’Andwhatwillyoudowithyourriches，’saidI，’whenyouhaveobtainedthem？Willyousitdownandmuseuponthem，orwillyoudeposittheminacellar，andgodownonceadaytostareatthem？
Ihaveheardsaythatthefulfilmentofone’swishesisinvariablytheprecursorofextrememisery，andforsoothIcanscarcelyconceiveamorehorriblestateofexistencethantobewithoutahopeorwish。’
’Itisbadenough，Idaresay，’saidtheArmenian；’itwill，however，betimeenoughtothinkofdisposingofthemoneywhenI
haveprocuredit。Istillfallshortbyavastsumofthetwohundredthousandpounds。’
Ihadoccasionallymuchconversationwithhimonthestateandprospectsofhisnation，especiallyofthatpartofitwhichstillcontinuedintheoriginalcountryoftheHaiks-Araratanditsconfines，which，itappeared，hehadfrequentlyvisited。HeinformedmethatsincethedeathofthelastHaikmonarch，whichoccurredintheeleventhcentury，Armeniahadbeengovernedbothtemporallyandspirituallybycertainpersonagescalledpatriarchs；
theirtemporalauthority，however，wasmuchcircumscribedbythePersianandTurk，especiallytheformer，ofwhomtheArmenianspokewithmuchhatred，whilsttheirspiritualauthorityhadatvarioustimesbeenconsiderablyunderminedbytheemissariesofthePapaofRome，astheArmeniancalledhim。
’ThePapaofRomesenthisemissariesatanearlyperiodamongstus，’saidtheArmenian，’seducingthemindsofweak-headedpeople，persuadingthemthatthehillocksofRomearehigherthantheridgesofArarat；thattheRomanPapahasmoretosayinheaventhantheArmenianpatriarch，andthatpunyLatinisabetterlanguagethannervousandsonorousHaik。’
’Theyarebothdialects，’saidI，’ofthelanguageofMr。
Petulengro，oneofwhoseraceIbelievetohavebeentheoriginalfounderofRome；but，withrespecttoreligion，whatarethechiefpointsofyourfaith？youareChristians，Ibelieve。’
’Yes，’saidtheArmenian，’weareChristiansinourway；webelieveinGod，theHolySpirit，andSaviour，thoughwearenotpreparedtoadmitthatthelastpersonageisnotonlyhimself，buttheothertwo。Webelieve……’andthentheArmeniantoldmeofseveralthingswhichtheHaiksbelievedordisbelieved。’Butwhatwefindmosthardofalltobelieve，’saidhe，’isthatthemanofthemole-hillsisentitledtoourallegiance，henotbeingaHaik，orunderstandingtheHaiklanguage。’
’But，byyourownconfession，’saidI，’hehasintroducedaschisminyournation，andhasamongstyoumanythatbelieveinhim。’
’Itistrue，’saidtheArmenian，IthatevenontheconfinesofAraratthereareagreatnumberwhoconsiderthatmountaintobelowerthanthehillocksofRome；butthegreaternumberofdegenerateArmeniansaretobefoundamongstthosewhohavewanderedtothewest；mostoftheHaikchurchesofthewestconsiderRometobehigherthanArarat-mostoftheArmeniansofthisplaceholdthatdogma；I，however，havealwaysstoodfirminthecontraryopinion。
’Ha!ha!’-heretheArmenianlaughedinhispeculiarmanner-
’talkingofthismatterputsmeinmindofanadventurewhichlatelybefellme，withoneoftheemissariesofthePapaofRome，forthePapaofRomehasatpresentmanyemissariesinthiscountry，inordertoseducethepeoplefromtheirownquietreligiontothesavageheresyofRome；thisfellowcametomepartlyinthehopeofconvertingme，butprincipallytoextortmoneyforthepurposeoffurtheringthedesignsofRomeinthiscountry。Ihumouredthefellowatfirst，keepinghiminplayfornearlyamonth，deceivingandlaughingathim。Atlasthediscoveredthathecouldmakenothingofme，anddepartedwiththescowlofCaiaphas，whilstIcriedafterhim，’TherootsofAraratareDEEPERthanthoseofRome。’
TheArmenianhadoccasionallyrevertedtothesubjectofthetranslationoftheHaikEsop，whichhehadstillalurkingdesirethatIshouldexecute；butIhadinvariablydeclinedtheundertaking，without，however，statingmyreasons。Ononeoccasion，whenwehadbeenconversingonthesubject，theArmenian，whohadbeenobservingmycountenanceforsometimewithmuchattention，remarked，’Perhaps，afterall，youareright，andyoumightemployyourtimetobetteradvantage。Literatureisafinething，especiallyHaikliterature，butneitherthatnoranyotherwouldbelikelytoserveasafoundationtoaman’sfortune：andtomakeafortuneshouldbetheprincipalaimofeveryone’slife；
thereforelistentome。AcceptaseatatthedeskoppositetomyMoldavianclerk，andreceivetherudimentsofamerchant’seducation。YoushallbeinstructedintheArmenianwayofdoingbusiness-Ithinkyouwouldmakeanexcellentmerchant。’
’Whydoyouthinkso？’
’BecauseyouhavesomethingoftheArmenianlook。’
’Iunderstandyou，’saidI；’youmeantosaythatIsquint!’
’Notexactly，’saidtheArmenian，’butthereiscertainlyakindofirregularityinyourfeatures。Oneeyeappearstomelargerthantheother-nevermind，butratherrejoice；inthatirregularityconsistsyourstrength。Allpeoplewithregularfeaturesarefools；itisveryhardforthem，you’llsay，butthereisnohelp：
allwecando，whoarenotinsuchapredicament，istopitythosewhoare。Well!willyouacceptmyoffer？No!youareasingularindividual；butImustnotforgetmyownconcerns。Imustnowgoforth，havinganappointmentbywhichIhopetomakemoney。’
CHAPTERL
Wishfulfilled-Extraordinaryfigure-Bueno-Noah-Thetwofaces-Idon’tblamehim-Toofondofmoney-WereIanArmenian。
THEfulfilmentoftheArmenian’sgrandwishwasnearerathandthaneitherheorIhadanticipated。Partlyowingtothesuccessofaboldspeculation，inwhichhehadsometimepreviouslyengaged，andpartlyowingtothebequestofalargesumofmoneybyoneofhisnationwhodiedatthisperiodinParis，hefoundhimselfinthepossessionofafortunesomewhatexceedingtwohundredthousandpounds；thisfacthecommunicatedtomeoneeveningaboutanhourafterthecloseof’Change；thehouratwhichIgenerallycalled，andatwhichImostlyfoundhimathome。
’Well，’saidI，’andwhatdoyouintendtodonext？’
’Iscarcelyknow，’saidtheArmenian。’Iwasthinkingofthatwhenyoucamein。Idon’tseeanythingthatIcando，savegoingoninmyformercourse。Afterall，Iwasperhapstoomoderateinmakingthepossessionoftwohundredthousandpoundsthesummitofmyambition；therearemanyindividualsinthistownwhopossessthreetimesthatsum，andarenotyetsatisfied。No，IthinkIcandonobetterthanpursuetheoldcareer；whoknowsbutImaymakethetwohundredthousandthreeorfour？-thereisalreadyasurplus，whichisanencouragement；however，wewillconsiderthematteroveragobletofwine；IhaveobservedoflatethatyouhavebecomepartialtomyCyprus。’
Anditcametopassthat，aswewereseatedovertheCypruswine，weheardaknockatthedoor。’Adelante!’criedtheArmenian；
whereuponthedooropened，andinwalkedasomewhatextraordinaryfigure-amaninalongloosetunicofastuffstripedwithblackandyellow；breechesofplushvelvet，silkstockings，andshoeswithsilverbuckles。Onhisheadheworeahigh-peakedhat；hewastall，hadahookednose，andinagewasaboutfifty。
’Welcome，RabbiManasseh，’saidtheArmenian。’Iknowyourknock-
youarewelcome；sitdown。’
’Iamwelcome，’saidManasseh，sittingdown；’he-he-he!youknowmyknock-Ibringyoumoney-BUENO!’
Therewassomethingverypeculiarinthesoundofthatbueno-I
neverforgotit。
ThereuponaconversationensuedbetweenRabbiManassehandtheArmenian，inalanguagewhichIknewtobeSpanish，thoughapeculiardialect。Itrelatedtoamercantiletransaction。TheRabbisighedheavilyashedeliveredtotheotheraconsiderablesumofmoney。
’Itisright，’saidtheArmenian，handingareceipt。’Itisright；
andIamquitesatisfied。’
’Youaresatisfied-youhavetakenmoney。BUENO，Ihavenothingtosayagainstyourbeingsatisfied。’
’Come，Rabbi，’saidtheArmenian，’donotdespond；itmaybeyourturnnexttotakemoney；inthemeantime，can’tyoubepersuadedtotastemyCyprus？’
’He-he-he!senor，youknowIdonotlovewine。IloveNoahwhenheishimself；but，asJanus，Ilovehimnot。Butyouaremerry；BUENO，youhavearighttobeso。’
’Excuseme，’saidI；’butdoesNoaheverappearasJanus？’
’He-he-he!’saidtheRabbi，’heonlyappearedasJanusonce-
unavezquandoestuvoborracho；whichmeans-’
’Iunderstand，’saidI；’whenhewas……’andIdrewthesideofmyrighthandsharplyacrossmyleftwrist。
’Areyouoneofourpeople？’saidtheRabbi。
’No，’saidI，’IamoneoftheGoyim；butIamonlyhalfenlightened。WhyshouldNoahbeJanuswhenhewasinthatstate？’
’He-he-he!youmustknowthatinLasanakhadeswineisjanin。’
’InArmenian，kini，’saidI；’inWelsh，gwin；Latin，vinum；butdoyouthinkthatJanusandjaninareone？’
’DoIthink？Don’tthecommentatorssayso？DoesnotMasterLeoAbarbenelsaysoinhisDIALOGUESOFDIVINELOVE’？
’But，’saidI，’IalwaysthoughtthatJanuswasagodoftheancientRomans，whostoodinatempleopenintimeofwar，andshutintimeofpeace；hewasrepresentedwithtwofaces，which-which-’