6
heſitation made the widow acquainted with his ſentiments. She was not much alarmed at him; for beſides his out-of-the-way figure began to grow familiar to her, ſhe further conſidered that if Babeken left her, the ſhop would preſently loſe its reputation, and that the little money ſhe had ſaved during her huſband's life, would ſoon be ſpent. Theſe reafons induced her, like a ſenſible woman, as ſhe was, to make Babeken a promiſe of marriage, as ſoon as ſhe could do it with decency. She kept her word with him ſome months afterwards; and Babeken, not ſatisfied with his cutling trade alone, whereby in a little time he got a great deal of money, fell likewiſe into the way of ſelling brandy of dates, which he had a very conſiderable demand for.
The correſpondence that Babekan had in ſeveral towns in the eaſt came to the ears of his two brothers, who, after having lived for almoſt five years in the utmoſt poverty, were at laſt met together at Drebent *: here they learnt to their great joy, the proſperity of Babeken, and not doubting but he would aſſiſt them in their want, they reſolved to go together to Bagdad: they were no ſooner arrived there, then they ſent for him by a poor woman, who had taken them into her houſe out of charity.
Babeken was prodigiouſly ſurpriſed at the ſight of his brothers. Have you forgot, ſaid he to them in a violent paſſion, what happened to us at Damaſcus? Have you a mind to make me the jeſt of this city too? I ſwear by my head that you ſhall die beneath the cudgel, if you dare to come near my houſe. *Drebent is a town of the province of Servan, in Perſia, at the foot of mount Caucaſus.
