Afterthelapseofafewdays，Icalledatthehousewhichhehadindicated。Itwassituatedinadarkandnarrowstreet，intheheartoftheCity，atnogreatdistancefromtheBank。Ienteredacounting-room，inwhichasolitaryclerk，withaforeignlook，waswriting。Thestrangerwasnotathome；returningthenextday，however，Imethimatthedoorashewasabouttoenter；heshookmewarmlybythehand。’Iamgladtoseeyou，’saidhe，’followme，Iwasjustthinkingofyou。’Heledmethroughthecounting-
room，toanapartmentupaflightofstairs；beforeascending，however，helookedintothebookinwhichtheforeign-visagedclerkwaswriting，and，seeminglynotsatisfiedwiththemannerinwhichhewasexecutinghistask，hegavehimtwoorthreecuffs，tellinghimatthesametimethathedeservedcrucifixion。
Theapartmentabovestairs，towhichheledme，waslarge，withthreewindows，whichopeneduponthestreet。Thewallswerehungwithwiredcases，apparentlycontainingbooks。Therewasatableandtwoorthreechairs；buttheprincipalarticleoffurniturewasalongsofa，extendingfromthedoorbywhichweenteredtothefartherendoftheapartment。Seatinghimselfuponthesofa，mynewacquaintancemotionedtometositbesidehim，andthen，lookingmefullintheface，repeatedhisformerinquiry。’Inthenameofallthatiswonderful，howcameyoutoknowaughtofmylanguage？’
’Thereisnothingwonderfulinthat，’saidI；’weareatthecommencementofaphilologicalage，everyonestudieslanguages；
thatis，everyonewhoisfitfornothingelse；philologybeingthelastresourceofdulnessandennui，Ihavegotalittleinadvanceofthethrong，bymasteringtheArmenianalphabet；butIforeseethetimewheneveryunmarriageablemiss，anddesperateblockhead，willlikewisehaveacquiredthelettersofMesroub，andwillknowthetermforbread，inArmenian，andperhapsthatforwine。’
’Kini，’saidmycompanion；andthatandtheotherwordputmeinmindofthedutiesofhospitality。’Willyoueatbreadanddrinkwinewithme？’
’Willingly，’saidI。Whereuponmycompanion，unlockingacloset，produced，onasilversalver，aloafofbread，withasilver-
handledknife，andwineinasilverflask，withcupsofthesamemetal。’Ihopeyoulikemyfare，’saidhe，afterwehadbotheatenanddrunk。
’Ilikeyourbread，’saidI，’foritisstale；Ilikenotyourwine，itissweet，andIhatesweetwine。’
’ItiswineofCyprus，’saidmyentertainer；and，whenIfoundthatitwaswineofCyprus，Itasteditagain，andthesecondtastepleasedmemuchbetterthanthefirst，notwithstandingthatIstillthoughtitsomewhatsweet。’So，’saidI，afterapause，lookingatmycompanion，’youareanArmenian。’
’Yes，’saidhe，’anArmenianborninLondon，butnotlessanArmenianonthataccount。MyfatherwasanativeofIspahan，oneofthecelebratedArmeniancolonywhichwasestablishedthereshortlyafterthetimeofthedreadfulhunger，whichdrovethechildrenofHaikinswarmsfromtheiroriginalcountry，andscatteredthemovermostpartsoftheeasternandwesternworld。
InIspahanhepassedthegreaterportionofhislife，followingmercantilepursuitswithconsiderablesuccess。Certainenemies，however，havingaccusedhimtothedespotoftheplace，ofusingseditiouslanguage，hewascompelledtoflee，leavingmostofhispropertybehind。Travellinginthedirectionofthewest，hecameatlasttoLondon，whereheestablishedhimself，andwhereheeventuallydied，leavingbehindalargepropertyandmyself，hisonlychild，thefruitofamarriagewithanArmenianEnglishwoman，whodidnotsurvivemybirthmorethanthreemonths。’
TheArmenianthenproceededtotellmethathehadcarriedonthebusinessofhisfather，whichseemedtoembracemostmatters，frombuyingsilksofLascars，tospeculatinginthefunds，andthathehadconsiderablyincreasedthepropertywhichhisfatherhadlefthim。Hecandidlyconfessedthathewaswonderfullyfondofgold，andsaidtherewasnothinglikeitforgivingapersonrespectabilityandconsiderationintheworld：towhichassertionImadenoanswer，beingnotexactlypreparedtocontradictit。
And，whenhehadrelatedtomehishistory，heexpressedadesiretoknowsomethingmoreofmyself，whereuponIgavehimtheoutlineofmyhistory，concludingwithsaying，’Iamnowapoorauthor，orratherphilologist，uponthestreetsofLondon，possessedofmanytongues，whichIfindofnouseintheworld。’
’Learningwithoutmoneyisanythingbutdesirable，’saidtheArmenian，’asitunfitsamanforhumbleoccupations。Itistruethatitmayoccasionallybegethimfriends；Iconfesstoyouthatyourunderstandingsomethingofmylanguageweighsmorewithmethantheserviceyourenderedmeinrescuingmypocket-booktheotherdayfromtheclawsofthatscoundrelwhomIyethopetoseehanged，ifnotcrucified，notwithstandingtherewereinthatpocket-bookpapersanddocumentsofconsiderablevalue。Yes，thatcircumstancemakesmyheartwarmtowardsyou，forIamproudofmylanguage-asIindeedwellmaybe-whatalanguage，nobleandenergetic!quiteoriginal，differingfromallothersbothinwordsandstructure。’
’Youaremistaken，’saidI；’manylanguagesresembletheArmenianbothinstructureandwords。’
’Forexample？’saidtheArmenian。
’Forexample，’saidI，’theEnglish。’
’TheEnglish!’saidtheArmenian；’showmeonewordinwhichtheEnglishresemblestheArmenian。’
’YouwalkonLondonBridge，’saidI。
’Yes，’saidtheArmenian。
’Isawyoulookoverthebalustradetheothermorning。’
’True，’saidtheArmenian。
’Well，whatdidyouseerushingupthroughthearcheswithnoiseandfoam？’
’Whatwasit？’saidtheArmenian。’Whatwasit？-youdon’tmeantheTIDE？’
’DoInot？’saidI。
’Well，whathasthetidetodowiththematter？’
’Much，’saidI；’whatisthetide？’
’Theebbandflowofthesea，’saidtheArmenian。
’Theseaitself；whatistheHaikwordforsea？’
TheArmeniangaveastronggasp；then，noddinghisheadthrice，’Youareright，’saidhe，’theEnglishwordtideistheArmenianforsea；andnowIbegintoperceivethattherearemanyEnglishwordswhichareArmenian；thereis-and-；andthereagaininFrench，thereis-and-derivedfromtheArmenian。Howstrange，howsingular-Ithankyou。Itisaproudthingtoseethatthelanguageofmyracehashadsomuchinfluenceoverthelanguagesoftheworld。’
IsawthatallthatrelatedtohisracewastheweakpointoftheArmenian。IdidnotflattertheArmenianwithrespecttohisraceorlanguage。’Aninconsiderablepeople，’saidI，’shrewdandindustrious，butstillaninconsiderablepeople。Alanguageboldandexpressive，andofsomeantiquity，derived，thoughperhapsnotimmediately，fromsomemucholdertongue。IdonotthinkthattheArmenianhashadanyinfluenceovertheformationofthelanguagesoftheworld，IamnotmuchindebtedtotheArmenianforthesolutionofanydoubts；whereastothelanguageofMr。Petulengro-
’
’Ihaveheardyoumentionthatnamebefore，’saidtheArmenian；
’whoisMr。Petulengro？’
AndthenItoldtheArmenianwhoMr。Petulengrowas。TheArmenianspokecontemptuouslyofMr。Petulengroandhisrace。’Don’tspeakcontemptuouslyofMr。Petulengro，’saidI，’norofanythingbelongingtohim。Heisadarkmysteriouspersonage；allconnectedwithhimisamystery，especiallyhislanguage；butIbelievethathislanguageisdoomedtosolveagreatphilologicalproblem-Mr。
Petulengo-’
’Youappearagitated，’saidtheArmenian；’takeanotherglassofwine；youpossessagreatdealofphilologicalknowledge，butitappearstomethatthelanguageofthisPetulengroisyourfoible：
butletuschangethesubject；Ifeelmuchinterestedinyou，andwouldfainbeofservicetoyou。Canyoucastaccounts？’
Ishookmyhead。
’Keepbooks？’
’IhaveanideathatIcouldwritebooks，’saidI；’but，astokeepingthem-’andhereagainIshookmyhead。
TheArmenianwassilentsometime；allatonce，glancingatoneofthewirecases，withwhich，asIhavealreadysaid，thewallsoftheroomwerehung，heaskedmeifIwaswellacquaintedwiththelearningoftheHaiks。’Thebooksinthesecases，’saidhe，’containthemasterpiecesofHaiklearning。’
’No，’saidI；’allIknowofthelearningoftheHaiksistheirtranslationoftheBible。’
’YouhaveneverreadZ-？’
’No，’saidI，’IhaveneverreadZ。’
’Ihaveaplan，’saidtheArmenian；’IthinkIcanemployyouagreeablyandprofitably；IshouldliketoseeZ-inanEnglishdress；youshalltranslateZ-IfyoucanreadtheScripturesinArmenian，youcantranslateZ。HeisourEsop，themostacuteandcleverofallourmoralwriters-hisphilosophy-’
’Iwillhavenothingtodowithhim，’saidI。
’Wherefore？’saidtheArmenian。
’Thereisanoldproverb，’saidI，’“thataburntchildavoidsthefire。“Ihaveburntmyhandssufficientlywithattemptingtotranslatephilosophy，tomakemecautiousofventuringuponitagain’；andthenItoldtheArmenianhowIhadbeenpersuadedbythepublishertotranslatehisphilosophyintoGerman，andwhatsorrythanksIhadreceived；’Andwhoknows，’saidI，’buttheattempttotranslateArmenianphilosophyintoEnglishmightheattendedwithyetmoredisagreeableconsequences？’