’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