Part 21 (2/2)

If the thing be not exactly so, yet, by the good luck of the Shah, it will, and therefore it a when it suits one?s purpose, but very inconvenient when otherwise?

?Yes,? said the mirza, as he looked up from his knee, upon which he rested his hand to write his letter, and quoting a well-known passage in Saadi, ?Falsehoodto excite strife?

The vizier then called for his shoes, rose fro for him at the door of his tent, and proceeded to the audience of the Shah, to give an account of the different dispatches that he had just received I followed hie retinue of servants, until he turned round to o, and take your rest?

[Illustration: Death of Zeenab 21jpg]

CHAPTER XLIII

He relates a horrid tale, the consequences of which plunge hireatest misery

In a few days after the camp was struck, and the Shah returned to his winter quarters at Tehran, in the same pomp and parade hich he had left it I had resumed my post as sub-lieutenant to the chief executioner, and was busily engaged in disposing of the ht be preserved during the er to Tehran, with orders that the bazigers, the dancers and singers, should be in readiness to receive the Shah on his arrival at Sulimanieh This place, as I have said before, is a palace situated on the banks of the Caraj, about nine parasangs frootten Zeenab cas which, owing to my active life, had hitherto lain dormant, were now revived Seven months were elapsed since we had first beco that time I had lived with ood feeling, yet there was soined must now be her situation, and I felt myself so much the cause of it, that my heart smote me every time that the subject caht I, ?if my fears be well founded In a few days more we reach Sulimanieh, and then her fate will be decided?

On the day of our arrival I headed the procession, to see that every proper arrangement had been made within the palace; and as I approached the walls of the hareers had already taken their station, I heard the sounds of their voices and of their iven to have spoken to Zeenab, or even to have observed her at a distance! But I knew that it would not be prudent to ask erous both to her and ht arise, and probably involve us in iive myself much stir on the subject, it would have been to no purpose; for very shortly after I heard the salute fired from the _Zahted from his horse

After he had smoked one pipe in his hall of state, and had dismissed the courtiers who attended him, he retired to the hares of the wouitars, and little dru the air as they walked in procession before him Well did I listen with all my ears to discover Zeenab?s voice; but every endeavour was baffled, and I rereeable state of vibration betwixt hope and fear, until a hasty order was issued for ?s physician, to appear immediately before the Shah Combinations of the mind in all ht, and act like the foretellings of prophecy When I heard that the hakih my veins, and I said to myself, ?Zeenab is lost for ever!?

He ca me at the door of the harem, took ed You remember the Curdish slave, which I presented to hi the dancing-women, and pretends to be ill He loves her, and had set his heart upon seeing her He has called me to account for her conduct, as if I could control the caprice of this daughter of the devil; and says, that if he does not find her in full health and beauty when he reaches the ark (the palace), which will be on the next best fortunate hour, he will pluck my beard out by the roots Curse the unlucky moment which made her my slave; and still more the hour when I first invited the Shah into my house?

Upon this he left me, to set off immediately for Tehran, whilst I retired to my tent, to ruirl I endeavoured to rally my spirits by the hope that perhaps she was actually ill, and that it had been i; and then I consoled myself with the idea, that if ht be softened, and hesome evasive reason for her non-appearance Then, after all, as if braving s, I repeated to myself the lines of one of our poets, who, like me, had lost hiseyes, or one cypress waist, or one full-moon face in the world, that I should so mourn the loss of my cruel one?

?Why should I burn, why should I cut riefs under the s of the deaf-eared charmer?

?No, let s?

Thus I endeavoured to ht of the subject, and to show myself a true Mussulman by o where I would, the iled corpse, was ever before ination at all seasons and at all hours

At length the fortunate hour for the Shah?s entry was announced, and he entered Tehran amidst the whole of its population, who had been turned out to greet his arrival Myas to see the hakiht fall uponof our arrival, my wishes (alas! how fatally!) were acco some orders to a nasakchi, I saw hi full of care, with one hand stuck in his girdle, the other in his side, his back round I placed ave him the salutation of peace, which caused hinizedCoe story afloat,? said he; ?this Curd has brought all sorts of ashes on my head _Wallah!_ by Heaven, the Shah has run clean eneral massacre of all that iswith his viziers, and finishi+ng by the eunuchs He swears by his own head, that he will make me the first example if I do not find out the culprit?

?What culprit? hat?? said I, ?what has happened??

?Why, Zeenab,? answered he, ?Zeenab?

?Oh! I understand,? said I; ?Aye! she you used to love sohimself suspected, ?I?

_Astaferallah!_ Heaven forbid! Do not say so for pity?s sake, Hajji, for if such a suspicion were once hinted, the Shah would put his threat into immediate execution Where did you ever hear that I loved Zeenab??

?Many things were reported concerning you at that time,? said I, ?and all were astonished that a man of your wisdom, the Locman of his time, the Galenus of Persia, should have eerous a coeny of the devil himself, whose footsteps could not be otherwise than notoriously unfortunate; who, of herself, was enough to bring ill luck to a whole ele family like yours?