While he was prating Noorna took the dish in her lap, and folded her silvery feet beneath her, and commenced whipping into it the drug:  and she whipped it dexterously and with equal division among the grain, whipping it and the flea with it, but she feigned not to mark the flea and whipped harder.  Then took she colour and coloured it saffron, and laid over it gold-leaf, so that it glittered and was an enticing sight; and the dish was of gold, crusted over with devices and patterns, and heads of golden monsters, a ravishment of skill in him that executed it, cumbrous with ornate golden workmanship; likewise there were places round the dish for sticks of perfume and cups carved for the storing of perfumed pellets, and into these Noorna put myrrh and ambergris and rich incenses, aloes, sandalwood, prepared essences, divers keen and sweet scents.  Then when all was in readiness, she put the dish upon the knee of Baba Mustapha, and awoke him from his babbling reverie with a shout, and said, ’An instrument verily, O Baba Mustapha! and art thou a cat to shave Shagpat with that tongue of thine?’

Now, he arose and made the sign of obedience and said, ’’Tis well, O lady of grace and bright wit! and now for the cap of Shiraz and the Persian robe, and my twenty slaves and seven to follow me to the mansion of Shagpat.  I’ll do:  I’ll act.’

So she motioned to a slave to bring the cap of Shiraz and the Persian robe, and in these Baba Mustapha arrayed himself.  Then called he for the twenty-and-seven slaves, and they were ranged, some to go before, some to follow him.  And he was exalted, and made the cap of Shiraz nod in his conceit, crying, ’Am I not leader in this complot?  Wullahy! all bow to me and acknowledge it.’  Then, to check himself, he called out sternly to the slaves, ’Ho ye! forward to the mansion of Shagpat; and pass at a slow pace through the streets of the city—­solemnly, gravely, as before a potentate; then will the people inquire of ye, Who’t is ye marshal, and what mighty one? and ye will answer, He’s from the court of Shiraz, nothing less than a Vizier—­bearing homage to Shagpat, even this dish of pomegranate grain.’

So they said, ‘To hear is to obey.’

Upon that he waved his hand and stalked majestically, and they descended from the roof into the street, criers running in front to clear the way.  When Baba Mustapha was hidden from view by a corner of the street, Noorna shrank in her white shoulders and laughed, and was like a flashing pearl as she swayed and dimpled with laughter.  And she cried, ’True are those words of the poet, and I testify to them in the instance of Baba Mustapha: 

“With feathers of the cock, I’ll fashion a vain creature;
With feathers of the owl, I’ll make a judge in feature”;

Is not the barber elate and lofty?  He goeth forth to the mastery of this Event as go many, armed with nought other than their own conceit:  and ’tis written: