"'After the ceremonies of our nuptials were over, I went in my military dress, and with my sword by my side, to the apartment of Hooseinee. She was sitting in a most dignified posture to receive me, and her looks were anything but inviting. As I entered the room a beautiful cat, evidently a great favourite, came purring up to me. I deliberately drew my sword, struck its head off, and taking that in one hand and the body in the other, threw them out of the window. I then very unconcernedly turned to the lady, who appeared in some alarm: she, however, made no observations, but was in every way kind and submissive, and has continued so ever since.' "'Thank you, my dear fellow,' said little Merdek, with a significant shake of the head--'a word to the wise;' and away he capered, obviously quite rejoiced. "It was near evening when this conversation took place; soon after, when the dark cloak of night had enveloped the bright radiance of day, Merdek entered the chamber of his spouse, with something of a martial swagger, armed with a scimitar. The unsuspecting cat came forward to welcome the husband of her mistress, but in an instant her head was divided from her body by a blow from the hand which had so often caressed her. Merdek having proceeded so far courageously, stooped to take up the dissevered members of the cat, but before he could effect this, a blow upon the side of the head from his incensed lady laid him sprawling on the floor. "The tattle and scandal of the day spreads from zenâneh to zenâneh with surprising rapidity, and the wife of Merdek saw in a moment whose example it was that he imitated. 'Take that,' said she, as she gave him another cuff, 'take that, you paltry wretch; you should,' she added, laughing him to scorn, 'have killed the cat on the wedding day.'" We were all highly entertained with Khan Sâhib's story, which closed the discussion upon the rights, privileges, and usages of Persian ladies; but though I left the party satisfied that these were greater than I imagined, I continued unchanged in my opinion that the civilization of Mahomedan countries must ever be retarded by the condition assigned to the female sex by their Prophet, who, though he neither denies that they have souls, nor shuts the gates of Paradise against them, yet gives them only half the responsibility, half the punishment, and half the enjoyments assigned here and hereafter to the lords of the creation. Some days after our discussion concerning the rights of Mahomedan ladies, I had a long conversation with Aga Meer as to divorces. These, he told me, were very rare in Persia, it being deemed a greater scandal for a man to put away his wife than for a woman to be divorced.