第37章

’Well!’

’SoIhavebeenreadingtheBibleinancientArmenian。’

’Youtoldmesobefore。’

’Ifounditahighlydifficultlanguage。’

’Yes。’

’DifferingwidelyfromthelanguagesingeneralwithwhichIamacquainted。’

’Yes。’

’Exhibiting，however，somefeaturesincommonwiththem。’

’Yes。’

’AndsometimesagreeingremarkablyinwordswithacertainstrangewildspeechwithwhichIbecameacquainted-’

’Irish？’

’No，father，notIrish-withwhichIbecameacquaintedbythegreatestchanceintheworld。’

’Yes。’

’ButofwhichIneedsaynothingfartheratpresent，andwhichI

shouldnothavementionedbutforthatfact。’

’Well!’

’WhichIconsiderremarkable。’

’Yes。’

’TheArmenianiscopious。’

’Isit？’

’Withanalphabetofthirty-nineletters，butitisharshandguttural。’

’Yes。’

’Likethelanguageofmostmountainouspeople-theArmenianscallitHaik。’

’Dothey？’

’Andthemselves，Haik，also；theyarearemarkablepeople，and，thoughtheiroriginalhabitationistheMountainofArarat，theyaretobefound，liketheJews，allovertheworld。’

’Well!’

’Well，father，that’sallIcantellyouabouttheHaiks，orArmenians。’

’Andwhatdoesitallamountto？’

’Verylittle，father；indeed，thereisverylittleknownabouttheArmenians；theirearlyhistory，inparticular，isinvolvedinconsiderablemystery。’

’And，ifyouknewallthatitwaspossibletoknowaboutthem，towhatwoulditamount？towhatearthlypurposecouldyouturnit？

haveyouacquiredanyknowledgeofyourprofession？’

’Verylittle，father。’

’Verylittle!Haveyouacquiredallinyourpower？’

’Ican’tsaythatIhave，father。’

’Andyetitwasyourdutytohavedoneso。ButIseehowitis，youhaveshamefullymisusedyouropportunities；youarelikeonewho，sentintothefieldtolabour，passeshistimeinflingingstonesatthebirdsofheaven。’

’Iwouldscorntoflingastoneatabird，father。’

’YouknowwhatImean，andalltoowell，andthisattempttoevadedeservedreproofbyfeignedsimplicityisquiteincharacterwithyourgeneralbehaviour。Ihaveeverobservedaboutyouawantoffrankness，whichhasdistressedme；youneverspeakofwhatyouareabout，yourhopes，oryourprojects，butcoveryourselfwithmystery。IneverknewtillthepresentmomentthatyouwereacquaintedwithArmenian。’

’Becauseyouneveraskedme，father；there’snothingtoconcealinthematter-IwilltellyouinamomenthowIcametolearnArmenian。AladywhomImetatoneofMrs-’spartiestookafancytome，andhasdonemethehonourtoallowmetogoandseehersometimes。Sheisthewidowofaric