'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎124] (155/582)

124
VISIT TO THE ANTIQUITIES
my Dervish and the servants in waiting. An hour passed over
pipes and coffee, with intervals of dull conversation, until the Aga
growing sleepy, laid himself along upon the bench of Shirine,
which is the raised base or pedestal on which the horse of Rustan
stands, and expressed his wish to sleep.
I still hoped that I might be able to write, thinking the rest
of the party would retire; their presence, however, still inter
rupted this; and from a whispering conversation between them
in Persian, I feared that even they suspected me to be not what I
had pretended. My Dervish, who heard and understood the
whole, soon undeceived me, by saying, that when the Aga laid
himself down upon the cool couch of Shirine, he had given orders
to his principal servant to await our going away, and then to dis
patch a horseman to the village near for the two young Persian
girls who had invited us to turn aside from our way. They had
accosted him it seems also, and he had promised them to see their
abode on his return ; but, whether the story blended with the
place of his present repose had inflamed his imagination or not,
his impatience induced him to send for them here ; and the con
sultation now was whether they should await our departure or
send for them at once.
" Not to enjoy the occasion which had been presented to our
selves, and to be an obstacle to this enjoyment in others, would,"
said Ismael, " be so like the dog in the manger," a fable with which
he was well acquainted, « that we should deserve to be cut off for
ever from its recurrence if we stayed here a moment longer." As
the accomplishment of the end for which alone I came thus far
was indeed now almost hopeless, I hardly wished to prolong my
stay, so that we mounted and set out on our return.
The horseman was immediately dispatched and soon overtook
us, confessing with all frankness, on our asking him, the nature of
is errand. We rode together to the village, heard the message
delivered, and saw the girls themselves set out to fulfil it; so that
no doubt could any longer remain of their engagement. " This,"