and did fidl justice to IMajor Measurby 's hospitality. He enjoyed his food and his champagne, of ^\■hich wine his host kept an excellent brand. Towards the end of the meal things began to look more hopeful, and when he was established in a comfortable armchair with a good cigar between his lips, and a special liqueur at his elbow, he began to feel somewhat ashamed of his previous folly. " Upon my word. Major, I think you were right," he said penitently. " I was a fool to think of sui- cide. After all, wliile there is life there is hope." DESTI.XY. 31 " There 'sno doubt about that," replied Measurliy, puffing gravely at his cigar ; " at your age it would be folly to despair. There is no bad but what there might not be a worse." " Well, certainly, I might fall ill, which would somewhat complicate matters," said Wilfred, slnaig- ging his shoulders ; " but as it is I think things are quite bad enough. And I don't know if belief in your theory would render me any more philoso- phical." ," Perhaps my belief may supply the remedy." " In what way?" Major Measurby knocked the ashes off his cigar, and considered for a few moments. " Of course I believe that a man's future is set- tled by Fate," he said at length with much delibera- tion ; " stiU, there is such a thing as tempting Fate. I myself indulge in that pastime sometimes, and it has often led to curious results." "What is your plan of operation?" asked Wil- fred, urged to this question by a secret sympathy with the subject of conversation. " I take notice of the first chance remark I hear on leaving the house, and guide my future course by its example. By doing so I cast myself on the tide of Destiny, and it carries me where it will." " Is it not rather a rash proceeding ? " " For some cases it is. That is why I asked you to retain your pistol, — it might be useful, if you are involved in any adventure." " And what am I to do ? " " When you leave this house," said Measurby 32 ALADDIN IN LONDON. slowly, " keep your ears open for any chance remark. Act upon it if you can do so, — if not return here and tell me what it is. I may be able to read you a sermon on its text." " It seems rather a ridiculous jiroceeding." " To the sceptical it is. You are a sceptic, but if you try it to-night, who knows what Fate may have in store for you ? " " And is this the way you propose to assist me in my difficulties ? " said AVilfred, rather nettled at the childishness of the whole affair. " Oh no ! 1 will come and see you to-morrow. If Fate does not help you I will : but, believe me, there is more in my fancy than you believe. Show me your hand." Wilfred, with a disdainful smile, straightened his arm. Measurby looked carefully at the palm of his hand, and spoke in a low voice : — " There is money in your hand. Money and a successful future. A ]iap])y mari-iage and a long life. Yes ! Fate will be good to you." " Oh, rubbish ! " said AA'ilfred, snatching away his hand. " I don't believe in such nonsense. Your Fate belief is all very well, and is reasonable to a certain extent. But as for pahuistry, my dear Major, I am a rational being." Measurby arose to his feet with a laugh. " Well, I will not try to conveit you, but if my scheme of to-night succeeds you will have to admit that there is something in the theory of Fate." " I shan't try your experiment." " Oh yes, you will," replied the major quietly. DESTINY. 33 " If a chance sentence strikes on your ear, you will act on it out of sheer curiosity. When I ste you to-morrow you will have something to tell me." " I 'm afraid not," said Dacre, putting on his coat. '• I am going straight home to bed. At all events, I have to thank you for having cured me of my folly." " You won't think any more of it ? " queried the major, as he shook hands. • " No ! I promise you that. If I lose Hilda I will try to bear it like a man. As to my poverty, I can cure that by work. I don't believe in your fatalistic theories. Major, but I believe in your kind heart." " This is the first good word I have ever had said about it," remarked Measurby, with a gi-im smile, walldng with his guest to the door. " Good-night, Dacre : mind you try my experiment." Wilfred laughed at the idea of committing such a folly, and ran downstairs. The supper and conver- sation had done him good, and he now felt in a much more hopeful mood. After all, Hilda had not yet accepted Denham, and, despite her father's insistence, might decline to be sold into matrimony. If she dared him thus far, she would certainly have her own way in other things. He might marry her after aU, and then in the fairyland of Cuba they would pass a happy future. His man-of-the-world side was uppermost at this moment, and he looked back to his frenzy with the utmost disgust, hardly believing he could have acted so foolishly. The idea of a possible marriage with Hilda quite exhilarated him, and he walked quickly down Half •34 ALADDIX L\ LOXnOX. Moon Street with ing securely in his pocket, and, feeling that he was protected in the ease of danger, he boldly stepped into the darkness. No sooner was he within than the door swung to again and shut with a .sharp click. " Trapped ! " he said with a sudden thrill of feai'. "Have I stumbled on a den of thieves ? Thank Heaven, I have my pistol." Indeed, the situation was n(.)t calculated to inspire him with cunhdence. lie had heard of men vanish- ing in London and }iever l)ein<;' seen again. This was just the house in which an unwary stranger might be muideied, and he heartily regretted that he had not renoanced the ad\-euture. Luckily he had his pistid and would be able to defend himself in case of danger. It seemed to be all round him, though in the thick darkness he could not see where he was. No sound struck on his ear, and, strange to say, the whole atmosphere was impregnated with the odour of sandal ^vood, which suggested the ro- mance of the East to his imaginative brain. The affair was becoming more like the Arabian Nights BAGDAD IX THE WEST. 39 than ever, and, despite a certain feeling that he was environed liy unknown dangers, WiKred's breast was filled with a powerful curiosity. Before coiuniitting himself fidly to the adventure, he thought it would be just as well to secure a re- treat in case of peril, and ran his hand up and down the door to find the lock so that he could open it again. To his dismay, the whole length of the door was perfectly smooth ; and he realized with a shudder that it closed by a spring, the secret of which he coidd not discover. Clearly there was no chance of retreat in that direction ; so, making the best of his position, he moved cautiously forward, pistol in hand. Every step vi^as taken with great deliberation, as he knew not but what he might be precipitated into some abyss, and the darkness was so dense that he could not see an inch before him. At length his foot struck against an obstacle, which by the touch he discovered to be a staircase. Up tliis he went slowly, the sandal-wood perfume be- coming more powerfid as he ascended. Suddenly the staircase ceased, and he found himself on what he supposed to be a landing. In the gloom he did not know which way to turn, and stretched out his hands to find the wall, by which he could guide his way. In place of wood he touched some silken texture, and grasping this drew what were evidently ciu'tains to one side. Then he stepped forward, and paused thiuider-struck at the strange scene before him. Was he in London or Bagdad ! Was it the East or the West ? Hitherto he had never doubted ; but 40 ALADDIN IN LONDON. now the place in which he found himself was so Eastern in character that he distrusted the evidence of his own senses. The curtains veiled the entrance to a kind of antechamber illruminated by a soft pink glow. Brilliant carpets covered the tessellated floor, there was a small fountain in the centre falling into a marble basin, and the walls glittered with arabesque patterns in vivid tints. The ceiling was of open fret- work, filled in with rose-coloured glass ; and through this shone the light which illuminated the room. A divan ran round all sides of the apartment, stools in- laid with mother-of-pearl were scattered about, and gold-broidered cushions, carpets of Scind, mats from Ispahan, and gorgeous hangings of Indian woikmau- ship, made up a most bizarre and stiikmg picture. Wilfred stared at all this magnificence with amazement ; nor was his astonishment lessened when through the horse-shoe arch at the end of the room came a gigantic Nubian with a drawn sabre. Such a sight was l\v no means reassuring, and Wilfred drew back a step, keeping his pistol ready for use in his right hand. In place of as- saulting him, however, the Nubian made a profomid obeisance and drew back the silken curtains veilino- the archway. Be3oiKl, Wilfred caught a glimpse of more Oriental splendours, but, transfixed with as- tonishment, could make no movement. At this moment an unseen minstrel — evidently a woman — began to sing some Arabic song, which further added to the Asian atmosphere of the jjlace ; and Wilfred, drawn as by magic in the direction of the singing, moved slowly forward. He felt as BAGDAD IN THE WEST. 41 though he were in a dream, and obedient to the im- pulse passed between the curtains, still held aside by the slave, to the room beyond. It was an apartment similar to that which he had seen, but even more luxurious in character. Here he naturally expected to find the singer, but to his astonishment discovered the only occupant of the room to be a shrivelled old man, swathed in silken garments, who lay languidly on a pile of cushions. The moment he crossed the threshold the curtains fell behind him, the voice ceased, and Wilfred, more bewildered than ever, found himself standing before the old man, who sur- veyed him with a look of gratification. " I congratulate you on your courage, sir," he said gravely in English, " but it shall not go un- rewarded." " What does it aU mean ? " asked Wilfred, passing his hand across his brow. " Am I dreaming ? " " On the contrary, you are very much awake," said the old man dryly. " Will you be pleased to be seated. I am sorry I cannot offer you a chair, but you must adopt Eastern fashions for once in your Hfe." Wilfred mechanically obeyed his host, and threw himself down on a pile of soft cushions, utterly worn out by the strain on his nerves. The interview with Hilda, the conversation with Measurby, the discovery of this fantastic apartment, all seemed figments of some monstrous dream, wild as that Coleridge dreamed of Kubla Khan. The old man saw this and clapped his hands sharply, whereat a black slave appeared. 42 ALADDIN IN LONDON. '• Pipes antl coffee," said his master in a per- emptory tone. '' I see you are worn out," he addeil in a kindly manner, wlien the slave had retired, "but a cup of strong coffee will restore your nerve." " For Heaven's sake, tell me what this all means," cried Wilfred in desperation. " Am I in London or in Bagdad ? " " You are in London, sir, and have liy chance found a remnant of the East." " By chance? " reiterated Dacre, smiling ; " say, rather, by Fate." " Ah I " cried his host with a keen glance, '• you are a fatalist." " From to-night I am." '■ And why from to-night ? ' " Because Fate directed lue to this exti'aordinaiy place." " Then Fate has doue you a good turn. You must tell me how you came here, sir. At present drink a cap of coffee and let me look at you." The Nubian had brought in pipes and coffee, the latter of which Wilfred accejjted with avidity. His host refused coffee, but solaced Inmself with a nargileh, while he surveyed his guest long and atten- tively. Wilfred on his side examined the old man with no little curiosity, and began to think the ad- venture was not without certain romantic elements. The proprietor of this Eastern paradise was a small, dried-up person, more like a monkey than a man, who looked extremely ill, and, crouching among his sumptuous cushions, apjjeai'cd to be within a measurable distance of the grave. He wore a ricli BAGDAD IX THE WEST. 43 smoking-cap embioideiod with gold lace, and flow- ing robes of silk, after the fashion of the Orientals. At first Wilfred thought he was an Eastern prince ; biit, on looking at him closely, he saw that despite his dark skin the contour of his features was decidedly English in character. The hand grasping the snaky curl of the nargileh resembled a bird's claw, and on one finger was a massive gold ring, con- taining a dark blue stone, evidently lapis lazuli. He appeared to be satisfied with his scrutiny of the young man, and withdrew his eyes, with a grunt of satisfaction. " Permit me to introduce myself," he said at length, sinking back among his cushions with an air of lassitude. " I am Michael Lascelle, at your service."' " My name is Daere, — ^Vilfrcd Dacre," replied the young man, who saw no reason to conceal his identity, " and I must apologize for my intnasion." " By no means, Mr. Dacre. I expected you." ''Expected me?" echoed Wilfred, in astonislmient. " How can that be, when you never saw me before ? " " Like yourself, I am a fatalist," said Lascelle, stroking his beard, " and I waited for Fate to send me a man of courage. You are that man, else you would not have dared the open door, and risked un- known dangers.'" " Then the door was left open by design ? " " Yes ! I wished some one to come to me for a particular purpose, and thought that was the best way to accomplish my aim. Indeed, the idea was suo-gested to me by a story, written by the cleverest 44 ALADDIN IN LONDON. of your present-daj' novelists. I am glad to see that the trap lias been successful and caught you." " Well, now I am here," said Wilfred, somewhat bewildered by this strange speech, " what do you wish me to do ? " " Nothing but converse with me. I am very iU, as you see, and my disease rarely permits me to sleep. Like Haromi al Raschid, I am fond of adventures ; but as I cannot roam the streets like the Caliph, the adventure has to come to me. That door has been o^Jen for the last three weeks, but you are the first person who has had the courage to enter. Well, you will obtain your reward. Ask what you please, and it will be granted to you." " I am afraid you would find it impossible to gratify my wishes." " No ! I think I can promise you most things." " Supposing I asked for a fortime ? " " It is j'ours." " Say fifty thousand i^ovmds ! " " It is yours," reiterated LasceUe gravely ; whereat AA'ilfred fell back on his cushions in a fit of laugh- ter. The idea was m keeping with the gorgeous East, but not exactly fitted for the London of this matter-of-fact nineteenth century. " You are pleased to jest," said the old man im- perturbably, " but I assure you I speak tridy. Truth is stranger than fiction." " Not stranger than this page out of the Arabian Nights," retorted Wilfred, recovering his gravity. " Here am I, a perfect stranger, who uninvited enter your house. Instead of ordering me away, you pro- BAGDAD IX THE ^'EST. 45 pose to bestow a fortune on the intruder. I pre- sume I am awake, but it is difficult to believe that such is the case." " I could relate stranger things than this adven- ture of yours, and perhaps I will if I see fit to do so. Meanwhile, tell me how you were directed here by Fate." AA'ilfred had no objection to relate his adventures, but he suppressed all mention of Major Measurby, as he • judged it best to teU as little about liiniself and his surroundings as possible. " I was conversing with a friend of mine," he said with apparent frankness, " and our conversa^ tion turned on Fate. He told me of the Eastern custom which converts chance remarks into oracles. I was so amused at the idea that I determined to obey, if I could, the first remark I heard. It chanced that I passed two men conversing earnestly, and one said to the other, 'You will fuid it at 49 Karp Street, Soho ; ' so acting upon that advice I came here, found the door open and arrived as you see." " What was the remark ? " asked Lascelle, starting up with some excitement. " ' You will find it at 49 Karp Street, Soho,' " repeated Wilfred, rather pleased that he had startled his host for once in a way. " Strange ! " muttered the old man with a frown. " I know not why such a remark should be made. I am a stranger in London. No one knows of this place. Young man," he said aloud, fixing a piercing eye on Wilfred, " you know more than you say." ' On my honour, I do not," replied Wilfred indig- nantly. 46 ALADDIN IX LONDON. "AMiat do yiju want from nie ? " asked Lascelle, ifielevantly. " Xotliing." '• Nothing ! " echoed tlie ohl man in snrprise. " Tlien why did yon come to see me ? "" " I did n't come to see yon," retorted Dacre, feelin"- exasperated liy this q^iestioning. " I came here hy chanee, as I tohl you. If you. doubt me I can go away." " No, no ! Sit do^^^l,'" cried Lascelle waving his liand in a depiecating manner. " Do not he so hasty, Mr. Dacre. Old age is naturally susjiicious. Let me think for a moment." lie thrust his hand into his heard, and hegan to mutter in a low tone, while "Wilfred, lather perjilexed liy his conduct, smoked on in silence. •' Is it indeed Fate ? " he murmured thoughtfully to himself. " Fate or design ? Xo ! I believe this man speaks truly ; but who in London could kjiow of this address ? Never mind, I wiU know all to- morrow. If " — " AVell, Mr. Lascelle," interrupted Wilfred, wlio was Iteginning to grow tired of this silence, " I have told you mv story, and now I would like to know yours. Are you a millionaire indulging in romance, an Indian prince exiled to England, Harorui al Kasehid in the flesh, or what are you ? " " What is your opinion? " asked Lascelle witli a smile, leaning forward. " Upon my word, I have no o])iuion," retorted Dacre. shrugging his shoulders, " A character out of the Arabian Nights, I sujipose. Judging from BAGDAD ly THE WEST. 47 this Oriental paradise in the heart of London you must have the rmg of Solomon, and command the tribes of the Jinn. Tell me who you are. I will accept any story, however marvellous. This is not London, but Bagdad, and I ain in the land of ro- mance. Feed my fancy with marvels, Haroun, and I win believe them all." " I like your hiunoiu-," said LaseeUe smiling, " but I vnll not tell you my story just yet. To-morrow night I may do so." " Oh ! so you expect me to return to-morrow night?" " Yes ! if you care to." " Of course I care to," replied Wilfred gaily. " Life is so prosaic in the nineteenth century that I welcome a romance like this with dehght. I pre- sume you are some eccentric millionaire who in- dulges in this Oriental freak by way of amusement. I admire j'our humour as you admire muie, and, were I rich, might act in the same way. It is not given to every one to realize the romances of Dumas." " If you were rich would you do so ? " Wilfred shrugged his shoulders. " I don't know, M. Monte Chi'isto ! At present I have not a penny, so I know not in what follies I would indulge if rich." " You are poor ! " " Poor ! " echoed Wilfred with scorn. " My dear sir, I have n't got more than ten pounds in the whole world." " Yet you are dressed well and look like a gentle- man." 48 ALADDIN IN LONDON. " Oh ! • As to these clothes, they are the remains of my fine days, when I had a banliing account. I am of good birth, certainly, but my money is all gone and I am in the depths of despair. ' I cannot dig, to beg I am ashamed,' so what I am to do I know not." " StiU, you have health and strength and good looks." " AU useless to me, I assure you." " That is not a very noble sentiment." " My dear sir," said WUfred sarcastically, " senti- ment is a luxury only to be indulged in by a million- aire like yourself. A jDOor gentleman is denied such consolations." " So you are poor ! " said Lascelle musingly. " What would you do if I made you rich? " "I do not accept gifts from strangers," replied Wilfred, drawing himseK u]) stiffly. " I luiow no- thing of you, nor you of me, so that you should give or I accept riches is out of the question." " Then what do you intend to do ? " " Emigrate to the colonies, I suppose," said Dacre with a sigh. " I have no care to stop in England." " On account of your poverty? " " Yes, and on account of a woman." " Ah ! I thought we should come to that sooner or later," remarked LasceUe. with a meaning smile. " So you are in love ? " " FuU ten fathoms deep." " And you cannot marry on account of your pov- erty?" " No, I cannot. She also is poor, and is forced by circumstances — and her father — to make a rich marriage. 'T is tlie popular mode of to-day." BAGDAD IN THE WEST. 49 " You would give a good deal to stop. that mar- riage, would you not ? " " I would give my soul," said Dacre impetuously. " I love her fondly, madly. But there ! What is the use of talking about such things to a stranger ! You are too old to sympathize with the foolish romance of a lover, and cannot help me." " Yes, I can — and I wiU ! " " By giving me money ? Thank you, my dear sir, but I decline to encourage such quixotism. Leave your money to your heirs." " I have none ! " " Then to some charity, if it so pleases you. I am poor, but I am a gentleman, and proud enough to re- fuse wealth to which I have no right." " I do not propose to offer you money." " Then how can you help me ? " " I will teU you that to-morrow night, if you come here, and I still live." " I will come here, certainly," said WUfred, rising to his feet, " if only out of curiosity. But why ' if you still live ' ? " " Because I am dying." " I am sorry to hear that. Why do you not see a doctor ? " " I have seen aU the best doctors in the world. They can do nothing. I am dying fast." " Can I not help you ? " " Not unless you can give me a new body," re- plied Lascelle grimly. " No, I am beyond the power of man. I must die and leave all my wealth behind me." 50 ALADDIN IX LONDON. " Are you rich? " " I am as lieh as a king." " I thought so," said AVilfred, glancing round tlie room ; " else you could not afford such a palace as this. Well, Mr. Lascelle, I am sorry for your ill- ness, but I am afi'aid I can do nothing." " You can come and see me to-morrow night." " By all means : but it is no use your offering me money, for I will not take it." " I promise you I won't offend in that way again. Good-night." " Good-night. I can find my \vay out. Thank you for your entertainment." " And you can find j'our way back to this place ? " "Easily! Good-night once more. I trust you will be better to-morrow evening." Wilfred shook the hand extended to him l)y La- scelle, and walked out of the room. There was no slave in the antechamber as he passed through ; so, on arriving at the head of the staircase, he lighted a match. By such a feeble light he found his way down to the door, which to his surprise Avas now wide iipen. " The old man works it from above, I suppose," he said, as he passed out into the street. " Ah ! " he continued, as the door closed again, " I thought so. Well, certainly I have had a strange adventure. Measurby is right, after all. \\^on't he be astonished to-mori'ow, ^N'hen I tell him of the events of this niuht 1 " CHAPTER IV. AN EXTRAORDINARY COINCIDENCE. When Wilfred awoke next morning he had con- siderable doubt as to the actuality of liis bizarre adventure. Had he really been to Karp Street, Soho ? Had he really spoken to this modern Monte Christo amid Asian splendours, or was the whole thing a vision of the night ? Might not Major Measurby have drugged him with opium, and so caused him to dream such fantasies ? In truth, the events had been of so extraordinary a nature that he might well doubt whether they had ever taken place. One is not as a rule transported in a moment from smoky London to the banks of the Tigris. Nubian slaves and Oriental splendours are alien to our prosaic ex- istence, and there are no Jinns in the West to realize the magic of the Thousand and One Nights. Between sleeping and waking Wilfred pondered over these things, and it was not until he had taken his bath that he began to really believe in the ad- venture of the previous night. Nor when he came to the conclusion that all had actually happened did he arrive at any solution of the mystery, beyond the fact that Lascelle was some eccentric millionaire. " I have eaten of the insane root," said Wilfred, as he sat down to brealtfast, " and it has taken my 52 ALADDIN IN LONDON. reason prisoner. Karjj Street exists only in my brain ; and as for this Palace of Delight, my imagi- nation has created it out of nothing. What a pity I did not people it with women instead of a wrinkled old man ! Bah ! I have no control over my imagina^ tion." But doubt his own senses as he might, facts were too strong to be thus dismissed, and he soon ar- rived at the conclusion that aU was true. This belief gave him great satisfaction, as it inspired him witii a wild ho]De that through the instrumentality of LasceUe he might yet make Hilda his wife. After all, he doubted whether he had been wise in refusing the generous offer of the millionaire. Here was a man who had no relatives to claim his wealth, and who freely offered to bestow it on a stranger. Ec- centric certainly, but not more so than the Oriental- ism of the house in Soho. It is not wise to flout the gifts of grudging Fortune, for no deity is so ca- pricious or more prone to take offence. " If I don't take the money, some one else wiU," soliloquized Wilfred, as he finished his breakfast ; " and as I need wealth very badly, I do not see why I shou-ld have any scruples in aecejjting such a quixotic offer. I asked Providence for immediate wealth in order to marry Hilda, and Providence in the most fantastical manner has granted me my wish. It would be folly to refuse, and yet I hardly like to accej^t. The \\hole thing smacks of witch- craft. I believe in ' La Peau de Chagrin,' for my adventures have been quite as odd as those of Ka- phael. Luckily I am not burdened with such a AN EXTRAORDINARY COINCIDENCE. 53 cursed talisman as robbed him of all enjoyment of his good fortune. My benefactor proposed no con- ditions, so I think it would be wise of me to take- this proffered wealth and risk the consequences. To-night I wiU. see him again and teU him of my determination. If he proposes conditions, as he might do, I will hear what they are before accept- ing. I don't care about selling myself to the devil, and uj)on my soid this business looks unconunonly like a Satanic contract. I am a youthful Faust, and lie a paralytic Mephistopheles." Meanwhile he made one resolution : that HUda should not at once accept Sir Richard Denham's offer, and thus if anything resulted from his adven- ture he would at least find her free to marry him. With this idea he wrote her a letter, stating that circumstances had occurred which might possibly enable him to remove all obstacles to their union, and begging her to evade Denham's offer for at least a few days. " By to-night," thought Wilfred, as he sent this letter off, " I shall know exactly how I stand. If I do become rich I will see Lord Kenny at once and satisfy his scruples ; if not, — well, Hilda wiU still be able to accept Denham's offer in a few days. It is a forlorn hope truly ; stiU, it is a hope, and drown- ing men like myself catch at straws." The excitement of the previous night had left him very weary ; so, in place of going oiit as usual, he lay down on the sofa, and gave himself up to idle thouo-hts. Nothing might come of his adventure ; still, he cherished a certain amount of hope that he 54 ALADDIN IN LONDON. might benefit thereby, and indulged in a few day- dreams, which if not probable were at least possible. While thus engaged Major Measurby arrived, and \\'ilfred sprang up to give him a hearty greeting. Putting all else out of the question, Measurby had behav'ed in a very kind manner, and Wilfred was not the man to forget a generous action. " I am glad to see you, ilfasurby. Have you had breakfast ? " " Long ago," replied the major, taking a seat. " You, I perceive, have just finished, which tells me you were up late this morning." " Does it tell you anything else ? " '■ Yes ! You did not come straight home, last night, after leaving my rooms." ''X<>, I did not, Major Aleasiirby," said A\"ilfred solemnly. " I am beginning to belie^'e in your theory of Fate." ■' jVh ! " replied the major, interested at once. " You had an adventure last night ? " " An adventure worthy of Gil Bias ! " "Egad! I am sorry I was not with you. Well, tell me all about it." " You won't believe my story ! " " I 'm not so sure of that. I have seen so many strange things in my time that I am less sceptical than the average man. Go on, Dacre. I am all at- tention." "On leaving your rooms," said Wilfred, drawing his chair close to that of the major, ■' I passed two men at the corner of Half ^Nloon Street and Picca- dilly. One said to the other, ' You will find it at 49 Karp Street, Solio.' " AN EXTEJOUDiyARY COLVCWEXCE. 55 " Queer remark. You acted on it, of covirse." " I went straight to that address, and found the door open." " After which you came away ? " " Not at all. I went xipstairs and found Bagdad in place of London. It was an Oriental paradise, jVIajor, — magnificent decorations, Nubian slaves, and all kinds of queer things." " Pooh ! " said INleasurhy disdainfully, " you "ve been dreaming." " No ! I swear I saw it all. And the master of this jilaee was a dried-up monkey called La- seelle." " Called what ? " shouted the major, jumping up in a rage. " Lascelle." " An old man with a gray beard ? " " Yes ! " " Who said he was a millionaire ? " •' He did ! " •■ And wore a ring of lapis la;.uli on his right hand?" " Why, do you know him ? " Major Measurby sat down wratlifully in his chair and hit the table with his clenched fist. For a few moments he spluttered with rage. " Do I know him, the villain ? Of course I do. The old scoundrel comes from India. I met him at Benares ten years ago, and have been hunting after Kun ever since." " Wliy I A^Hiat has he done to you ? " " He has a ring of mine, — that one you saw on 66 ALADDIN IN LONDON. the finger of liis right hand. It 's a family heir- loom which was in the possession of my brother Brian. I introduced Brian to this Lascelle, and they became very friendly. When my brother died he left the ring to Lascelle, and though I have asked the old man at least a dozen times to give it up to me, he refuses to do so. If I could only find him I 'd soon force him to suriender the ring." " But if your brother left it as a legacy '" — began Wilfred, when the major cut him short with a wrath- ful ejaculation. " My brothel' had no right to leave that ring out of the family. I prize it, sir, more than anything else in the wide world, and would give my ears to get it back again." " I don't think you will need to make that sacri- fice," said Dacre, a trifle sarcastically. " Come with me to-night, and probably Lascelle will give it to you. He has no further use for it." " What do you mean ? " asked Measurby, turning- pale. " He is dying ! " " Dying ? " echoed the major in a nervous tone. " I must get that ring from him before he dies." " Well, come with me to-night and ask him to give it to you," said Dacre again, rather disdainful of the major's excitement over such a trifle. Measurby made no answer, but, rising from his seat, began to walk about the room in a state of un- controllable agitation. Accustomed to regard the major as a man of iron nerve, Dacre was somewhat surprised at this apparent weakness. AN EXTBAORDINABY COINCIDENCE. 57 " You seem to attach great importance to this ring, Major," he said idly. Something clicked in the major's throat, and he made an effort to speak. He could not do so at once, and it was fully a minute before he could answer. " Yes — family ring — I — I — Brandy, Dacre — quick." Wilfred thought he was about to have a fit, so ghastly grew his face, and hastily handed him a glass of brandy. The major finished it at one gulp, and the spirit brought the colour back to his ashen face. " Excuse me, Dacre," he said, mopping his brow with his handkerchief. " I am liable to these faint- ing-fits when I get excited. I am all right now." "Is it worth while troubling over such a trifle ? " observed Wilfred, resuming his seat. " No, I don't suppose it is, Dacre, I don't suppose it is. But you see that is no ordinary ring. It has a great value in my eyes on account of family as- sociations. I have hunted after that ring for years, sir." " Oh ! that is the reason of your private detec- tive business," said Dacre, who had overheard club gossip. "Precisely. I have spent no end of money in hunting the old man out, — merely to get back that ring. Hitherto I have failed, and it is curious that you should be the fu'st to tell me what I have de- sired to know for years. This confirms my belief in Fate more than ever." "It is a curious coincidence, certainly." " It is not a coincidence, sir," retorted the major 68 ALADDIN IN LONDON. irritably ; " it is Fate — nothing but Fate. Did I not tell you that my ojiportune arrival last night had brought my personality into your life ? This proves it. Tlirough my j^lacing you in a certain position you have discovered what has baffled all my energies for years. Fate, sii', Fate, nothing but Fate." "AVliy not see Laseelle to-night?" " No ! '" answered Measurby decisively, " if he knew I wanted it he woidd not give it up. But you, Dacre, can obtain it for the mere asking." " 1 ! " said Wilfred in surprise. " Yes. I know the man. He is eccentric in the extreme, and your bravery in daring that ojien door has pleased him. He would give you anj'thing, even tliis ring." " \Vell, he certainly offered nie a fortuni> last night, which I refused to take ; so in place of that he will surely give me a paltry triidiet." " Of coui'sc he will," replied the majoi' cagci'ly, ''and then you can give it to me. Probably he will tell you a lot of lies about the ring, but lielicve none of them, Dacre, Ijelieve none of them." " I don't sec why he shoidd tell me falsehoods." " You don't know the man. I do." " Wlicre did you meet him, JMajoi'? " " I told you — in Benares ten years ago. He is an eccentric I'i'cluse, vn-y wealthy indeed. It was I who introduced liini to my brother, — and then I was called to Calcutta. I nevei' saw him again, for my brother died and Lasct'lle disappeared. Brian left a letter for me, saying he had given the ring to the old man. At once I wrote for it to be given up, but AN EXTRAORDINALiY COINCIDENCE. 59 received no answer. Again and again I addressed my letters to his Benares residence, but got no reply. Then I used detectives to trace him, and they chased him all over India, but I could never meet him face to face. Afterwards he went to Persia. I followed, but never could meet him. He crossed over into Europe, and for years I tried to find him on the Con- tinent. Then my spies found out he had gone to England, so to England I came. I notice you have heard of my employing detectives. It was to find Lascelle, but I never coiild trace his hiding-place till you told me just now. How strange, — how very strange. You wiU help me to get back the ring, Dacre, wiU you not? " " By all means," said Wilfred, astonished at the imploring tone in which the major spoke. " But as he is now dying, he would probably give it to you if you asked him." " No ! no ! I tell you no ! " replied Measurby, vehemently. " He would sooner throw it into the sea than give it to me. Some superstitious fancy, I be- lieve. He knows how much I desire it, and wiU never let me possess it. But you — you are the one to whom he will give it. If so, promise you wiU bring it straight to me." "You say the ring is yours," said Dacre, ignoring the request. " Yes ! It is a family heirloom. No use to any one except me." " Can you describe it ? " " Easily. A thick band of gold holding a lapis lazuli stone, graven with Sanscrit characters. It 5 GO ALADDIN IX LOXDON. came into our family through an uuele who fouglit at PLissy, and is supposed to be a talisman confer- ring happiness on the posses,s