Osman perceived this, and motioned to him to come nearer to his
couch. "Mohammed," said he, "father forgot to add for what purpose
he wished to give you the money. Not for yourself. I know that your
procuring these pigeons for me was an act of friendship. You have
always been friendly to me, and I shall never forget what you did
for me the other day."
"What was it?" asked the tschorbadji, with surprise.
"You know nothing of it, father. I did not mention it to you because
I feared it might make you angry," replied Osman, gently. "I had had
myself carried out on the rock. You know I like to rest there, in
the sunlight, under the olive-tree that stretches out its limbs over
the water. From that point you can look so far out over the sea.
There you can see where heaven and earth unite, and strange dreams
and wishes overcome over me there. The sea murmurs at my feet in
such wondrous, mysterious tones, that my heart warms and my breast
expands. The physician, too, had said that I should breathe the
fresh air of the cliffs very often, and I had been carried out, and
lay there at rest in sweet, solitary silence. I did not observe that
the sky was darkening, and a storm coming on. It also escaped the
notice of the two servants who had carried me out in the chair. Now
that the rain already began to fall in large drops, they became
alarmed, and both ran away rapidly to procure a covered palanquin,
as the physician had said I must be carefully guarded against taking
cold.
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