It is very natural that, at the time when the Persian was writing, he should take so many precautions against any spirit of incredulity on the part of those who were likely to read his narrative. Nowadays, when we have all seen this sort of room, his precautions would be superfluous.
[12]Even so, I am convinced that it would be easy to reach it by draining the lake, as I have repeatedly requested the Ministry of Fine Arts to do. I was speaking about it to M. Dujardin–Beaumetz, the under–secretary for fine arts, only forty–eight hours before the publication of this book. Who knows but that the score of DON JUAN TRIUMPHANT might yet be discovered in the house on the lake?
[13]See the interview of the special correspondent of the MATIN, with Mohammed–Ali Bey, on the day after the entry of the Salonika troops into Constantinople.
