where, he
bowed to Ferdinand with great solemnity, and complimented him with the
pas. He even proceeded, in the course of this communication, to open his
mouth, and salute him with a good-morrow, and sometimes made the common
remarks upon the weather. Fathom, who was naturally complaisant, did not
discourage these advances. On the contrary, he behaved to him with marks
of particular respect, and one day desired the favour of his company to
breakfast.

This invitation the stranger declined with due acknowledgment, on
pretence of being out of order; and, in the meantime, our adventurer
bethought himself of questioning the landlord concerning his outlandish
guest. His curiosity was rather inflamed than satisfied with the
information he could obtain from this quarter; for all he learned was,
that the Persian went by the name of Ali Beker, and that he had lived in
the house for the space of four months, in a most solitary and
parsimonious manner, without being visited by one living soul; that, for
some time after his arrival, he had been often heard to groan dismally in
the night, and even to exclaim in an unknown language, as if he had
laboured under some grievous affliction; and though the first transports
of his grief had subsided, it was easy to perceive he still indulged a
deep-rooted melancholy; for the tears were frequently observed to trickle
down his beard. The commissaire of the quarter had at first ordered this
Oriental to be watched in his outgoings, according to the maxims of the
French police; but his life was found so regular and inoffensive, that
this precaution was soon set aside.

Any man of humane sentiments, from the knowledge of these particulars,
would have been prompted to offer his services to the forlorn stranger;
but as our hero was devoid of all these infirmities of human nature, it
was necessary that other motives should produce the same effect. His
curiosity, therefore, joined with the hopes of converting the confidence
of Ali to his own emolument, effectually impelled him towards his
acquaintance; and, in a little time, they began to relish the
conversation of each other. For, as the reader may have already
observed, Fathom possessed all the arts of insinuation, and had
discernment enough to perceive an air of dignity in the Persian, which
the humility of his circumstances could not conceal. He was, moreover, a
man of good understanding, not without a tincture of letters, perfectly
wel