The following book contains two stories, entitled 'The Turquoise Cup' and 'The Desert'. The first story begins by introducing us to the Cardinal Archbishop, who was sitting on his shaded balcony observing pigeons when he was interrupted by a visit from the Earl of Vauxhall. The second story is set in the desert of Sahara, at a little oasis called El Merb where Abdullah, the main character of the story, was once the chief caravan-master.