第56章

Afterthelapseofafewdays，Icalledatthehousewhichhehadindicated。Itwassituatedinadarkandnarrowstreet，intheheartoftheCity，atnogreatdistancefromtheBank。Ienteredacounting-room，inwhichasolitaryclerk，withaforeignlook，waswriting。Thestrangerwasnotathome；returningthenextday，however，Imethimatthedoorashewasabouttoenter；heshookmewarmlybythehand。’Iamgladtoseeyou，’saidhe，’followme，Iwasjustthinkingofyou。’Heledmethroughthecounting-

room，toanapartmentupaflightofstairs；beforeascending，however，helookedintothebookinwhichtheforeign-visagedclerkwaswriting，and，seeminglynotsatisfiedwiththemannerinwhichhewasexecutinghistask，hegavehimtwoorthreecuffs，tellinghimatthesametimethathedeservedcrucifixion。

Theapartmentabovestairs，towhichheledme，waslarge，withthreewindows，whichopeneduponthestreet。Thewallswerehungwithwiredcases，apparentlycontainingbooks。Therewasatableandtwoorthreechairs；buttheprincipalarticleoffurniturewasalongsofa，extendingfromthedoorbywhichweenteredtothefartherendoftheapartment。Seatinghimselfuponthesofa，mynewacquaintancemotionedtometositbesidehim，andthen，lookingmefullintheface，repeatedhisformerinquiry。’Inthenameofallthatiswonderful，howcameyoutoknowaughtofmylanguage？’

’Thereisnothingwonderfulinthat，’saidI；’weareatthecommencementofaphilologicalage，everyonestudieslanguages；

thatis，everyonewhoisfitfornothingelse；philologybeingthelastresourceofdulnessandennui，Ihavegotalittleinadvanceofthethrong，bymasteringtheArmenianalphabet；butIforeseethetimewheneveryunmarriageablemiss，anddesperateblockhead，willlikewisehaveacquiredthelettersofMesroub，andwillknowthetermforbread，inArmenian，andperhapsthatforwine。’

’Kini，’saidmycompanion；andthatandtheotherwordputmeinmindofthedutiesofhospitality。’Willyoueatbreadanddrinkwinewithme？’

’Willingly，’saidI。Whereuponmycompanion，unlockingacloset，produced，onasilversalver，aloafofbread，withasilver-

handledknife，andwineinasilverflask，withcupsofthesamemetal。’Ihopeyoulikemyfare，’saidhe，afterwehadbotheatenanddrunk。

’Ilikeyourbread，’saidI，’foritisstale；Ilikenotyourwine，itissweet，andIhatesweetwine。’

’ItiswineofCyprus，’saidmyentertainer；and，whenIfoundthatitwaswineofCyprus，Itasteditagain，andthesecondtastepleasedmemuchbetterthanthefirst，notwithstandingthatIstillthoughtitsomewhatsweet。’So，’saidI，afterapause，lookingatmycompanion，’youareanArmenian。’

’Yes，’saidhe，’anArmenianborninLondon，butnotlessanArmenianonthataccount。MyfatherwasanativeofIspahan，oneofthecelebratedArmeniancolonywhichwasestablishedthereshortlyafterthetimeofthedreadfulhunger，whichdrovethechildrenofHaikinswarmsfromtheiroriginalcountry，andscatteredthemovermostpartsoftheeasternandwesternworld。

InIspaha