f that he knows nothing about archaeology. Who is he?
Lynch? Bank? Telegraph?"

"He's not Lynch, and he's not Bank, and he's not Telegraph. Neither is
he consul, or even that famous railroad. He's--English!" And Ganz let
out a chuckle at the success of his own characterization.

"Ah! So?" exclaimed Magin elaborately. "I hear, by the way, that that
famous railroad is not marching so fast. The Lurs don't like it. But
sometimes even Englishmen," he added, "have reasons for doing what they
do. This one, at any rate, seemed more inclined to ask questions than to
answer them. I confess I don't know whether it was because he had
nothing to say or whether he preferred not to say it. Is he perhaps a
son of Papa, making the grand tour?"

"More or less. Papa gave him no great letter of credit, though. He came
out to visit some of the Oil people. And he's been here long enough to
learn quite a lot of Persian."

"So he starts this morning, I take it, from Sheleilieh. But why the
devil does he go to Dizful, by himself?"

"And why the devil shouldn't he? He's out here, and he wants to see the
sights--such as they are. So he's going to take a look at the ruins of
Susa, and at your wonderful unspoiled Dizful. Shir Ali Khan will be
delighted to get a few _tomans_ for his empty house by the river. Then
the 21st, you know, is the coronation. So I gave him a letter to the
Father of Swords, who--"

"Thunder and lightning!" Magin's heavy voice resounded in the portico
very like a bellow. "You, Ganz, sent this man to the Father of Swords?
He might be one of those lieutenants from India who go smelling around
in their holidays, so pink and innocent!"

"What is that to me?" demanded the Swiss, raising his own voice. "Or to
you either? After all, Senhor Magin, are you the Emperor of Elam?"

The Brazilian laughed.

"Not yet! And naturally it's nothing to you, when you cash him checks
and sell him tinned cows and quinine. But for a man who perpetually
sighs after Europe, Herr Ganz, and for a Swiss of the north, you strike
me as betraying a singular lack of sensibility to certain larger
interests of your race. However--What concerns me is that you should
have confided to this young man, with such a roll of sentimental eyes as
I can imagine, that Dizful is still 'unspoiled'! If Dizful is unspoiled,
he might spoil it. I've found some very nice things up there, you know.
I was even fool enough to show him one or two."

"Bah! He likes to pla