st, which appeared to be full of drugs, and
taking there from the smallest quantity of a certain white powder, he
mixed it up, with some bread, into the form of a pill, and putting
it into paper gave it me, with proper directions how it should be
administered. Seeing that he made no mystery of his knowledge, I began
to question him upon the nature and properties of this particular
medicine, and upon his practice in general. He answered me without any
reserve; not like our Persian doctors, who only make a parade of fine
words, and who adjust every ailment that comes before them to what they
read in their Galen, their Hippocrates, and their Abou Avicenna.

When I had learned all I could, I left him with great demonstration of
friendship and thankfulness, and immediately returned to Mirza Ahmak,
who doubtless was waiting for me with great impatience. Having divested
myself of my borrowed cloak and resumed my own dress, I appeared before
him with a face made up for the occasion, for I wished to make him
believe that the lettuce and cucumbers had done their duty. At every
word I pretended to receive a violent twitch, and acted my part so true
to life, that the stern and inflexible nature of Mirza Ahmak himself was
moved into somewhat like pity for me.

'There! there,' said I, as I entered his apartment, 'in the name of
Allah take your prize:' and then pretending to be bent double, I made
the most horrid grimaces, and uttered deep groans: 'there! I have
followed your orders, and now throw myself upon your generosity.' He
endeavoured to take the object of his search from me, but I kept it
fast; and whilst I gave him to understand that I expected prompt reward,
I made indications of an intention to swallow it, unless he actually
gave me something in hand. So fearful was he of not being able to answer
the king's interrogatories concerning the pill, so anxious to get it
into his possession, that he actually pressed a gold piece upon me. No
lover could sue his mistress with more earnestness to grant him a
favour than the doctor did me for my pill. I should very probably have
continued the deceit a little longer, and have endeavoured to extract
another piece from him; but when I saw him preparing a dose of his
own mixture to ease my pain, I thought it high time to finish, and
pretending all of a sudden to have received relief, I gave up my prize.

When once he had got possession, he looked at it with intense eagerness,
and turned