One morning, then, in my assumed character, I was proceeding along the Shâria el-Hamzâwi seeking for some scheme whereby I might win the confidence of Mohammed er-Rahmân the _attár_, or perfumer. I had quitted the house in the Darb el-Ahmar which was my base of operations but a few minutes earlier, and as I approached the corner of the street a voice called from a window directly above my head: "Saïd! Saïd!" Without supposing that the call referred to myself, I glanced up, and met the gaze of an old Egyptian of respectable appearance who was regarding me from above. Shading his eyes with a gnarled hand-- "Surely," he cried, "it is none other than Saïd the nephew of Yûssuf Khalig! _Es-selâm 'aleykûm, Saïd!_" "_Aleykûm, es-selâm_," I replied, and stood there looking up at him. "Would you perform a little service for me, Saïd?" he continued. "It will occupy you but an hour and you may earn five piastres." "Willingly," I replied, not knowing to what the mistake of this evidently half-blind old man might lead me. I entered the door and mounted the stairs to the room in which he was, to find that he lay upon a scantily covered _dîwan_ by the open window. "Praise be to Allah (whose name be exalted)!" he exclaimed, "that I am thus fortunately enabled to fulfil my obligations. I sometimes suffer from an old serpent bite, my son, and this morning it has obliged me to abstain from all movement. I am called Abdûl the Porter, of whom you will have heard your uncle speak; and although I have long retired from active labor myself, I contract for the supply of porters and carriers of all descriptions and for all purposes; conveying fair ladies to the _hammám_, youth to the bridal, and death to the grave. Now, it was written that you should arrive at this timely hour." I considered it highly probable that it was also written how I should shortly depart if this garrulous old man continued to inflict upon me details of his absurd career. However-- "I have a contract with the merchant, Mohammed er-Rahmân of the Sûk el-Attârin," he continued, "which it has always been my custom personally to carry out." The words almost caused me to catch my breath; and my opinion of Abdul the Porter changed extraordinary. Truly my lucky star had guided my footsteps that morning!