The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-10-25
A HAREM COQUETTE.

A HAREM COQUETTE.
When the department Of fine arts sent
mo to Persia to write up the province of
Irak-Adjemi, 1 began by taking up my
quarters in Ispahan. At the end of three
months had finished my task, but if l
had returned home at once the depart
ment would never have believed that ! was
a man of any depth. was just about
bored to DEATH when luckily there was
change of governors. The shah sent in
place of the former governor, his cousin
Malcolm Khan. He had travelled in
France accompanied by Mehmed-Aga, his
officer of ordnance. Mehmed-Aga had the
rank of general, or, rather, that of sertip,
to use the Persian term.
remembered him weil-a young man of
about 80 g2ntlcmanly fellow, something
of swell, who dined with me several
times in Paris. You can appreciate my joy
in meeting him again away off there. In
week the aga and l were inseparable.
One morning 1 was dreamily riding
through the city, giving myself up for the
hundrcdth time to the feeling that 1 was
in fairyland. Imagine immense avenues,
bortlcrcd on the right and on the left with
arcadcS and shaded by gigantic plane trees
at whose feet are streams of running wa
ter. l was nearing the kiosk of Tchechel-
Sutoun, when l saw at the street corner
woman in litter AS general thing,
Persian women on the street are like moth
ing so much as bundles. They are yelled,
of course, or, rather, they wear upon their
heads kind of striped curtain, which
covers the face Oddly enough, the wom
an whom l met did not entirely conceal
her figure, which was slender and graceful,
and l could see her large eyes cleaning
like Goals Of fire. My horse was walking,
and l made him follow very slowly the
bearers of tho litter. 1t seemed to me that
the unknown looked back once or twice;
but, after all, as adventures Of this kind
in the cast arc somewhat unsatisfactory, l
paid only slight attention to the matter.
had almost forgotten the occurrence
when, two days after, 1 again met the lit
ter This time was not alone. Mehmed-
ga was walking with me. At the first
glance 1 recognized the yelled lady and
especially remembered those extraordinary
eyes AS before, she looked back, but this
time the action was more pronounced. l
glanced at the aga, but he pretended to
have noticed nothing We walked along
in this way for about ten minutes, when
the litter suddenly turned toward the
Dioulffa bridge. This bridge is one of the
most beautiful sights in the world. 1t has
SO enormous arches, and spans that capri
cious stream, the Zend-Dehroud. Tho
bridge is somewhat of popular resort for
evening prOmenades, and so l hesitated
about following my unknown openly for
fear of compromising her. But there was
no hesitation on her part. Suddenly she
leaned half way out of the litter and drop
ped her handkerchief upon the pavement.
l picked it up. ....
During the rest of the walk the aga was
silent, biting his mustache with prcoc-
cupied air When we reached the palace,
he said, "Come in, and when we were
alone in his study he began:
'Aly dear friend, made no comments a
little while ago. but instead of keeping
that handkerchief pressed tenderly against
your heart you must throw it into the
fire
''You wish mo to do so?"
81 do not wish that you should have
your throat cut and be thrown into the
river. 1 am in charge of the police of tho
city, and am responsible for you to the
French legation. You are astonishing poo
pie you Parisians! You think yourselves
always upon the bouleyards. We are in
the orient, my friend, and in the orient
husbands are not to be tritled with. At
Paris it may be different. Your unknown
ais not unknown to me. Her name IS
N iSSa. ~
"a 'sNissa?"
S. "If the namo is charming the husband
A -4,~ l.,
wealthy merchant, famous for his violence
r.snd his jealousy. He occupies that house
in the river bank just at the end of the
ridge. His mother was of English de-
scent, but his own manners arc wholly ori-
Entail He would kill you like dog.
"a And Nissa?"
q Formerly, - said the aga, "unfaithful
wives used to be sewcd up in sacks and
4 thrown into the river But we are civilized
snow. Once live cat would have been
eput in the sack When maddened by the
sSvater the cat would tear the woman's
xface This is no longer done. At least,
the cat is left out. The influence OF
8 Europe" he added dryly.
s. This little conversation somewhat damp
Sened my ardor. Moreover, Mehmed Aga
! mad the good taste to drop the matter
sthere l dined with him, and in the even
Aing he called in musicians who played for
Sus eastern melodies. But l was preoccu
sspied. Constantly before my eyes that
Ykgraccful figure was bending out of the lit
Ster and little hand was droppinga hand
I kerchicf A persistent voice was singing
Sin my ear, like the refrain of a ballad:
"Nissa! NisSar' Naturally, l suffered all
that night from nightmare. l dreamed
that some one had given me an immense
cat, named Astoulla, which was trying to
tear my face l walked at ii the next
morning, completely disenchanted.
In the evening was alone upon the ter
race, in the rear of my house, when hor-
riblc looking old woman suddenly entered
from the lower door.
care you brave?" she said.
smiled with that self conceit which q
man always feels when asked such a ques-
ton She continued:
II came to propose to you walk. 1t 10
night Nc one can see us. You are to
follow me- When half way, l shall blind
fold you, but you must swear to me not to
attempt to find out where am leading
you
1 promised The day. you see, had
passed over my fears, the effects of the
nightmare were little by little fading
away, and l heard that persistent voice
still singing in my ear: 'Nissa Nissa!'
The old woman evidently came from her
l hurried up to my room and got snail
revolver. Five minutes later we We're on
our way. 1t was mad, absurd; ! confess it
freely But there are follies about which
one docs not stop to reason.
When we had come to the Djoulffa
bridge, the old woman stopped and took
from her pocket a thick handkerchief,