Then along came SULIMAN BEY, who was high in office in the land of Egypt, and was wealthy, and powerful, and very much hated and feared. And ACHMET bowed down before him, and performed obeisance in the manner of the Turks, touching his own hand to his lips, his breast, his head:--and the SULIMAN BEY went proudly on. Then ACHMET smiled, and YUSEF, who had a stall in the bazaar opposite to him, winked to ACHMET, saying, in a low voice,-- 'Kiss ardently the hands which you can not cut off:'-- and they smiled grimly one unto the other. 'Did you hear the music in the Esbekieh garden yesterday?' asked YUSEF of ACHMET. 'I think it was horrible.' 'It cost nothing to hear it,' quoth ACHMET: 'there was no charge made.' '_Aio_! true,' answered YUSEF; 'but there were too many drums; I wouldn't have one if I were Pacha.' 'Welcome even pitch, if it is gratis.' 'Wanting to make the eyebrows right, pull out the eyes,' said ACHMET, contentedly. 'And as for your disliking the music,--A cucumber being given to a poor man, he did not accept it because it was crooked!'--'Come, let us shut up shop and go to the mosque. It is fated that we sell no goods to-day. _Wajadna bira'hmat allah ra'hah_--By the grace of Allah we have found repose!' * * * * * Our correspondent gives us a pun in our last number over again. It is none the worse, however, for its new coat, as set forth in GETTING AHEAD OF TIME. 'Well now, I declare, this is too bad. Here it is five minutes past ten and BUDDEN ain't here. Did anybody ever know that man to keep an engagement?' 'Yes,' replied the Doctor to the Squire, 'I knew him to keep one.' 'Let it out,' said the Squire. 'An engagement to get married.' 'Hm!' replied the Squire, looking over his spectacles with the air of one who had been deceived. At this moment JERRY BUDDEN, a jolly-looking, fat, middle-aged man entered the office quietly and coolly, having all the air of one who arrived half an hour before the appointed time of meeting. 'Got ahead of time this morning, any way,' said Jerry. 'The devil you did!' spoke the Squire, testily; 'you are seven minutes behind time this morning; you would be behindhand to-morrow and next day, and so on as long as you live. Confound it, Jerry, you make me mad with your laziness and coolness. Ahead of time! why look at that watch!'--Here the Squire, pulling out a plethoric-looking, smooth gold watch, about the size of a bran biscuit, held it affectionately in the palm of his right hand. 'Look at _that_ watch!' 'Nice watch,' said Jerry, 'very nice watch. The best of watches will sometimes get out of order though. How long since you had it cleaned?'