140 THE PERSIAN POST-EOAD. 



make ourselves at home until a lodging was found for us. 

 I need hardly say that there is no hotel at Tabreez, and it 

 is difficult for a European traveller to acquire sufficient 

 familiarity with the manners and customs of the people to 

 be able to put up with any comfort at a native khan. Dr. 

 Cormick, the English physician, who is in charge of the 

 Shah's son, was unluckily out for the day ; but a German 

 merchant came to our aid, and we consulted with him where 

 we should lodge. After a good deal of doubt and delay 

 on the subject, it was finally settled, towards evening, that 

 we should take up our abode with a Nestorian Christian, 

 who had been employed as dragoman by several embassies 

 going to Teheran, and was said to speak English. We 

 were greatly amused by our future host's manner of 

 introducing himself : ' You come with me, all right ; you 

 know me? 1 Lazarus; fijid me 11th John in middle 

 chapter ; all missionary gentleman know me, all right.' 

 ' Old All Eight,' as we irreverently renamed this Scriptural 

 character, led us off to his house, which was aj)proached 

 by a narrow lane between two high walls, and a downward 

 flight of steps. The interior, however, was a pleasant 

 surprise ; we found a snug little room, furnished with 

 European chairs and a table, ready for us. The walls 

 were decorated, in the Persian style, with paintings of 

 flowers. The windows, filled in with paper — the universal 

 substitute for glass at Tabreez — opened out into a little 

 garden, on the other side of which were some more apart- 

 ments, in which glimpses of our host's wife and daughters 

 might occasionally be obtained. At night beds were made 

 up for us on the floor, and Lazarus turned out to be a good 

 cook, with a special gift for rice-puddings ; so that Paul for 

 a time rested from his labours, while we ' fared sumptuously 

 every day.' 



