Part 27 (1/2)
Hajji Baba is robbed by his friend, and left utterly destitute; but is released from his confinement
My mind noelt upon the pro my pardon and release from the Shah, when he came to visit the sanctuary at Kom; and it occurred to me, that to secure the favour of so powerful an advocate, I ought tois ever accomplished in Persia But of what it was to be composed was the next consideration The money left in my purse was all that I had to subsist upon until I should acquire a new livelihood; and, little as it was, I had kept it safely buried in an unfrequented corner near -carpet, as the best present for one who is always upon his knees, and had laid ht to ood man prays,? said I, ?he will think of ood resolutions in such moments, perhaps he will be put in mind of his promises to endeavour to release me?
I forthwith resorted to my secret corner forone oftomauns to this purpose But here let me stop, and let me request the reader to recollect his after the most severe disappointment which it may have been his lot to sustain, and let e, to one
My soul came into my mouth; and without a ! thou unsainted dervish!+ You have brought me safe into harbour, ?tis true; but you have left me without an anchor May your life be a bitter one, and rief! And so, after all, Hajji Baba has beco the s and lamentations; for the fear of starvation now staredthe charity of the people of Kom; and as despair is a malady which increases the more the ht in reverting to all the horrors which I had lately witnessed in the death of Zeenab; then I dwelt upon th wound myself up to look upon my situation as so desperate, that if I had had poison by me, I should certainly have sed it
At thistoo much confidence in the dervish I told his, that his heart was touched
?You spoke but too well, O ainst the dervish My er; and he who called himself my friend has proved my bitterest enemy!
Curses on such a friend! Oh! whither shall I turn for assistance??
?Do not grieve, my son,? said the mollah; ?we know that there is a God, and if it be his will to try you with one it is, and gone let it be; but your skin is left,--and what do you want , after all!?
?What words are these?? said I: ?I know that a skin is no bad thing; but will it get back my money from the dervish??
I then requested the old man to state my misfortune to thehim that respect by a present, which was due to him, and which it had been my intention toreat joy, on the very sa arrival of the Shah was brought to Kom by the chief of the tent-pitchers, who came to make the necessary preparations for his accoe open saloon in the sanctuary in which the king prays was spread with fine carpets, the court ept and watered, the fountain in the centre of the reservoir was made to play, and the avenues to the to of all the priests, was collected, to go before hi of cerenity of the Shadow of the Ally anxious aboutsince I had heard fronorant of theupon the dark side of things,short ofprospect, I endeavoured to believe that I was too insignificant a personage that my death should be of any consequence, and built all my hopes upon the intercession of the mushtehed
The chief tent-pitcher had fornized many of my acquaintance I soon made myself known to the es hath said, ?that a man in adversity is shunned like a piece of base money, which nobody will take; and which, if perchance it has been received, is passed off to another as soon as possible?
The newcoence of what had happened at court since I had left it; and although I professed to have renounced the world, and to have become a recluse, a sitter in a corner, as it is called, yet still I found that I had an ear for as passing in it They informed n against the Russians, and had brought the Shah a present of two Georgian slaves, a male and a female, besides other rarities, in order the better to persuade hieneralshi+p The present had been accepted, and his face was to be whitened by a dress of honour, provided hehimself from the use of wine for the future I also learnt, notwithstanding it was kno deeply I was iuilt, that ed tohad half his beard pulled out by the roots, for the loss which his majesty had incurred by her death, and for his disappoint before hi?s wrath for the loss of the Curdish slave had in great ift of the Georgian one, as described as being the finest person of the sort who had been exhibited at the slave-market since the days of the celebrated _Taous_, or Peacock; and was, in short, the pearl of the shell of beauty, the marrow of the spine of perfection
She had a face like the full moon, eyes of the circuer and thumb, a waist that he could span, and a forrown cypress And they ainst me would very easily cede to a present of a few toainst the dervish broke forth; ?and but for hiht have appeared not ehted to hear that ined; and, seated on the carpet of hope, s the pipe of expectation, I deter of predestination which has been so wisely dispensed by the holy Prophet for the peace and quiet of all true believers
The King of Kings arrived the next day, and alighted at his tents, which were pitched without the town I will not waste the reader?s ti all the ceremonies of his reception, which, by his desire, were curtailed asthe tomb of Fatimeh was not to reap worldly distinctions, but to hu better and higher reward
His policy has always been to keep in good odour with the priesthood of his country; for he knew that their influence, which is considerable over the minds of the people, was the only bar between him and unlimited power He therefore courted Mirza Abdul Cossi hi him to be seated before him, an honour seldom conferred on one of the laity He also went about the town on foot, during the whole tiely to the poor, and particularly consecrating rich and valuable gifts at the shrine of the saint The king hiht it proper to suit their looks to the fashi+on of the place; and I was delighted to find that I was not singular in ait I recollected to have heard, when I was about the court, that the Shah, in point of fact, was a Sufi at heart, although very rigid in the outward practices of religion; and it was refreshi+ng to reat officers in his train, one of the secretaries of state, a notorious sinner of that persuasion, as now obliged to fold up his principles in the napkin of oblivion, and clothe hi of the Shah?s visit to the to his prayers, I was on the alert, in the hopes of being remarked by the mushtehed, ould thus be reminded of his promises to me
About an hour before the prayer of midday, the Shah, on foot, escorted by an immense concourse of attendants, priests, and of the people, entered the precincts of the sanctuary He was dressed in a dark suit, the sombre colours of which were adapted to the sole enamelled stick, curiously inlaid at the po none of his custoer, which on other occasions he is never without The only article of great value was his rosary, coe pearls (the produce of his fishery at Bahrein), of the most beautiful water and symmetry, and this he kept constantly in his hand
The mushtehed walked two or three steps behind hiatories which the king was pleased to make, and lent a profound attention to all his observations
When the procession came near me (for it passed close to my cell), I seized an opportunity, when no officer was at hand, to run forward, throw round, and exclais, the asylum of the world! In the name of the blessed Fati to the mushtehed, ?Is he one of yours??
?He has taken the bust (the sanctuary),? answered the mirza, ?and he claihty to all unfortunate refugees whenever he visits the tomb He and we all are your sacrifice; and whatever the Shah ordains, so let it be?