A PECK OF TROUBLES.

(Continued from page 75.)

CHAPTER V.-THE BAZAAR.

RYDA enjoyed her visit to the bazaar. It was such a lively scene: the narrow street full of gaily-dressed men, with, now and then, a woman with her brass lota, going to fetch water, a little brown, bright-eyed baby, in a red cap, astride on her hip.

Then the stalls were so amusing! In one, men were hammering out the beautiful brass trays, lamps, and jars, which are sometimes brought to England. Clink, clank, went the hammers.

The next stall was much quieter, for there a grave, bearded Mussulman sat on the ground, smoking his long 'hubble-bubble,' or pipe, and looking as if he were thinking of something very important indeed, or, which was most likely the case, not thinking about anything at all.

Round him were heaps of stuffs, of soft, gay colours, and of various prices: costly silks, so fine that a wide piece would pass easily through a finger-ring, and cheap cotton cloths, printed with handsome patterns.

Next to him a Hindu sold corn, and his stock-in-trade lay round him in little bags, open for customers to see.

But Bryda's eyes quickly passed over all these stalls, and rested on one where lay long chains, bracelets, and brooches, and all sorts of silver wire-work.

6

There, there, Uncle Jack!' she cried; that is what I want, that silver fricassée.'

· Fricassée! What next?' said Uncle Jack, laughing.

'Well, filigree then. One is chicken, and the other is ornaments, and I never can remember which is which.'

'It doesn't much matter, Bryda;' and, reining in his horse, Uncle Jack began to converse with the shopkeeper.

Buying and selling in the East is not a matter of a few seconds, as in England, where we may pop into a shop, make our purchases, and be off before the shopman has finished asking what other article we require.

'Well, Taj Khan, how are you?' began Uncle Jack to the polite merchant.

By your honour's favour, I am quite well. And is your honour well?'

And I should be

'Yes, I am well also. willing to buy some of your goods, but that I know you would cheat me.'

Allah knows, O protector of the poor returned the merchant, I have no desire to cheat you. My brother Zulfehir has sent to me some very fine silver work from Delhi, if you will see it.'

Uncle Jack shook his head gravely.

"That is all very well. You do not want to cheat me, you say: you forget that you sold me a sword for twenty rupees with a new hilt, after asking eighty rupees for it with the old one.'

That is true indeed, O protector of the poor! but at that time I was much in debt, and my son was sick.'

My lord,' returned the merchant, looking out of the corners of his eyes at Bryda, who had slipped from her saddle and was looking very earnestly at the pretty things; my lord, you are worth many lacs (tens of thousands) of rupees; but I am a poor man and must live by my small profits.'

'Well,' said Uncle Jack, lifting up a very handsome silver waist-belt, what do you ask for such a thing as this?'

My lord, that is very heavy, and the work is fine. Its price is a hundred and fifty rupees.'

'Listen to that, Bryda,' said Uncle Jack, pulling his brown moustache. Why don't you say a hundred and fifty thousand at once, you honest, poor man?' This to the native.

'My lord?' queried the merchant, for this polite question was in English, and he did not understand it.

'I said you were a very honest man,' answered Uncle Jack, who had been studying the native language.

'My lord, you know everything. How can one deceive such a far-sighted Sahib ? My lord will take the belt?'

'Well, I will give you forty rupees for it,' said Uncle Jack.

Meantime, Bryda had taken up a very pretty little brooch, and quietly handed it to him. 'What do you want for this?' he demanded of Taj Khan.

Ah, my lord, that is a fit gift for your Mem Sahib,' replied the wily merchant.

'You rascal, you know I am not married!' 'Allah forbid!' answered the merchant. But my lord will soon have a lady. Four rupees is the price of that.'

Rubbish!' said the Englishman, putting the brooch down as if he did not care about it. I will give you two rupees, and to your own caste brethren you would sell it for one; oh, evilminded man !'

'Oh, don't refuse it, please, Uncle Jack. I have a good many rupees,' whispered Bryda. My lord will take the belt?' asked the merchant.

I told you I would give forty rupees.'

My lord will say fifty. And the brooch is also his for two and a half rupees.'

Two!' said Uncle Jack firmly, producing money; and Bryda soon had her purchase carefully buttoned into her saddle pocket.

I salute you with clasped hands, my lord," was the merchant's farewell.

'Salaam, Taj Khan,' replied Uncle Jack over his shoulder; and away went he and Bryda, who had forgotten, in the morning's work, all about her trouble.

Uncle Jack,' said she presently, wearing a rather serious face, ought you to talk to those people as you did to the merchant? I heard Mother say we, as the greater race, ought to be their teachers; and we always suspect them.'

Well, I dare say you are right, little woman,' laughed Uncle Jack, pinching the little serious face. I'm afraid we don't set them very nice examples always; but they are great cheats, and not to be trusted out of sight under any circumstances.' (To be continued.)

'Listen, then,' said Grandpa. 'I shall tell you of a night like this, cold, and windy, and dark. forty years ago, when the good God showed Himself very near and merciful, and when thy grandfather's stubborn heart was melted into grateful love that has never since, I hope, grown quite cold.

'We had attended the market with our cattle, and, having sold early, were riding homeward, my partner and I. and hoped to reach the ford of the river we had to cross before the night fell.

'But the wind rose, and the heavy rain poured down again, as it had been doing almost continually a week and more past; and the darkness fell quickly, and when we reached the rising ground above the ford the usually placid river was a roaring flood-a wild scene of foaming waters and drifting branches of trees.

'To think of crossing was madness, and weary,

cold, and discontented, we turned our horses heads and rode down the incline. What was that dark, rushing mass, half-way down? What was that lap, lap, gurgle, gurgle, and glint, now and then, through the darkness, of a vanishing white mist?

We were surrounded! The swollen river, aided by the bursting of a dyke higher up, rose that night to a height never before known; and as we stood there hour after hour by our poor frightened horses, there were hoarse sounds of men's voices out on the waste, and the cries of women and little children in distress. Morning dawned at length upon the floating ruins of houses, and the bodies of animals, and, alas! human beings, met our gaze, turn where we would.

'Children, it was the pleasure of the dear Lord to save us alive that night, and the lives of all dear to us. When the boats came to our deliverance at last we looked into each other's faces, and saw there that the lesson had been written very deeply. We should never forget that night!