and the other replied, “I have; but what is thy need thereof? tell me, so may I write for thee.”  “I will write myself,” rejoined Attaf; and when the old man handed to him the gear, he took seat and indeed an address to Ja’afar informing him of all that passed from first to last, and especially of his own foul plight.[FN#361] Presently he returned the ink-case and reed pens to the Shaykh; and, going up to the gate, asked those standing about the doors, “Will ye not admit for me this missive and place it in the hand of his Highness, Ja’afar the Bermaki, the Wazir?” “Give it here,” said they, and one of them took it with the intent of handing it to the Minister when suddenly the cannon roared;[FN#362] the palace was in a hubbub and each and everyone cried, “What is to do?” Hereat many voices replied, “The Sultan, who hath been favoured with a man-child, who had charged himself with the letter, threw it in that confusion from his hand and Attaf was led to gaol as a vagrant.  Anon Ja’afar took horse and, after letting read the Sultan’s rescript about the city-decorations, gave command that all the prisoners be released, Attaf amongst the number.  As he issued forth the gaol he beheld all the streets adorned with flags and tapestry, and when evening approached eating-cloths and trays of food were set and all fell-in, while sundry said to Attaf who was in pauper plight, “Come and eat thou;” for it was a popular feast.[FN#363] And affairs went on after this same fashion and the bands made music and cannon was fired until ended the week of decoration during which the folk ceased not to-ing and fro-ing.  As evening evened Attaf entered a cathedral-mosque and prayed the night-prayers when he was accosted by the eunchs who cried, “Arise and gang this gait, that we may close the mosque-door, O Attaf,” for his name had become known.  He replied, “O man, the Apostle of Allah saith, ’Whoso striveth for good is as the doer thereof and the doer is of the people of Paradise:’  so suffer me to sleep here in some corner;” but quoth the other, “Up with thee and be off:  yesterday they stole me a bit of matting and to-night I will bolt the door nor allow any to sleep here.  And indeed the Apostle of Allah (whom the Almighty save and assain!) hath forbidden sleep o’ nights in the mosques.”  Attaf had no competence to persuade the Castrato by placing himself under his protection, albeit he prayed him sore saying, “I am a stranger in the city nor have I knowledge of any, so do thou permit me here to pass this one night and no more.”  But as he was again refused he went forth into the thoroughfares where the street dogs barked at him, and thence he trudged on to the market where the watchmen and warders cried out at him, till at last he entered a ruinous house where he stumbled when walking and fell over something which proved to be a youth lately murthered, and in tripping he fell upon his face and his garments were bewrayed and crimsoned with blood.  And as he stood in doubt as to what must be done the