THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 207 



me to be fecn, or meddle in the affair. " I aflure you, Ayto 

 Aylo," faid I, " I ihall ftridtly obey you. There is no fort of 

 reafon for my meddling in this affair with fuch affociates. 

 If they can cure him by a miracle, I am fure it is the eafiefl 

 kind of cure of any, and will not do his conflitution the leaft 

 harm afterwards, which is more than I will promife for me- 

 dicines in general ; but, remember what I fay to you, it will, 

 indeed, be a miracle, if both the father and the daughter are 

 not dead before to-morrow night." We feemed all of us 

 fatisfied in one point, that it was better he fhould die, than 

 I come to trouble by interfering. 



After the proceffion was gone, Aylo went to the Iteghe, 

 and, I fuppofe, told her all that happened fince he had feen 

 her laft. I was called in, and, as ufual, proftrated myfelf 

 upon the ground. She received that token of refpect with- 

 out offering to excufe or to decline it. Aylo then faid, " This 

 is our gracious miftrefs, who always gives us her affiftance 

 and protection. You may fafely fay before her whatever 

 is in your heart." 



Our firft difcourfe was about Jerufalem, the Holy Sepul- 

 chre, Calvary, the City of David, and the Mountain of Olives, 

 with the fituations of which flie was perfectly well acquaint- 

 ed. She then afked me to tell her truly if I was not a Frank ? 

 " Madam," faid I, " if I was a Catholic, which you mean by 

 Frank, there could be no greater folly than my concealing 

 this from you in the beginning, after the affurance Ayto 

 Aylo has juft now given ; and, in confirmation of the truth 

 I am now telling, (the had a large bible lying on the table 

 before her, upon which I laid my hand), I declare to you, by 

 all thofe truths contained in this book, that my religion is 



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