e; and every
now and then I got so much of the scent as to make me almost sure of
springing some game for myself.

At length, one morning, after a late sitting of the negotiators, I was
summoned to attend the grand vizier in his very anderun, a place to
which none but his most confidential servants were ever admitted.
I found him still in bed, bolstered up with many soft pillows, and
entirely alone.

'Hajji,' said he, in a familiar tone, 'draw near, and seat yourself
close to me; I have something of importance to say.'

I was staggered by so high an honour; but as his command was law, I did
not hesitate to kneel by his bedside.

Without circumlocution, he at once told me that he was placed in a
situation of great difficulty, for the English ambassador had made some
demands impossible to be granted, and declared that he must quit Tehran,
should they not receive our acquiescence.

'Now,' said he, 'the Shah has threatened if I permit the elchi to leave
Persia dissatisfied, that my head shall answer for it; and at the
same time I and my brother plenipotentiary are half persuaded that
his majesty will never accede to the demands of England. What is to be
done?'

'Could he not be bribed?' said I, with all humility, and looking as if I
would give other meaning to my words.

'_He_ be bribed?' said the vizier; 'in the first place, whence could the
bribe come? and in the second, these people are such fools, that they
know not what a bribe means. But give me your ear. We are no fools,
whatever they may be. The elchi is very anxious to carry his point,
and you know me well enough to be aware that there is nothing I cannot
accomplish if once I take it in hand. You must go and talk to him. You
are his friend. You may say that you are mine--you may whisper many
things to him which I cannot--do you understand?'

Upon this I kissed his hand with much fervour, and raising it to my head
I exclaimed, 'By my head and by my eyes, I will go--and _inshallah_,
please God, I will not return without a white face.'

He then dismissed me, and full of happy prospects I made the best of my
way to the English ambassador.

I will not relate all I said and did to induce him to come into the
grand vizier's terms; but in two words, I so entirely and completely
succeeded, that I returned with a heavy sack of gold, of good and solid
cash, in my hand, as the forerunner of what was to follow in case all
was concluded to the ambassador's satisfact