’DoyoumeantosaythatIamascofferandmocker？’
’Idon’twishtosayyouare，’saidBelle；’butsomeofyourwordssoundstrangelylikescoffingandmocking。Ihavenowonethingtobeg，whichis，thatifyouhaveanythingtosayagainstAmerica，youwouldspeakitoutboldly。’
’WhatshouldIhavetosayagainstAmerica？Ineverwasthere。’
’ManypeoplespeakagainstAmericawhoneverwerethere。’
’ManypeoplespeakinpraiseofAmericawhoneverwerethere；butwithrespecttomyself，IhavenotspokenfororagainstAmerica。’
’IfyoulikedAmericayouwouldspeakinitspraise。’
’Bythesamerule，ifIdislikedAmericaIshouldspeakagainstit。’
’Ican’tspeakwithyou，’saidBelle；’butIseeyoudislikethecountry。’
’Thecountry!’
’Well，thepeople-don’tyou？’
’Ido。’
’Whydoyoudislikethem？’
’Why，IhaveheardmyfathersaythattheAmericanmarksmen，ledonbyachapofthenameofWashington，senttheEnglishtotheright-
aboutindouble-quicktime。’
’AndthatisyourreasonfordislikingtheAmericans？’
’Yes，’saidI，’thatismyreasonfordislikingthem。’
’Willyoutakeanothercupoftea？’saidBelle。
Itookanothercup；wewereagainsilent。’Itisratheruncomfortable，’saidI，atlast，’forpeopletosittogetherwithouthavinganythingtosay。’
’Wereyouthinkingofyourcompany？’saidBelle。
’Whatcompany？’saidI。
’Thepresentcompany。’
’Thepresentcompany!oh，ah-IrememberthatIsaidoneonlyfeelsuncomfortableinbeingsilentwithacompanion，whenonehappenstobethinkingofthecompanion。Well，Ihadbeenthinkingofyouthelasttwoorthreeminutes，andhadjustcometotheconclusionthat，topreventusbothfeelingoccasionallyuncomfortablytowardseachother，havingnothingtosay，itwouldbeaswelltohaveastandingsubjectonwhichtoemployourtongues。Belle，IhavedeterminedtogiveyoulessonsinArmenian。’
’WhatisArmenian？’
’DidyoueverhearofArarat？’
’Yes，thatwastheplacewherethearkrested；Ihaveheardthechaplaininthegreathousetalkofit；besides，IhavereadofitintheBible。’
’Well，Armenianisthespeechofpeopleofthatplace，andIshouldliketoteachityou。’
’Toprevent-’
’Ay，ay，topreventouroccasionallyfeelinguncomfortabletogether。Youracquiringitbesidesmightproveofulterioradvantagetousboth；forexample，supposeyouandIwereinpromiscuouscompany，atCourt，forexample，andyouhadsomethingtocommunicatetomewhichyoudidnotwishanyoneelsetobeacquaintedwith，howsafelyyoumightcommunicateittomeinArmenian。’
’Wouldnotthelanguageoftheroadsdoaswell？’saidBelle。
’Insomeplacesitwould，’saidI，’butnotatCourt，owingtoitsresemblancetothieves’slang。ThereisHebrew，again，whichIwasthinkingofteachingyou，tilltheideaofbeingpresentedatCourtmademeabandonit，fromtheprobabilityofourbeingunderstood，intheeventofourspeakingit，byatleasthalfadozenpeopleinourvicinity。ThereisLatin，itistrue，orGreek，whichwemightspeakaloudatCourtwithperfectconfidenceofsafety，butuponthewholeIshouldpreferteachingyouArmenian，notbecauseitwouldbeasaferlanguagetoholdcommunicationwithatCourt，butbecause，notbeingverywellgroundedinitmyself，Iamapprehensivethatitswordsandformsmayescapefrommyrecollection，unlessIhavesometimesoccasiontocallthemforth。’
’IamafraidweshallhavetopartcompanybeforeIhavelearntit，’saidBelle；’inthemeantime，ifIwishtosayanythingtoyouinprivate，somebodybeingby，shallIspeakinthelanguageoftheroads？’
’Ifnoroadsterisnighyoumay，’saidI，’andIwilldomybesttounderstandyou。Belle，IwillnowgiveyoualessoninArmenian。’
’Isupposeyoumeannoharm，’saidBelle。
’Notintheleast；Imerelyproposethethingtopreventouroccasionallyfeelinguncomfortabletogether。Letusbegin。’
’StoptillIhaveremovedtheteathings，’saidBelle；and，gettingup，sheremovedthemtoherownencampment。
’Iamready，’saidBelle，returning，andtakingherformerseat，’tojoinwithyouinanythingwhichwillservetopassawaythetimeagreeably，providedthereisnoharminit。’
’Belle，’saidI，’IhavedeterminedtocommencethecourseofArmenianlessonsbyteachingyouthenumerals；but，beforeIdothat，itwillbeaswelltotellyouthattheArmenianlanguageiscalledHaik。’
’Iamsurethatwordwillhanguponmymemory，’saidBelle。
’Whyhanguponit？’saidI。
’Becausetheoldwomeninthegreathouseusedtocallsothechimney-hook，onwhichtheyhungthekettle；inlikemanner，onthehakeofmymemoryIwillhangyourhake。’
’Good!’saidI，’youwillmakeanaptscholar；butmindthatIdidnotsayhake，buthaik；thewordsare，however，verymuchalike；
and，asyouobserve，uponyourhakeyoumayhangmyhaik。Wewillnowproceedtothenumerals。’
’Whatarenumerals？’saidBelle。
’Numbers。IwillsaytheHaikannumbersuptoten。There-haveyouheardthem？’
’Yes。’
’Well，tryandrepeatthem。’
’Ionlyremembernumberone，’saidBelle，’andthatbecauseitisme。’
’Iwillrepeatthemagain，’saidI，’andpaygreaterattention。
Now，tryagain。’
’Me，jergo，earache。’
’Ineithersaidjergonorearache。Isaidyergouandyerek。
Belle，IamafraidIshallhavesomedifficultywithyouasascholar。’
Bellemadenoanswer。Hereyeswereturnedinthedirectionofthewindingpathwhichledfromthebottomofthehollow，wherewewereseated，totheplainabove。’Gorgioshunella，’shesaidatlength，inalowvoice。
’PureRommany，’saidI；’where？’Iadded，inawhisper。
’Doveyodoi，’saidBelle，noddingwithherheadtowardsthepath。
’Iwillsoonseewhoitis，’saidI；andstartingup，Irushedtowardsthepathway，intendingtolayviolenthandsonanyoneI
mightfindlurkinginitswindings。Before，however，Ihadreacheditscommencement，aman，somewhatabovethemiddleheight，advancedfromitintothedingle，inwhomIrecognisedthemaninblackwhomIhadseeninthepublic-house。
CHAPTERXC
Buonasera-Ratherapprehensive-Thesteepbank-Lovelyvirgin-
Hospitality-Toryminister-Customofthecountry-Sneeringsmile-WanderingZigan-Gypsies’cloaks-Certainfaculty-Acuteanswer-Variousways-Addio-BestHollands。
THEmaninblackandmyselfstoodoppositetoeachotherforaminuteortwoinsilence；Iwillnotsaythatweconfrontedeachotherthattime，forthemaninblack，afterafurtiveglance，didnotlookmeintheface，butkepthiseyesfixedapparentlyontheleavesofabunchofground-nutswhichweregrowingatmyfeet。Atlength，lookingaroundthedingle，heexclaimed，’Buonasera，I
hopeIdon’tintrude。’
’Youhaveasmuchrighthere，’saidI，’asIormycompanion；butyouhadnorighttostandlisteningtoourconversation。’
’Iwasnotlistening，’saidtheman，’Iwashesitatingwhethertoadvanceorretire；andifIheardsomeofyourconversation，thefaultwasnotmine。’
’Idonotseewhyyoushouldhavehesitatedifyourintentionsweregood，’saidI。
’IthinkthekindofplaceinwhichIfoundmyselfmightexcusesomehesitation，’saidthemaninblack，lookingaround；’moreover，fromwhatIhadseenofyourdemeanouratthepublic-house，IwasratherapprehensivethatthereceptionImightexperienceatyourhandsmightbemoreroughthanagreeable。’
’Andwhatmayhavebeenyourmotiveforcomingtothisplace？’saidI。
’Perfarvisitaasuasignoria，eccoilmotivo。’
’Whydoyouspeaktomeinthatgibberish，’saidI；’doyouthinkI
understandit？’
’ItisnotArmenian，’saidthemaninblack；’butitmightserve，inaplacelikethis，forthebreathingofalittlesecretcommunication，wereanycommonroadsternearathand。ItwouldnotdoatCourt，itistrue，beingthelanguageofsingingwomen，andthelike；butwearenotatCourt-whenweare，IcanperhapssummonupalittleindifferentLatin，ifIhaveanythingprivatetocommunicatetothelearnedProfessor。’
Andattheconclusionofthisspeechthemaninblacklifteduphishead，and，forsomemoments，lookedmeintheface。Themusclesofhisownseemedtobeslightlyconvulsed，andhismouthopenedinasingularmanner’Isee，’saidI，’thatforsometimeyouwerestandingnearmeandmycompanion，inthemeanactoflistening。’
’Notatall，’saidthemaninblack；’Iheardfromthesteepbankabove，thattowhichIhavenowalluded，whilstIwaspuzzlingmyselftofindthepathwhichleadstoyourretreat。Imade，indeed，nearlythecompassofthewholethicketbeforeIfoundit。’
’AndhowdidyouknowthatIwashere？’Idemanded。
’Thelandlordofthepublic-house，withwhomIhadsomeconversationconcerningyou，informedmethathehadnodoubtI