22 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



heavy boots, the Pardoner, in a very audible whisper, 

 suggested to him the propriety of his taking his stand 

 on the very edge of the carpet on which we were 

 sitting; he was on no account to approach nearer. 

 This was by way of imbuing the stranger with a 

 proper respect of our exalted persons. The gholaum, 

 although at first disposed to swagger a little and give 

 himself airs as a Prince's servant, understood at once 

 from this little hint that we were people not likely 

 to brook any trifling. Consequently, he stepped re- 

 spectfully forward, and, bending his body till he 

 showed us the very top of his tall lambskin hat, he 

 dropped his arm down the outside of his right leg. 

 The Pardoner smiled approval, while we condescend- 

 ingly acknowledged the salute. It was manifest that 

 our new acquaintance had taken infinite pains to 

 render his personal appearance as prepossessing as it 

 had been in his power to do. He was just fresh from 

 the bath. The palms of his hands and the soles of 

 his feet were dyed a deep chestnut colour, and every 

 finger-nail was of the same dark hue. His beard, 

 carefully combed out, shone resplendent with a black 

 purple dye ; and his moustaches, on which the bath- 

 man's (and who is also the hairdresser) strength must 

 have been exerted, were pulled up, and pointed 

 fiercely to the corners of his eyes. He was armed 

 to the teeth, and being a tall big-boned man, his tout 

 ensemble was that of a very desperate fellow, and that 

 was evidently the character which he was anxious to 



