500 The Moth with the Golden Wings. (Nov. 
which. occasions his, house shoots, up and spreads out/like a sunflowers 
and branches forth, into kiosks and. pavilions ;:all; of avhich; -however;) 
melt: away with the. mist of the morning, leaving nothing but hisild 
studying-place.”, One..morning Beber was so strongly possessed with 
the, belief of his master’s dispositions towards magic, that, instead :of pure 
suing his task.with his fellow-labourers, of searching among /the \sur+ 
rounding fields of Bassora for flies and pebbles; he entered» a: burial- 
place, and seating himself beneath a cypress-tree,; spent the!) whole of 
the day in intense but unprofitable cogitations.. | At lengthyevening «ar- 
rived, and Beber then became awakened to the folly of \his' conduct; 
and. rallying the little philosophy he possessed, he determined) to»betake 
him; although empty-handed, and fearful of the bastinado, to his mas- 
ter. “Let me,” said Beber, “ but pass through the night with an 
uncracked skin, and master Sefy may give coffee to and)wasli the feet 
of. Zatania himself, ere I again set going the machinery of «my wit>to 
the danger of my soles.” With this resolution Beber arrived : at. the 
mansion of his master, who cast an evil eye upon the tardy;servant, 
whilst; anger seemed to aid the effect of palsy. « Slave! ‘shew imevan 
excuse for this delay : come, produce your stores.” Now it so happened 
that all Beber’s fellows had been more than usually fortunate, and had 
presented their master with some of the rarest specimens of the insect 
and mineral.kind: ‘therefore the fault of Beber, when he informed his 
master of his want of success, appeared most iniquitous. “ Slave'!” ex- 
claimed Sefy, and, the foam of passion streaked his black beard, ** go to 
my museum, and there await me :”—** There is but one’ God; and:he is 
great,” softly murmured the unfortunate Beber ; and he stepped witheas 
much caution to the appointed place, as though he was -treading) the 
hair-breadth bridge of Al Sirat. ‘ bolssuq ove tadern 
When Beber entered the museum, whether his precarious: situation 
‘more awakened him to the peculiarity of the place, ismot-recorded;. but 
it is certain, on this occasion, he was more impressed with jits appearance 
than heretofore. . ‘* There is but one God, and he’ is great,” exclaimed 
Beber ; “then why should men thus triumph over the lesser creatures ?” 
This benevolent question was evidently excited by thepeculiarity of the 
apartment, of which every atom was studded with living insects, impaled 
on wire. There were some thousands. of wings beating: convulsively : 
the whole room seemed instinct with life; Beber felt:as if he werevent 
closed by four breathing walls.‘ He who for pastime runs pins through 
the bowels of beautiful and harmless flies, will feel» but little for»the 
flesh.of man,” thought Beber; and the sweat trickled to his knees, and 
his very bones were cold. ‘ Wretch that I am!’ continued he: +61 
have been the guilty partner of these crimes: I have’ torn these lovely 
creatures from the sun, the dews, and the flowers, to have their soft 
velvet. bodies, pierced with iron! Surely he who wantonly crushes:a 
fly, would, had he the power, blacken the rainbow, or strikeout the 
stars.” Beber’s heart. was newly opened by the scene of suffering which 
surrounded him; and not knowing how long he might remain without 
being himself impaled in the middle of the room, as the grand:central 
ornament of the museum, he resolved to do all.the good that as yetiwas 
in his power. The eye of Beber was suddenly attracted by\aJarge and 
beautiful Moth, fixed at the east side of the museum: it/was beating» its 
wings, and. the acuteness of its agony tarnished at intervals their golden 
beauty; the perspiration, like fine diamond-dust, started from it inevery 
