Other mosques they visited impressed them with the great size of their interior, courts, lofty minarets and huge domes. Many of the latter, Mesrop told them, had double ceilings with an air space of several feet between, because it had been discovered that this gave them additional strength to resist earthquakes, to which most parts of Persia were subject.
The following day Mesrop took them across the river to Julfa—a separate town, inhabited entirely by his own people. Until the sixteenth century it had been forbidden for Mohammedans even to learn European languages, let alone speak them. But Shah Abbas the Great was anxious to develop relations with the West, so he decided to use some of his Christian subjects as intermediaries. Instead of rendering a number of families miserable by carrying off the men, as most potentates of his age would have done, this truly great monarch had brought to Isfahan .every man, woman and child living in one Armenian town and had had built for them outside his capital a town that was a replica of the one they had left
The architecture, shops and costumes of the people of Julfa provided a fascinating contrast with those of Isfahan, and its Greek Orthodox Cathedral was as striking as the mosques, but in an entirely different way. Every inch of the walls and ceilings was covered in magnificent frescoes in mosaic, the pillars were a blaze of gold and on one side of the centre there rose a lofty pulpit that had a bright blue, gold-starred dome surmounted by a strange, pointed roof.
One of the priests showed them round the Treasury, in which were many early, illuminated bibles and several 'top hats' worn by prelates, made of silk gaily painted with pictures of saints and angels.
For their third expedition, Roger and Mesrop arrived mounted and brought with them a Persian carriage for the ladies, as they were to visit a mosque which lay some four miles outside the city. Its special interest lay in its two minarets. They were slender towers with wooden platforms about ten feet from their tops. Above the platforms rose roofed brick turrets, from the open arches of which the Mezzsin called the faithful to prayer, and when either of the platforms was walked on, the turret shook to such an extent that it swayed back and forth several feet out of true. That these 'shaking' minarets had never been blown down in a gale seemed positively miraculous, yet they had stood there for seven hundred years.
Half a mile or so further along the road, there rose up out of the plain a hill so large and steep that it could almost be classed as a mountain. It was crowned by a straggle of stone buildings that Mesrop told them was a Zoroastrian temple. He added that the ancient fire worship was still quite extensively practised in Persia, and they must not miss the opportunity of visiting such an interesting place.
When they arrived at the foot of the great mound, Dona Christina at once declared that the path up it was much too steep for a woman of her years to climb; but Lisala got out of the carriage, evidently with the intention of doing so.
During the past few days Roger and Lisala had covertly exchanged many meaningful glances, but he had been unable to get her to himself for a single moment. Now, at last, he saw his opportunity. With his most charming smile, he said to the duenna:
'Remain here then, Senhora, and rest for a while in the shade of these trees. The Senhorita and I will make the climb, and I promise to take the greatest care of her.'
'No! No!' the elderly woman protested. 'The Senhorita is in my charge and I cannot possibly allow her out of my sight.*
To Roger's amazement, Lisala suddenly turned upon her duenna. Her leonine eyes blazing, she snapped, 'Hold your tongue, old woman! I am no longer an innocent incapable of taking care of myself. Who are you to decree what I shall or shall not do? Climb the hill and die of it if you wish. That would mean naught to me. Or remain here and snore. You are well paid for your post. Report this matter to my aunt, and I'll see to it that within the month you are dismissed and sent back to Portugal, to face the poverty you have brought upon yourself by your improvidence.'
The Old Sweet Game
In fascinated horror, Roger listened to this outburst, fearing that Lisala had suddenly gone out of her mind. Knowing the discipline to which young ladies of good family were normally subjected, he was afraid the duenna would exert her authority, and Lisala be punished by not being allowed to go out with him again.
On the contrary, the duenna quailed under the lash of her beautiful charge's tongue. Lying back in her carriage, Dona Christina covered her eyes with her hand and whimpered, 'Go then, you terrible child. But spare me the Senhora Arahna's wrath by telling her that I gave you permission.'
With a contemptuous shrug, Lisala turned away and took Roger's arm. Mesrop made as though to follow them, but Roger said to him quietly, 'Dona Christina must not be left alone. You had best remain here to take care of her.'
Several servants had accompanied them, and could quite easily have protected the duenna from unwelcome attentions; but the shrewd Armenian had long since sized up the situation.
Without a muscle of his face moving, he bowed his acquiescence. 1
As Roger and Lisala set off up the winding track, he said, 'At last we are alone, and can talk freely. We owe that to your courage in having defied Dona Christina. You nearly scared the poor old woman out of her wits.'
'Poor old woman, forsooth!' Lisala replied, a trifle sullenly. 'She is a lazy, befuddled old curmudgeon, and has brought her present servitude upon herself by her own stupidity. My pleasures have been few enough for many months past, and I'll not tolerate her interfering with them now.'
The way was too steep for them to converse with ease, so they plodded on in silence for a while; until round the curve of the mountain, they came upon a succession of caves. Some were occupied by hermits, clad only in a garment of worn animal skin, who were seated cross-legged and gazing vacantly into space. Others were untenanted and, halting, Roger drew Lisala into one. Next moment, still breathless, but with mutual eagerness, they were clasped in each other's arms, their mouths glued together in a long, passionate kiss.
For several minutes they fervidly caressed each other; then he whispered, 'My divine Lisala, this is indeed bliss; but an interlude that must prove all too short. Another chance for us to give expression to our love may not occur for days. Is there no other way in which we could manage to be alone together?'
'Have you money?' she asked quickly.
He nodded. 'Yes, sufficient for most projects. My status as the Emperor's personal agent enables me to draw on French funds as heavily as I wish, without being questioned about the use to which I intend to put the money.'
Her wide-spaced eyes smiled up into his. 'Then you must do as did my Russian Prince last year. There is a house across a narrow alley behind the Embassy. He rented the top floor. The roofs between the two buildings are almost level and can easily be spanned by a ladder. Once you are installed there, I could cross and spend the best part of the night there with you.'
The very thought inflamed Roger to fever pitch. There could have been no clearer declaration that Lisala was not a virgin, and was longing for him to take her.
'I will, my sweet!' he exclaimed, kissing her avidly again. 'This very afternoon I'll secure that apartment, and it shall be our heaven. But what of now? It would take us at least half an hour to get up to the Temple and down again.'
'So be it,' she breathed. 'I have been too long starved of love; and, with you, near dying for want of it.'