In the recesses of the walls are many bouquets in vases.

The one great window--a miracle of intricate carpentry, some twenty feet by twenty--blazes with a geometrical pattern of tiny pieces of glass, forming one gorgeous mosaic.

Three of the sashes of this window are thrown up to admit air; the coloured glass of the top and four remaining sashes effectually shuts out excess of light." Such is the _coup d'oeil_ on entering an anderoon.

With such surroundings, one would expect to find refined, if not beautiful women; but, though the latter are rare enough, the former are even rarer in Persia.

The Persian woman is a grown-up child, and a very vicious one to boot.