THK IRON NAIL. 419 



what God has ordered we must not dispute; thy poor father fulfilled 

 his destiny ; let us devote this day to happiness." She threw her 

 arms around his neck. 



" Ali ! dear Ali ! you are right, I will think of nothing but the 

 delight of loving thee. Every thing here seems to foretel happiness. 

 I see happiness in the heavens above, pure as thy good heart. I see 

 it in the blooming flowers around, as tender and faithful as thy love 

 Let us return within ; with thy love I will forget my grief." 



They re-entered the palace, but Ali remained pale and thoughtful, 



Some days after the departure of Mohammed, there was a brilliant 

 fete at the palace. Singers, musicians, and dancers arrived to lend 

 their talents to the entertainment, and people of quality from distant 

 parts came to do honour to the opulent Syrian. Their ladies, closely 

 veiled, were admitted behind screens placed for their reception, to 

 enjoy the music and the dancing. In the middle of the entertainment 

 Mohammed arrived, and entering the saloon, after gracefully saluting 

 the host and his guests, with a hammer, which he carried in his hand 

 when he entered, he drove into the wall a long and sharp iron nail, 

 to which he immediately suspended a beautiful bouquet of flowers. 

 This he did with so much gallantry and good nature, that notwith- 

 standing the nail was not the most sightly object in the saloon, and 

 the wall into which it was driven was covered with the richest 

 tapestry of Persia, the act was applauded mightily, especially by the 

 ladies. Ali complimented him upon the pleasant manner in which 

 he had claimed his right to enter the palace, and Ildiz even modified 

 the injurious opinion she had first formed of him, and declared it 

 illiberal to judge so hastily. That evening Zahab taxed his power 

 of pleasing to the utmost ; his conversation was replete with wit and 

 gaiety. Ali was delighted with him, and he no longer regretted the 

 clause which at first seemed so singular. Indeed, so pleased was he 

 with Zahab's society, that had he desired a nail in his Serail he would 

 hardly have refused. 



For many weeks Zahab regularly visited the purchaser of his 

 palace, and each time he brought bouquets more fresh and more rare, 

 which he suspended to his naiL These bouquets, however, were 

 mingled with epigrams and snatches of verse, written in the Persian 

 tongue. Love invariably formed the subject of these effusions, and 

 the beauty of the stars of heaven was always introduced. But as the 

 name of Ildiz signifies a star, the allusion could not be misunder- 

 stood. The friends of Ali mentioned to him that reports were cir- 

 culated injurious to his honour ; that even the inhabitants of Dheli 

 had heard and repeated things disrespectful of him. Ali attributed 

 these reports to malice, and for a time disregarded them ; but at 

 length the visits of Mohammed became longer and more frequent, 

 and his verses were couched in terms even less equivocal than before. 

 Ali then spoke to his friend Mohammed, who promised that in future 

 the verses should be omitted from the bouquet. 



This nail of Mohammed was placed, unfortunately, in the very 

 best and coolest room in the palace, and it was in this room that Ali 

 chose to pass the hot nights of summer. Mohammed kept his word, 

 and for the space of a fortnight nothing was seen upon the nail but 



