The back of the letter bore my name, written in Armenian characters: with a trembling hand I broke the seal, and, unfolding the letter, I beheld several lines also written in the letters of Mesroub, the Cadmus of the Armenians.
I stared at the lines, and at first could not make out a syllable of their meaning; at last, how ever, by continued staring, I discovered that, though the letters were Armenian, the words were English; in about ten minutes I had contrived to decipher the sense of the letter; it ran somewhat in this style:-- "MY DEAR FRIEND,-- "The words which you uttered in our last conversation have made a profound impression upon me; I have thought them over day and night, and have come to the conclusion that it is my bounden duty to attack the Persians.

When these lines are delivered to you, I shall be on the route to Ararat.

A mercantile speculation will be to the world the ostensible motive of my journey, and it is singular enough that one which offers considerable prospect of advantage has just presented itself on the confines of Persia.

Think not, however, that motives of lucre would have been sufficiently powerful to tempt me to the East at the present moment.

I may speculate, it is true; but I should scarcely have undertaken the journey but for your pungent words inciting me to attack the Persians.