ng that the active, bustling, imperious nasakchi should
not be known under the garb of the would-be humble and insignificant
priest; so for the present I felt secure in my disguise, and I boldly
took my way through the bazaars and the most public places of the city,
where formerly nothing but 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 impression.

Having taken good care of my mule, I slept soundly after the fatigues of
the journey; and the next morning I repaired to the bath, where, having
given 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 artillerymen, and near to the entrance of the
bazaar, which, leading by the gate of the said mosque, opens at its
other extremity immediately on the ditch of the Shah's palace. It had
a mean front; although, having once passed through the gate, the small
courtyard which immediately succeeded was clean, and well watered; and
the room which looked into it, though only whitewashed, had a set of
carpets, which did not indicate wealth, but still spoke the absence of
poverty.

In this room was seated a wan and sickly-looking 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 to make known my pretensions to being something more 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 my business could be; but he did
not so well succeed, although 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 certa