particularly as he kept conning me over through a corner of it; but
I was relieved as soon as he had read the note to hear him say, '_Be
cheshm!_ By my eyes! the money is ready. But you must refresh yourself.
In the name of God, come in.

I pretended great hurry, not at all liking to remain under the fire of
his sharp eyes; but by way of not exciting suspicion, I consented to eat
some fruit and sour milk.

'I do not remember to have seen you at the chief priest's,' said he to
me, as I was opening wide my mouth to swallow a piece of melon; 'and yet
I am acquainted with every one of his servants perfectly.'

'No,' said I, half choked at the question, 'no, I do not belong to
him. I am an attendant upon the chief executioner, with whom the mollah
bashi, I believe, has some money transactions.'

This seemed to settle every difficulty which I saw had been rising in
the mind of my entertainer; and thus the fine horse, the gold-pommelled
saddle, and the brilliant bridle, were at once accounted for.

Having received the one hundred tomauns, I safely deposited them in my
breast; and then, apparently taking the road back to the city, I left
the village with a heart much lighter than I had brought. But as soon
as I was fairly out of sight I turned my horse's bridle in the contrary
direction, and clapping the stirrups into his flanks galloped on without
stopping, until the foam fairly ran down his sides.

I determined to proceed direct to Kermanshah, there sell horse, saddle,
and bridle, and then make my way to Bagdad, where I should be safe from
all danger of molestation.

Having proceeded some five parasangs on my road I saw a strange figure
walking before me at a good pace, singing with all his throat. He was
lightly dressed, having only a skull-cap on his head, his face bound
round with a piece of linen, a pair of slippers on his feet, and nothing
to indicate that he was a wayfaring man. As I drew near I thought that
I had seen his form before; he was tall and well-shaped, with broad
shoulders, and a narrow waist. I should immediately have taken him for
the mollah Nadan but for his singing; for it never struck me as possible
that one of his grave character and manners could ever lower himself by
so ignoble an act. But little by little I saw so much of him, although
he had not yet discovered me, that I could not be mistaken; it was the
mollah himself.

I stopped my horse to deliberate whether I should notice or make
mys