It was slightly damaged too, and looked very old, so I hoped that it might be going very cheap.

I was right, and to my great delight it was knocked down to me for a mere trifle.

Clutching my treasures about me, I hurried back to my hotel, and spent the whole of the rest of the day examining and admiring my purchases.

The lamp, though, pleased me most of all, although it was so old and battered.  It was so very quaint and uncommon, and so typically Oriental in design—­in fact, I felt sure there was not another like it in the world.

The time came, however, for packing up, and I had to get everything ready for the morning, so that I might be in time for the early train.

I had carefully wrapped up the other things, and was just taking a last look at the lamp before putting it into the bag, when, turning around for no apparent reason, I caught sight of a yellow turban on the floor.

“Dear me!” I thought, “I suppose I must have brought this away from the Bazaar, with my other things, by mistake.  What a nuisance!  Now I shall have to take it back again, I suppose, or—­No! it’s Shin Shira’s.  And here comes the rest of him!” for I could see a little hazy yellow figure gradually growing out of nothing.

“Ah! just in time, I see,” said the little fellow, when he had quite appeared.  “I did so hope that I should be able to be visible again before you left Baghdad.  Well, how did you get on?  You’ve got out of prison, I’m glad to see.”

I told him about the crystal, and how I discovered that it was Mustapha who stole the diamond.

“Phew!” he whistled when he heard this.  “I felt sure someone had stolen it, but I didn’t think of Mustapha.  I never liked the man, though, personally, and I’m glad he’s found out at last.  He has done a lot of harm to many people in Baghdad, and he will be rightly punished.  What is to be done with my diamond?” he inquired anxiously.

“Oh, you’re to have it back whenever you like to go for it, and you’ll receive an apology at the same time,” said I.

“Very well, then, I’m off to get it first thing in the morning,” said the little fellow gleefully.  “I prize that stone far above its intrinsic value, for it was given to me by my beautiful Princess, you know, and I would not lose it for anything.  But, I say! what’s that curious-looking old lamp in your hand?  May I look at it?”

I handed it over to him.

“It’s just a little thing which took my fancy at Mustapha’s sale, and which I picked up for a trifle,” said I.

“It’s very dirty—­wants cleaning badly,” declared Shin Shira.  “Why, I believe it’s solid brass, though it looks like rusty iron in its present neglected state,” and he seized a duster which was lying handy and gave the lamp several smart rubs.

“Just as I thought,” said he, going on vigorously with the polishing.  “Why, it’s splendid—­”