The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-28

charming dInlnS-rOOmS. of which there
were fifty. attached to his great palace
at Teheran. The Shah took peculiar de-
Hght IN my conversation, for L had read
most of the Persian pOets-the over
rated Omar the Tent-maker, HaflZ, Fir
!. dausi, and so on-and the Shah being
4 SOmewhat of a poet himself, and being
deeply read in the ancient rhymers, we
bitten spent an hour or two quoting ines
and often whole ghazels, the one against
the other
Strange that beneath his poetic ma
ture. the Shah should have hid another
nature, all compact of cruelty and con-
hatred. 1 came to perceive
this other nature on the night of which
l spake. We were discussing the art of
the Dantoum. While We slipped our cOf-
fee and chartreuse: for the Shah,
thOugh O~stensibIy a strict MOhammedan
thought nothing Of consuming two or
three ~Iiqueurs with his after dinner
coffee And from mere discussion We
went on TO extemppOriSatiOn. His Ma
jeSty made one verse, l supplied the
next, he took up the strain again, and
so on. While We were disputing over
the accent Of 4 somewhat unusual
word. I saw the Shah press the electric
button fixed below the ledge of the ia
bic
The door opened as if in response to
the Shah's motion. A gigantic negro
clad in loose l~ion-skins, one hanging
down in front, one behind, entered and
made a profound saIaam.
The Shah spoke to him in a tongue
unfamiliar TO me; it was certainly not
Persian; and the negro retired as swift
" and quietly as he had made his en-
trance.
When he had gone the Shah lit an
Egyptian cigarette, and rolling it be-
tween his lips said in a tone altogether
different to that he had ever adopted
in my hearing, Il am tired of verse;
!, making. Let US have some sport worthy
of kings"
Surely verse-maki1g is a sport
worthy of the creates, your Majesty y
ventured with a bows.
I thank your Majesty" I heard that
the Shah had on occasions furnished
his guests with Easements not alto
gether in with Western
ideas, and | Wor cred if I was to be
accorded a special mark of his favour.
The Shah rOy. Come this way" he
said He pulleC 1ack a curtain and dis
closed a door # cedar-wood, studded
with preciOU~ gems, enough to make
7 redsOn9. Z mans fortune. He
pressed a l ton and the door swung
open nOisa,-ssly.
It's open e disclosed q chamber Octa-
sonal in $ -lre, hung with curtains and
Iapestries of the most gorgeous Per
sian silk weaving.
When We a seated ourselves each
on op ! : OF cushions and the Shah had
medita Ted for a few moments, he point
ed to a great clock hat stood in one
corner.
You see the time?" he said.
1t is . quarter to ten. our Majesty"
y ten I am going to show YOU an
execution"
AN executiOn," 1 cried. III spring
ing from my seat.
You Will see Justice wrought upon
the guilty. You will see guilt go TO its
eeom all unsuspecting and with a light
loot"
Il DO nO- understand your Majesty"
You are not asked to understand.
You have but to look at what I am
pleased to show you; you have but toI
listen to what l choose to let o hear" 7
I bowed. I knew it was useless try
ing TO press him to speak more clearly.
for he loved nothing better thar toI
mystify a guest.
As the minute hand of the clock point
ed to ten minutes to ten he got up, and
walking to II OF the eight sides of
the room. touched the switch of theI
electric light and the chamber was inl
darkness. |
l thought for a m that 1 myself
was to be the victim Of one OF his prac-I
teal jokes and. knowing something of
what they were like, l shuddered invol-I
UNFAIRLY. But. in any case. 1 was re-
solved to preserve an unchanged front.
for he hated nothing more h a a COW
ard.
The light had hardly vanished ere a
curtain ratified back on its rings, and.
/ saw that that side Of the room was
Il great pane of glass. And as I drew
near 10 it. IcouId see that it looked on
a long passage-way, built to all appear
ances of black stone. stretching sOmeI
hundred feet. and lighted from the roof
at intervals of ten feet Or SO, by elec-I
trict lamps of a subdued bTlIiance. This
corridor stretched right up to the glass
and as far as I could see there was no.
entrance to il at our end. The OtherI
end was too far away and too shroudedI
IN gIoom for me to say if there was al
Dor there.
I turned TO the Shall with a look of
inquiry.
You want to know the meanIn of.
this. I suppose?'
If your Majesty deigns to explain I
I said.
For answer he touched d button of the
switchboard that was liked at the sideI
of the great window: the lights in thel
corridor went out. He touched anoth-l
er button. and at the far-end thereI
sprang into being a glare that was all
binding even at that distance. WhenI
my eyes got accustomed TO the intent
sIty of the light, I was able to see that
It was composed of a million glitteringI
points. Imagine white lights. greenl
lights. red lights. blue lights. lights oil