’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-’