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good-natured Hadj Edris was quite embarrassed, and 
told me that he himself and all those with whom he had 
conversed on the subject, were of the same opinion as 
myself, and therefore had not dared to speak to me about 
it; but as the sultan was coming they felt themselves 
obliged now to inform me of his will, lest they should 
be exposed to some disagreeable consequences for not 
having obeyed it. They did their utmost to calm my 
spirits, and intreated me to go at least now and then to 
Mulei Edris for the sake of appearance; but I listened 
to nothing, and getting on horseback I went like light- 
ning to Mulei Abdsulem. 
I imparted to this most respectable friend my griev- 
ance, and made him observe that I should be degraded 
in the eyes of the public, who would judge from it that 
I did not deserve the sultan's consideration; to whom 
I requested him to transmit my sentiments on this oc- 
casion. 
Mulei Absulem gave me all possible satisfaction; he 
assured me that a mistake must have been the cause of 
it, and that if he had known the business, he never 
would have suffered that any mention of it should have 
been made to me; that I might consider myself as his 
son, and as the son of the sultan Mulei Soliman; and 
that in consequence I should always be master of doing 
what I pleased, without the interference of any one, and 
that he would not suffer that I should have the least in- 
convenience. 
During the three following days this good prince 
was pleased to exert himself to tranquillize me, and I 
saw evidently that both he and the sultan had formed a 
high opinion of me, and that the order concerning the 
clocks had been suggested by some ambitious and 
jealous minister, who had formed some plan to degrade 
