20 succeeding in keeping her with him through the evening until midnight or two in the morning. During the day, Mademoiselle d’Epinay and her mother, Madame de Roussy, placed their shoes at the edge of his carpet of contentment and sat on cushions at the back of his room, in the manner of a Persian harem. Far from feeling ashamed, they performed for all who came to visit the Persian guest, men and women alike. By eight in the evening, the apartment was closed, leaving only the mother, daughter, and Mohammad Reza Bey inside. Negotiations continued for two months, with Mohammad Reza Bey objecting to every clause in the agreement, prolonging the affair with Mademoiselle d’Epinay. The true purpose of his mission—an
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