Ahmed Ismail sat opposite to him, and, leaning forward, he pointed to a tree and to a tall house in front of the tree.
"My Lord," said he, "could that tree speak, what groans would one hear!" "Why ?" said Shere Ali listlessly.
"Listen, your Highness," said Ahmed Ismail.

Like the rest of his countrymen, he had a keen love for a story.

And the love was the keener when he himself had the telling of it.

He sat up alertly.

"In that house lived an Englishman of high authority.