ar at a distance like flames. As I wondered at
this magnificent building, I saw ten handsome young men coming along;
but what surprised me was that they were all blind of the right eye.
They were accompanied by an old man, very tall, and of a venerable
aspect.

As I was conjecturing by what adventure these men could come together,
they approached, and seemed glad to see me. After we had made our
salutations, they inquired what had brought me thither. I told them my
story, which filled them with great astonishment.

After I had concluded my account, the young men prayed me to accompany
them into the palace, and brought me into a spacious hall, where there
were ten small blue sofas set round, separate from one another. In the
middle of this circle stood an eleventh sofa, not so high as the rest,
but of the same color, upon which the old man before mentioned sat
down, and the young men occupied the other ten. But as each sofa could
only contain one man, one of the young men said to me, "Sit down,
friend, upon that carpet in the middle of the room, and do not inquire
into anything that concerns us, nor the reason why we are all blind of
the right eye."

The old man, having sat a short time, arose, and went out; but he
returned in a minute or two, brought in supper, distributed to each
man separately his proportion, and likewise brought me mine, which I
ate apart, as the rest did; and when supper was almost ended, he
presented to each of us a cup of wine.

One of the young men observing that it was late, said to the old man,
"You do not bring us that with which we may acquit ourselves of our
duty." At these words the old man arose, and went into a closet, and
brought out thence upon his head ten basins, one after another, all
covered with black stuff; he placed one before every gentleman,
together with a light.

They uncovered their basins, which contained ashes and powdered
charcoal; they mixed all together, and rubbed and bedaubed their faces
with it; and having thus blackened themselves, they wept and lamented,
beating their heads and breasts, and crying continually, "This is the
fruit of our idleness and curiosity."

[Illustration: _These ladies vied with each other in their eager
solicitude to do me all possible service Page 91_]

They continued this strange employment nearly the whole of the
night. I wished a thousand times to break the silence which had been
imposed upon me, and to ask the reason of their str