ed towards me, making at the same
time a side-long motion with his head, as much as to say that it
contained something which interested me.

I took the letter, and the Moldavian clerk forthwith resumed his
occupation. The back of the letter bore my name, written in Armenian
characters. With a trembling hand I broke the seal, and, unfolding the
letter, I beheld several lines also written in the letters of Mesroub,
the Cadmus of the Armenians.

I stared at the lines, and at first could not make out a syllable of
their meaning; at last, however, by continued staring, I discovered that,
though the letters were Armenian, the words were English; in about ten
minutes I had contrived to decipher the sense of the letter; it ran
somewhat in this style:--

"MY DEAR FRIEND,--

"The words which you uttered in our last conversation have made a
profound impression upon me; I have thought them over day and night,
and have come to the conclusion that it is my bounden duty to attack
the Persians. When these lines are delivered to you, I shall be on
the route to Ararat. A mercantile speculation will be to the world
the ostensible motive of my journey, and it is singular enough that
one which offers considerable prospect of advantage has just presented
itself on the confines of Persia. Think not, however, that motives of
lucre would have been sufficiently powerful to tempt me to the East at
the present moment. I may speculate, it is true; but I should
scarcely have undertaken the journey but for your pungent words
inciting me to attack the Persians. Doubt not that I will attack them
on the first opportunity. I thank you heartily for putting me in mind
of my duty. I have hitherto, to use your own words, been too fond of
money-getting, like all my countrymen. I am much indebted to you;
farewell! and may every prosperity await you."

For some time after I had deciphered the epistle, I stood as if rooted to
the floor. I felt stunned--my last hope was gone; presently a feeling
arose in my mind--a feeling of self-reproach. Whom had I to blame but
myself for the departure of the Armenian? Would he have ever thought of
attacking the Persians had I not put the idea into his head? he had told
me in his epistle that he was indebted to me for the idea. But for that,
he might at the present moment have been in London, increasing his
fortune by his usual methods, and I might be commen