I assure you his pretensions were absurd.

Well, my dear, I was out of cash; I had with me just the money sufficient for the expenses of the rest of the journey; but I wore on my arm a bracelet that had the advantage of pleasing him.

It was a Persian trinket, more singular than beautiful.

I can see it now; it was formed of three large plates of gold ornamented with grotesque animals, and joined by a filigree network.

I valued this bracelet; it had been brought to me from Teheran.