Jack Hildreth on the Nile | Page 5

"The main thing, to my mind, is the way I treated him, and no one could call that respectful. You have no reason to fear him, for you have done nothing to him."
"But you are my guest at this moment, and I am responsible for your acts," replied poor Murad Nassyr.
I rose up, as if to go, saying: "I can easily remove that difficulty by leaving. I am looking for a lodging, and only came for your advice."
"No, no; you will stay here. I should never consent to your leaving my house under the circumstances," he said.
"That is a generous speech, Murad Nassyr," I said, taking his hand. "To be frank with you, I hoped you would offer to shelter me and these children. You said to me the other day that you would like me to come to stay with you -- that I could do you a great service. Now, I need a refuge for these unfortunate little creatures until I can place them in safety; give me this, and I will try to do you the service you desire. Is it a bargain?"
"Yes," replied Murad Nassyr, after a moment's thought, and calling Selim, who struck me as being suspiciously prompt to reply to his summons, he committed the children to his charge, instructing him to give them food and sweetmeats.
When they had withdrawn, Murad Nassyr turned to me. "You are a Christian," he began; "and I know so little of your religion that I am ignorant of its teachings. Do you believe in heaven and hell?"
"Certainly."
"Do you think departed souls can return to earth as ghosts? Answer on your conscience.
"As spirits, I believe they can, but not as ghosts in my sense of the word ghost," I replied, surprised.
"You are mistaken; there are ghosts," he replied, positively.
"If you think so I will not argue the point, though I am not of your opinion."
"You will be of my opinion. By morning you will believe there are ghosts, for this house is haunted." He looked at me steadily as be spoke, expecting to see me shrink, but I remained unmoved, only saying, laughingly: "There may be what is considered a ghost in the house; I don't doubt your sincerity, but you have mistaken something, perhaps a shadow, for an apparition. 'Tell me about it."
"Shadows are dark; this ghost is white," he said, shaking his head. "It goes through closed doors, rattles chains, howls and shrieks like the wind, barks like a dog, brays like a donkey or camel."
"Have you seen it yourself?"
"Certainly, and so have my sister and her servants, the steward, and my two Negroes. It appears at a certain time, around midnight, remains an hour every time, and comes each day."
"Have you any idea whose ghost it is?"
"Yes; the ghost of the former owner of the house."
"Really! Haven't you a clear title deed?"
"I pray you, don't jest, Effendi," cried Murad Nassyr, earnestly. "I can't stay here if the house continues haunted. It is the cheapest rent in Cairo, for every one knows the house is haunted, and they can't get a tenant."
"On the whole, I should say the ghostly past owner was playing a low-down trick, thus spoiling the property for his successor; who owns it now?"
"His widow; she has the use of it till she dies; then the brotherhood of the Kadis can take it, or if she refuses to keep it, as she must if things go on in this way."
"The Kadis!" I exclaimed. "My friend Abd el Barak has other scamps among his associates! Don't you see that some one is sent by them to play the ghost here that the house may be abandoned, and fall into their hands? Let me have the room where the ghost is usually seen, and I'll venture to say you'll have no more trouble with him after to-night."
"You seem to have no fear!" cried Murad Nassyr, admiringly. "The favor I longed to ask of you was that you would watch with us one night, though I feared you would not see him, for, being a Christian, he might account you unclean."
"I'll make him so unclean that he shall be a laughingstock to all Islam. Do you sleep in the dark?"
"No; we all burn lights for fear of the ghost."
"Yet nevertheless he comes?"
"Nevertheless he comes," assented Murad Nassyr, with a shudder. "He comes through bolted doors, and wanders before our eyes up and down the lighted rooms; oh, it is horrible!"
"And where does Selim sleep, the brave steward, who declares he is the hero of his tribe and the world?"
"Behind the outside door, where his bed is made, and he has seen the ghost often."
"Well, it grows dark even now. If you will permit me, I will visit my small charges, and then prepare for the vigil," I