Part 31 (1/2)

?I have one more favour to ask of n to accept a small _peish-kesh_, a present fro-carpet, and, should he honour him so far as to use it, he hopes that now and then he will not forget the donor in his prayers?

?May your house prosper, Hajji,? said he very graciously, ?and I a me, not that there was the least occasion for this present Be a good Mussulainst the infidels, and stone the Sufis,--that is the only return I ask; and be assured that, by so doing, you will always find a place in ift, hich he see received my dismissal, I returned toive myself time to call upon my other friends at Rom, or even to take a look atmy mule, I pushed on to the caravanserai of the Pul-i-dallak that very night

I reached Tehran in the evening, and, in order not to see the spot in which the unfortunate Zeenab was buried, I ht road, and entered by the Casbin gate I was happy to reuards, hen I was in office, were accustomed to show themselves on the alert atthat the active, bustling, iarb of the would-be hunificant priest; so for the present I felt secure in h the bazaars and thebut my face was to be seen; and happy was I to find that no one recollected me I inquired my way to the house of the Mollah Nadan, which was speedily pointed out, for he was a well-known character; but, on second thoughts, I deemed it more prudent and convenient to put up at a small caravanserai, situated near the house of my new master, than to present myself, late in the day as it then was, to him, upon whom it was my interest, by my looks and appearance, to produce the best possible iood care of ues of the journey; and the next iven a fresh tinge to my beard, and plentifully used the khena to my hands and feet, I flattered myself that in appearance I was precisely the sort of person likely to meet with success

The mollah?s house was situated between the royal mosque and the quarters of the camel artillery by the gate of the said mosque, opens at its other extremity immediately on the ditch of the Shah?s palace It had a ate, the small courtyard which immediately succeeded was clean, and atered; and the rooh only ashed, had a set of carpets, which did not indicate wealth, but still spoke the absence of poverty

In this roo priest, whom I took to be the master of the house; but I was mistaken--he was in his anderun, and I was told that he would shortly make his appearance

In order tomore than a servant, I sat down, and entered into conversation with the priest, who, from what I could pick from him, was a dependent upon the mollah He, in his turn, endeavoured to discover what h the strange and mysterious questions which he put drew forth my astonishment

?You are evidently newly arrived in Tehran?? said he

?Yes, at your service,? said I

?You intend probably to make some stay?? added he

?That is not quite certain,? said I

Then, after a pause, he said, ?It is dull living alone, even for a week, and Tehran is a city full of enjoyment If there is any service that I can perform, I will do it--upon my eyes, be it?

?May your kindness never be less! My business is with the Mollah Nadan?

?There is no difference between him and me,? said he ?I can facilitate any business you may have; and, praise be to Allah, you will be served to your heart?s content We have at our disposal of all sorts and all prices?

?I am not a merchant,? said I

?There is no necessity to be a h that you are a er You will find, be it for a year, a month, a week, a day, or even an hour, that you will pass your tireeably; upon my head be it?

I beca, and was on the point of asking hi, when the Mollah Nadan, in person, entered the rooe, with a jet-black beard, glossy with fresh dye, and with fine brilliant eyes, painted with the powder of antimony He wore on his head an immense turban of white muslin, whilst a _hirkeh_, or Arab cloak, with broad stripes of white and brown alternately, was thrown over his shoulders Although his athletic person was better suited to the profession of arms than to that of the law, yet his countenance had none of the frankness of the soldier, but on the contrary bespoke cunning and design, while at the saot up at his approach, and immediately presented ain to sit Having unrolled it, he looked at me and then at it, as if to divine what could be my business; but as soon as he had deciphered the seal, his face expanded into a bright smile, and he requested me to be seated

?You are welcome,? said he; and then he askedthe health of the holy man, which I freely answered, as if intireat attention, but said not a word of its contents He then began toa kalian (a pipe) to offer idly uphold the true faith, reject all such luxuries, and s and peace!) has forbidden to his follohatever intoxicates; and although tobacco be alhout Persia as well as Turkey, yet it is known so, and therefore I abstain from it?

He continued to talk about himself, his fasts, his penance, and his self-an to think that I should pass hts the priest had just before promised me; but when I compared his healthy and rubicund face, his portly and well-fed body, to the regimen which he professed to keep, I consoled reat latitude in his interpretation of the law; and perhaps that I should find, like the house which he inhabited, which had its public and private apartments, that his own exterior was fitted up for the purposes of the world, whilst his interior was devoted to himself and his enjoyives an account of his new sche men happy