emblance between all the words, and pannam too; and I rather think
that the Petulengrian word is the elder. How odd it would be if the
language of Mr. Petulengro should eventually turn out to be the mother of
all the languages in the world; yet it is certain that there are some
languages in which the terms for bread have no connection with the word
used by Mr. Petulengro, notwithstanding that those languages, in many
other points, exhibit a close affinity to the language of the horse-shoe
master: for example, bread, in Hebrew, is Laham, which assuredly exhibits
little similitude to the word used by the aforesaid Petulengro. In
Armenian it is--'

'Zhats!' said the stranger, starting up. 'By the Patriarch and the Three
Holy Churches, this is wonderful! How came you to know aught of
Armenian?'

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

NEW ACQUAINTANCE--WIRED CASES--BREAD AND WINE--ARMENIAN
COLONIES--LEARNING WITHOUT MONEY--WHAT A LANGUAGE--THE TIDE--YOUR
FOIBLE--LEARNING OF THE HAIKS--PRESSING INVITATION

Just as I was about to reply to the interrogation of my new-formed
acquaintance, a man with a dusky countenance, probably one of the
Lascars, or Mulattos, of whom the old woman had spoken, came up and
whispered to him, and with this man he presently departed, not however
before he had told me the place of his abode, and requested me to visit
him.

After the lapse of a few days, I called at the house which he had
indicated. It was situated in a dark and narrow street, in the heart of
the City, at no great distance from the Bank. I entered a counting-room,
in which a solitary clerk, with a foreign look, was writing. The
stranger was not at home; returning the next day, however, I met him at
the door as he was about to enter; he shook me warmly by the hand. 'I am
glad to see you,' said he, 'follow me, I was just thinking of you.' He
led me through the counting-room, to an apartment up a flight of stairs;
before ascending, however, he looked into the book in which the
foreign-visaged clerk was writing, and, seemingly not satisfied with the
manner in which he was executing his task, he gave him two or three
cuffs, telling him at the same time that he deserved crucifixion.

The apartment above stairs, to which he led me, was large, with three
windows, which opened upon the street. The walls were hung with wired
cases, apparently containing books. There was a table and two or three
chairs; but the principal article of furn