‘“You are right,” I replied, “I have not the smallest coin, and I do not know where to lay my head.”

‘“Ah! unhappy man,” he cried, “what a strange condition is yours! I pity you, I wish to succour you.”

‘I was somewhat surprised to hear a man speak thus who had just asked alms of me, and I believed the help he offered me was nothing else but prayers and vows, when, continuing, he said: “I am one of those good fellows called fakirs. Although we live on charity we live, nevertheless, in abundance, because we know how to excite the pity of men by an air of mortification and penance. There are, indeed, fakirs who are simple enough to be what they appear, who lead so austere a life that they sometimes go ten whole days without taking the least nourishment. We are a little less rigid than those. We do not pride ourselves upon having their virtues, we merely preserve the appearance of them. Will you become one of us? I am going to seek two who are at Bost; if you are inclined to make the fourth you have only to follow me.”

‘“Not very accustomed to your devotional practices, I fear to acquit myself badly—”

‘“You are laughing,” he interrupted. “Practices indeed! I repeat to you we are not rigid fakirs; in a word, we wear their habit only.”

‘Although this fakir by his words made me understand that his two fakirs and himself were three libertines, I did not refuse to join them. Beside finding myself in a deplorable state, I had not learnt amongst the pages to be scrupulous in my connections. As soon as I had told the fakir that I consented to do what he wished, he con­ducted me to Bost, living on the way on dates, rice, and other provisions given him in the towns and villages through which we passed. As soon as his bell and cry were heard, the good Mussulmans hastened to load him with provisions.

‘We arrived in this way at the town of Bost; we entered a little house situated in the suburbs where the two other fakirs lived. They received us with open arms, and seemed charmed at my resolution to live with them. They soon initiated me into their mysteries, that is to say, they taught me all their grimaces. When I was well instructed in the art of deceiving people, they dressed me like themselves, and required me to go into the town to present flowers and palms to the worthy people and recite verses to them. I always returned home with some pieces of silver, which enabled us to make good cheer.

‘I was still too young, and was naturally too fond of pleasure, to be able to resist the example set by these fakirs. I plunged into all sorts of debauch, and thereby lost insensibly the remem­brance of the Princess of Persia. I still thought of her sometimes and sighed for her; but instead of cherishing these poor remains of my grief, I spared nothing to destroy them, and I often said: “Why think of Zelica, since Zelica is no more? Were I to lament her all my life what would my tears avail?”

‘I passed almost two years with these fakirs, and I should have remained there longer if the one who had persuaded me to join them, and whom I loved more than the others, had not proposed to me to travel. “Hassan,” he said one day to me, “I begin to be wearied of this town. I feel a desire to travel. I have heard tell wonders of the town of Candahar, if you wish to accompany me we will see if a faithful picture has been given me of it.” I consented, impelled by curiosity to see new countries; or, rather, carried away by that superior power which forces us to act.

‘We both left Bost, therefore, and after having passed through several towns without stopping, we arrived at the beautiful town of Candahar, which appeared before us enclosed by strong walls.

‘We lodged in a caravanserai, where we were charitably received by reason of the habits we wore, which was about all we had to recommend us. We found all the inhabitants of the town in a state of commotion because the following day the feast of the anniversary of the king’s corona­tion was to be celebrated. We heard that they were not less occupied at the court, everyone wishing to display his zeal for the King Firouzshah, who was beloved of the good for his equity, and feared of the bad for the rigour with which he treated them.

‘As fakirs enter everywhere without anyone being able to prevent them, we went to the court the following day to see the feast, which had nothing to charm the eyes of a man who had seen the feasts of the kings of Persia. Whilst we were attentively watching all that took place I felt myself touched on the arm. At the same time I turned my head and perceived beside me the eunuch who, in the palace of Shah Tahmasp had given me a letter from Calé-Cairi; or, rather, from Zelica.

‘“My lord Hassan,” he said, “I recognised you in spite of the strange garment which covers you. Although I do not seem to be mistaken, I do not know whether I ought not to mistrust the testi­mony of my eyes. Is it possible that I meet you here?”

‘“And you,” I replied, “what are you doing at Candahar? Why have you left the court of Persia? Was it, as in my case, because of the death of the Princess Zelica?”

‘“That,” he replied, “I cannot tell you now, but I will satisfy your curiosity fully if you will be here to-morrow at the same time. I will tell you things which will astonish you; they concern you, moreover.”

‘I promised him to return alone to the same place the following day, and I did not fail to keep my promise. The eunuch appeared, he came to me and said, “Let us leave this palace; let us seek a more convenient place for conversation.” We entered the town, traversed several streets, and finally we stopped at the door of a rather large house of which he had the key. We entered, I saw well-furnished apart­ments, beautiful foot-carpets, rich sofas, also a well-cultivated garden, in the midst of which was a basin full of lovely water and bordered with jasper.

‘“Lord Hassan,” said the eunuch, “do you like this house?”

‘“Very much,” I replied.

‘“I am very glad of it,” he rejoined, “for I hired it yesterday for you, just as you see it. You require slaves to wait on you. I am going to buy some for you whilst you bathe.” Thus saying, he conducted me into a room where there were baths prepared.

‘“In God’s name,” I said, “tell me why you have brought me here, and what you have to tell me.”

‘“You will be told,” he said, “in due time. Suffice it for you to know that your destiny has greatly changed since I met you, and that I have orders to treat you as I am doing.” At the same time he helped me to undress, which was soon done. I entered the bath and the eunuch went out, begging me not to be impatient.

‘The mysterious treatment I was receiving gave me much food for thought, but I wearied my mind in vain in endeavouring to understand it. Schapour left me a long time in the water, and I was begin­ning to lose patience, when he returned, followed by four slaves, two of whom were laden with linen and clothes and the others with all sorts of pro­visions. “I beg pardon, my lord,” he said. “I am sorry to have made you wait so long.”

‘The slaves immediately put their packets on the sofa and hastened to wait on me. They rubbed me with fine new linen, then they dressed me in a rich vest with a magnificent robe and a turban. “Where is all this to end?” I said to myself; “by whose order does this eunuch treat me in this manner?” I was consumed with impatience to be enlightened on the subject.

‘Schapour noticed it. “I regret to see you a prey to your anxiety, but I cannot relieve you. Had I not been expressly forbidden to speak, and if betraying my duty I were to inform you of all that I know, I should not make you more tranquil. Other desires still more violent would succeed those which animate you now. You will not know till to-night what you wish to learn.”

‘Although the speech of the eunuch augured well for me, I remained for the rest of the day in a state of cruel suspense. I believe the anticipation of evil causes less suffering than the expectation of a great pleasure.

‘Night came, however; candles were lit every­where, and particular care was taken to light the finest apartment in the house. I was there with Schapour, who, to relieve my weariness, said every minute: “Have a little more patience, they are coming.” At last we heard knocking at the door: the eunuch went to open it himself, and returned with a lady, who had no sooner lifted her veil than I recognised her to be Calé-Cairi. At sight of her my surprise was extreme, for I thought this lady was at Shiraz. “Lord Hassan,” she said, “how­ever astonished you may be to see me, you will be much more so when you hear what I have to tell you.” At these words Schapour and the slaves went out and left me alone with Calé-Cairi. We both sat on the same sofa and she began thus: