hich I had nestled myself.

The bath had now been almost entirely abandoned by the bathers, when of
a sudden a stir ensued, and I perceived a man walk in, with a certain
degree of parade, whom, through the glimmering of light that was still
left, I recognized to be the mollah bashi in person. Neither he nor his
attendants perceived me; and as soon as he was left to himself (for so
he thought) he immediately got into the reservoir of hot water, or the
_hazneh_ (the treasury), as it is called in the baths of Persia.

Here I heard him for some time splashing about and puffing with all his
might; a sort of playfulness which struck me as remarkable for so grave
and sedate a character; and then a most unusual floundering, attended
with a gurgling of the throat, struck my ear.

I conceived that he might be practising some extraordinary bodily
exercise, and curiosity impelled me to rise gently from my corner, and
with all the precaution possible, to steal softly on the tips of my toes
to the aperture of the reservoir, and look in.

To my horror, I perceived the head of the law at his last gasp,
apparently without a struggle left in him. It was evident that he had
been seized with a fit, and had been drowned before he could call for
help.

All the terrible consequences of this unfortunate event stared me full
in the face. 'What can now hinder me,' said I, 'from being taken up as
his murderer? Everybody knew how ill-disposed against him was my master,
the mollah Nadan, and I shall be called the vile instrument of his
enmity.'

Whilst making these reflections, standing upon the step that leads
into the reservoir, the mollah bashi's servant, followed by a bathing
attendant, came in, with the warm linen that is used on leaving the
bath; and seeing a man apparently coming out of the water, naturally
took me for the deceased, and without any words proceeded to rub me down
and to put on the bathing linen. This gave me time for thought; and as I
foresaw an adventure that might perhaps lead me safely out of the scrape
into which my destiny had thrown me, I let it take its course, and at
once resolved to personify the chief priest.

A dim lamp, suspended from on high, was the only light that shone in the
large vault of the dressing-room; and as I happened to be about the size
and stature of the deceased, his servants, who were without suspicion,
very naturally took me for their master. I had known and seen a great
deal of him duri