ng my stay with the Mollah Nadan, and, therefore, was
sufficiently acquainted with the manners of the man to be able to
copy him for the short time it would take to be attended upon by his
servants, until we reached his house. The most difficult part of the
imposture would be, when I should enter the women's apartments; for I
was quite unacquainted with the locality there, and totally ignorant of
the sort of footing he was upon with the inmates of his anderun. Indeed,
I once heard that he was a perfect tyrant over the fairer part of the
creation; and as much gossip was carried on at my master's, it came to
my recollection, that it had been said he waged a continual war with his
lawful wife, for certain causes of jealousy which his conduct was said
to promote. He was a man of few words, and when he spoke generally
expressed himself in short broken sentences; and as he affected to use
words of Arabic origin on all occasions, more gutteral sounds obtruded
themselves upon the ear than are generally heard from those who talk
pure Persian.

I did not permit myself to open my lips during the whole time that I
was dressing. I kept my face in shade as much as possible; and when the
waterpipe was offered to me, I smoked it in the manner that I had seen
the chief priest do; that is, taking two or three long whiffs, and then
disgorging a seemingly interminable stream of smoke.

One of the servants appeared to be struck by something unusual, as I
pronounced my _Khoda hafiz!_ to the owner of the bath upon leaving it;
but all suspicion was at an end when they felt the weight which I gave
myself, as they helped me to mount the horse that was in waiting.

I deliberately dismounted at the gate of the house of the deceased; and
although I bungled about the passages, yet, following the man who seemed
to act as the confidential servant, I came to the little door which
leads into the anderun. I permitted him to do what he no doubt was daily
accustomed to do, and just as he had opened the door, and I had advanced
two or three paces, he shouted out, '_Cheragh biar_, bring lights,' and
then retired.

A clatter of slippers and women's voices was then immediately heard,
and two young slaves came running towards me with tapers in their hands,
apparently striving who should first reach me.

The largest apartment of the building was lighted up, and I could
perceive in it more women than one. That I took to be the residence of
the principal pers