as he spoke. 'If we find that any part of what you say be
false, by the head of Ali! you will soon discover that our beards are
not to be laughed at with impunity.'

'In truth, then,' said I, 'this intelligence is not of my own acquiring.
The greatness of the serdar's, and my Aga's good fortune, consists in
my having fallen upon a means of getting the most perfect information
through a young Armenian, who risked his life for us, upon my making him
promise of recompense in the name of the serdar.'

'A recompense in my name!' exclaimed the serdar: 'who is this
Armenian?--and what Armenian was ever worthy of a recompense?'

Upon this I related the whole of Yusuf's history, from the beginning to
the end. In pleading his cause in this public manner, I hoped that the
serdar would feel it impossible to resist the justice of the demand
which I made upon him, and that my young protege would at once be
released from his fears and apprehensions of the chief's resentment, and
restored to the undisputed possession of his wife.

When I had done speaking, nothing was said, but here and there _Allah!
Allah! il Allah!_ (there is but one God!) in suppressed exclamations
from the lips of the Mohammedans present; whilst the serdar, having
rolled his eyes about, and twitched his mouth into various odd shapes,
at length mumbled out, 'the Armenian has performed wonders'; and then
called aloud to his servants to bring his _kalian_ or pipe.

Having smoked two or three long whiffs, he said, 'Where is this
Armenian? Order the caliph also to come before us.'

Upon which Yusuf was ushered in, with the shoves and thrusts by which a
poor man of his nation is generally introduced before a Persian grandee;
and he stood in face of the assembly as fine a specimen of manly beauty
as was ever seen, evidently creating much sensation upon all present by
the intrepidity of his appearance. The serdar, in particular, fixed
his eyes upon him with looks of approbation; and turning round to the
executioner in chief, made signs, well known among Persians, of his
great admiration.

The caliph, a heavy, coarse man, of a rosy and jovial appearance,
dressed in the black hood peculiar to the Armenian clergy, appeared soon
after, followed by two or three of his priests. Having stood for a short
time before the serdar and his companion, he was invited to sit, which
he did, going through all the ceremonial of complimentary phrases, and
covering the feet and hands i