The Northern News. — 1896-07-04 (Carlisle, Cumbria, England)

CHAPTER 11.  The Basha (the Governor) and his Jewish secretary came along, talking together as they walked. "Thus and thus it is everywhere," said the Jew. "Yet I half suspect the madman has more friends than show themselves." At that moment his eye fell on the merchants. "Now old Boobker, there, his uncle, and those merchants from Tadla—." _ _  "Sound them, Jonas ; I should love to know," said the I3asha.  Jonas saluted Boobker with vast respeot. "Peace ! " "Peace !" answered Boobker.  'The market-place to-day has been like a fair waiting for its buffoon, hasn't it?" said the Jew. "Pity a time-honoured family like that of this fine Mali di should be turned to ridicule by the zany doings of one of its members. We should drive the man out. Barbary could spare him. What do you say, Boobker ?"  The old merchant looked at the Jew sideways and answered contemptuously, " say ridicule is a sword without a hilt, wounding only the hand that wields it, and that Barbary could spare something much better than the Mandi."  "And wl,at's that ?" said Jonas, innocently. "The Jews that have infested it these two hundred years," said the merchant. In a moment Jonas had drawn his knife. "Insolent !" he cried. "Dog !" cried Boobker.  The; were closing to fight when a new corner stepped between them. He was a young man, tall, powerful, handsome and richly dressed. His name was Omar Benani. "Stop !" he cried. "Whatever Barbary could spare, one thing she wants, and that is a man who can make her men agree. Put Up your knives before the Basha. If the Jew is the leper, the Arab is the plague." Boobker laughed, and pointing to the big house he said, significantly, 'Pity your Jewish mistress didn't hear that word, Omar Benani !" .  With that and a parting look at the Jew, the old merchant went off, followei by his friends from Tadla. "He was not always a saint, you say, this Mandi ?" said the Basha.  "Always !" cried Jonas, both hands up. 'Like many another saint he has come to his saintship through sin. And this," he added, pointing to the big house, "is the very scene of his transfiguration." "This ?" said the Basha.  _ . That," said the Jew. "was the house of Isaac Lare&l ; one of my own people. He died before you came to Fez. He was killed. Rumour whispered that this Mandi killed him."  Omar had been standing by, and he said, impatiently, "That's only an old gossip's story, Jonas. Why repeat it to the Basha I" "Gently, young man, gently," said the Governor. Omar turned a.side and walked up and down restlessly, as if trying not to hear what was being said, yet unable to tear himself away. "Isaac had a daughter," said Jonas. "He was rich and she Was beautiful. So certain of your Moorish young bloods overcame their dread of doing id in the next world in the hope of doing well in this one.'  The Basha laughed. "So the young Muslims pay court to the rich Jewess?" "Isaac would have none of them. He turned them all from his door. One night.," said Jonas solemnly, "he was found dead in his room, and the last man known to see him there was a certain poor Taleb, the favourite suitor of Rachel— M.llammed Abd-er-Rah man." Omar stopped. "Who knows he was the last?" Ile said.  "Rachel herself admitted it," said Jonas. "And what did my predecessor do ?" asked the Basha. "Nothing," said Jonas.  "And 6o out of remorse the murderer became a saint—is that it ?' said the Basha.  "And turned his hack on Rachel," said Jonas, and then they laughed together. "Don't heed the old wife's croak, lord Ba.slta," ,ad Omar. " Isaac Loredo is dead. So much the better, whoever killed him." The laughter in the lane came again, more loudly than before.  " He's coming!" said the Basha. "This madness must not spread. Watch him, listen to hitn closely, bring me word of what he says. Has Otba arrived?'  " He has, lord Basha," said Jonas. "Good 1 Murderer or no murderer, we must scour the vermin out of Fez. Then this upst irt Mandi, this champion of the poor, this liberator of women, this greater than Moses, this Messiah, this Star that is to rise when the sun of the Sultan has set—" Jonas heard no more. The Basha's voice was 104 in the noise of a great concourse of people who we: e running into the market-place. The Malidi was coming from the mountains to preach in the streets.