’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。Sheisthewidowofarichclergyman，andonherhusband’sdeathcametothisplacetolive，bringingherhusband’slibrarywithher：Isoonfoundmywaytoit，andexaminedeverybook。Herhusbandmusthavebeenalearnedman，foramongstmuchGreekandHebrewIfoundseveralvolumesinArmenian，orrelatingtothelanguage。’
’Andwhydidyounottellmeofthisbefore？’
’Becauseyouneverquestionedme；but，Irepeat，thereisnothingtoconcealinthematter。Theladytookafancytome，and，beingfondofthearts，drewmyportrait；shesaidtheexpressionofmycountenanceputherinmindofAlfieri’sSaul。’
’Anddoyoustillvisither？’
’No，shesoongrewtiredofme，andtoldpeoplethatshefoundmeverystupid；shegavemetheArmenianbooks，however。’
’Saul，’saidmyfather，musingly，’Saul。Iamafraidshewasonlytoorightthere；hedisobeyedthecommandsofhismaster，andbroughtdownonhisheadthevengeanceofHeaven-hebecameamaniac，prophesied，andflungweaponsabouthim。’
’Hewas，indeed，anawfulcharacter-IhopeIshan’tturnoutlikehim。’
’Godforbid!’saidmyfather，solemnly；’butinmanyrespectsyouareheadstronganddisobedientlikehim。Iplacedyouinaprofession，andbesoughtyoutomakeyourselfmasterofitbygivingityourundividedattention。This，however，youdidnotdo，youknownothingofit，buttellmethatyouareacquaintedwithArmenian；butwhatIdislikemostisyourwantofcandour-youaremyson，butIknowlittleofyourrealhistory，youmayknowfiftythingsforwhatIamaware：youmayknowhowtoshoeahorseforwhatIamaware。’
’Notonlytoshoeahorse，father，buttomakehorse-shoes。’
’Perhapsso，’saidmyfather；’anditonlyservestoprovewhatI
wasjustsaying，thatIknowlittleaboutyou。’
’Butyoueasilymay，mydearfather；Iwilltellyouanythingthatyoumaywishtoknow-shallIinformyouhowIlearnttomakehorse-shoes？’
’No，’saidmyfather；’asyoukeptitasecretsolong，itmayaswellcontinuesostill。Hadyoubeenafrank，open-heartedboy，likeoneIcouldname，youwouldhavetoldmeallaboutitofyourownaccord。ButInowwishtoaskyouaseriousquestion-whatdoyouproposetodo？’
’Todo，father？’
’Yes!thetimeforwhichyouwerearticledtoyourprofessionwillsoonbeexpired，andIshallbenomore。’
’Donottalkso，mydearfather；Ihavenodoubtthatyouwillsoonbebetter。’
’Donotflatteryourself；Ifeelthatmydaysarenumbered，Iamsoongoingtomyrest，andIhaveneedofrest，forIamweary。
There，there，don’tweep!Tearswillhelpmeaslittleastheywillyou；youhavenotyetansweredmyquestion。Tellmewhatyouintendtodo？’
’IreallydonotknowwhatIshalldo。’
’ThemilitarypensionwhichIenjoywillceasewithmylife。ThepropertywhichIshallleavebehindmewillbebarelysufficientforthemaintenanceofyourmotherrespectably。Iagainaskyouwhatyouintendtodo。DoyouthinkyoucansupportyourselfbyyourArmenianoryourotheracquirements？’
’Alas!Ithinklittleatallaboutit；butIsupposeImustpushintotheworld，andmakeagoodfight，asbecomesthesonofhimwhofoughtBigBen；ifIcan’tsucceed，andamdriventotheworst，itisbutdying-’
’Whatdoyoumeanbydying？’
’Leavingtheworld；mylosswouldscarcelybefelt。Ihaveneverheldlifeinmuchvalue，andeveryonehasarighttodisposeashethinksbestofthatwhichishisown。’
’Ah!nowIunderstandyou；andwellIknowhowandwhereyouimbibedthathorribledoctrine，andmanysimilaroneswhichIhaveheardfromyourmouth；butIwishnottoreproachyou-Iviewinyourconductapunishmentformyownsins，andIbowtothewillofGod。Fewandevilhavebeenmydaysupontheearth；littlehaveI
donetowhichIcanlookbackwithsatisfaction。ItistrueIhaveservedmykingfiftyyears，andIhavefoughtwith-Heavenforgiveme，whatwasIabouttosay!-butyoumentionedtheman’sname，andourmindswillinglyrecallourancientfollies。Fewandevilhavebeenmydaysuponearth，ImaysaywithJacobofold，thoughI
donotmeantosaythatmycaseissohardashis；hehadmanyundutifulchildren，whilstIhaveonly-；butIwillnotreproachyou。IhavealsolikehimasontowhomIcanlookwithhope，whomayyetpreservemynamewhenIamgone，soletmebethankful；
perhaps，afterall，Ihavenotlivedinvain。Boy，whenIamgone，lookuptoyourbrother，andmayGodblessyouboth!There，don’tweep；buttaketheBible，andreadmesomethingabouttheoldmanandhischildren。’
Mybrotherhadnowbeenabsentforthespaceofthreeyears。Atfirsthislettershadbeenfrequent，andfromthemitappearedthathewasfollowinghisprofessioninLondonwithindustry；theythenbecameratherrare，andmyfatherdidnotalwayscommunicatetheircontents。Hislastletter，however，hadfilledhimandourwholelittlefamilywithjoy；itwasdatedfromParis，andthewriterwasevidentlyinhighspirits。AfterdescribingineloquenttermsthebeautiesandgaietiesoftheFrenchcapital，heinformedushowhehadplentyofmoney，havingcopiedacelebratedpictureofoneoftheItalianmastersforaHungariannobleman，forwhichhehadreceivedalargesum。’HewishesmetogowithhimtoItaly，’
addedhe，’butIamfondofindependence；and，ifeverIvisitoldRome，Iwillhavenopatronsnearmetodistractmyattention。’