In one of the narrowest streets of this quarter, seated on the floor or rather on his heels, at the door of a very modest but very neat whitewashed house, smoking a clay pipe, was a Moor of some thirty-five or forty years of age, a dealer in eggs and chickens, which the free peasants of Sierra Bullones and Sierra Bermeja brought to him to the gates of Ceuta, and which he sold either in his own house or at the market, with a profit of a hundred per cent. He wore a white woollen chivala and a black woollen, hooded Arab cloak, and was called by the Spaniards, Manos-gordas, and by the Moors, Admet-Ben-Carime-el-Abdoun.  
When the Moor saw the Chapel-master approaching, he rose and advanced to meet him, making deep salaams at every step, and when they were close together, he said cautiously:
 
"You want a little Moorish girl? I bring to-morrow little dark girl of twelve—"
 
"My wife wants no more Moorish servants," answered the musician stiffly.
 
Manos-gordas began to laugh.
 
"Besides," continued Don Bonifacio, "your infernal little Moorish girls are very dirty."
 
"Wash!" responded the Moor, extending his arms crosswise and inclining his head to one side.
 
"I tell you I want no Moorish girls," said Don Bonifacio. "What I want to-day is that you, who know so much that you are Interpreter of the Fortress, should translate this document into Spanish for me."
 
Manos-gordas took the document, and at the first glance murmured:
 
"It is Moor—"
 
"Of course, it is in Arabic. But I want to know what it says, and if you do not deceive me I will give you a handsome present—when the business which I am about to entrust you with is concluded."
 
Meantime Admet-Ben-Carime glanced his eye over the document, turning very pale as he did so.
 
"You see that it concerns a great treasure?" the Chapel-master half-affirmed, half-asked.
 
"Me think so," stammered the Mohammedan.
 
"What do you mean by saying you think so? Your very confusion tells plainly that it is so."
 
"Pardon," replied Manos-gordas, a cold sweat breaking out over his body.
"Here words modern Arabic—I understand. Here words ancient, or classic
Arabic—I no understand."
 
"What do the words that you un............