French and Oriental Love in a Harem

"When I arrived at Aden, the Governor told me that everything which had

been received had been sent on board my ship, including the papers found

on my friend, and that a certificate of death had been duly drawn up,

which my lieutenant was instructed to convey to the family. I asked no

more questions, and wrote at once a little note of condolence to

Lefébure's wife. I sent the agreed ransom to my Changallas, and at the

same time a letter of complaint to the King of Nubia. Altogether, it was

four months since my ship had left Aden. The following day I took the

mail boat to Suez--arrived last night at Marseilles--and here I am!"

"Yes, indeed," I said to my uncle, when he had concluded; "that explains

it all. They drew up the certificate of decease according to the papers

found on your friend Lefébure, and as they were yours----"

"Why, they mistook him for me; and that ass Rabassu went off with the

ship to bring the notary the news of my death."

"That's clear," I added.

"But what puzzles me most," replied he, "is to know what has become of

my camels!"

As you may well imagine, my dear Louis, this unexpected resurrection of

my uncle plunged me into a state of excitement, which took entire

possession of me. I could not see enough of him, or hear enough of him;

and all that day I so completely forgot everything which did not concern

him, that I did not even think of moving outside the château. I followed

him from room to room, and kept looking at him, for I felt the need of

convincing myself that he was really alive. As to him, quickly

recovering from the very transitory astonishment into which the news of

his supposed death had thrown him, he had resumed that splendid

composure, which you remember in him. He superintended all his little

arrangements, and unpacked all his boxes, full of all sorts of articles

from Nubia, whistling all the while fragments of bamboulas which were

still ringing in his ears.

After dinner in the evening, he said to me, stretching out his long legs

over the divan, with the air of a man who loves his ease: "By Jove, it's very snug here! If you like, we will stay down here

several weeks."

"As many weeks as you like, uncle," I answered--"months even!"

"Well done!--But," he continued, "won't you be rather dull?--for, unless

you have some little distraction----"