Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-15


Amber Pasha walked up and down the deck
with Gabriel Oldacre. Both were well pro-
tected against the wind by furred coats; both
wore the red fez, which signifed that they held
service under the Turk. Amber Pasha, as all
the world knows. lie the most remarkable of all
the many remarkable Europeans who have en-
tered the Turkish service. Gabriel Oldacre was
his private secretary and intimate friend.
All around them lights were beginning to
dusk, and Constantinople looked like q fairy
city in the waning day. The great domes and
miuarets OF that marvellous eastern dream in
Europe grew blacker against the darkening
sky. A fine crescent of silver moon, as keenly
curved as the scimitar Of some time Soldan
of Stamboul, seemed to cut its way into the
heavens
Gabriers eyes were fixed upon the fading
city. The moisture in his eyes may have been
caused by the keen, cold air, or was it uncon-
querable tears at the thought OF a green place
in distant England, and Of q girl whose eyes
seemed to shine with all the glory Of the heaven
and the earth? He silent for little while,
and Amber Pasha kept silence, too.
Presently Gabriel spoke.
"By the way. you haye not told me why we
are steaming toward Scutari."
True" said Amber. Il said had some
thing to show you at Scutari-something to tell
you on the way. What want to tell you is a
| story, one OF the MANY stories of my life-a
story which I should like you to hear, and
which believe that you will hear with SYM
pathy."
Gabriel sighed. He felt sure tina. he knew
very well what was the Pasha's purpose in tell
ing him tale Of his youth. He guessed that
his friend wished to teach him that the sorrow
| Of love which had wounded his heart so deeply
was known too to his friend. That he, too, had
| received o wound in the fight, and had arisen
again and gone his ways like . man. Gabriel
was doing his best to be man, but he had not
| the stroug soul Of Amber, and for a moment the
tears came into his eyes sgain and blotted out
the lines and lights Of the beautiful city, and in
| their place he saw again with the mental eye
that quiet English garden and that cornely En-
glish girl.
Resolutely he fixed his eyes again upon the
fantastic Turkish town, resolutely he fixed his
| attention upon the words that Amber Pashs
was speaking, and while he listened he strove
| hard to Danish from his mind all importunate
memories and the name Of the girl he had loved
| andlost
EYES," said Amber Pasha, sit is a great many
| years ago, and was young then, very young
indeed-at least know now that was very
young indeed, though at the time did not
| think so, for I was nearly thirty years Of
age and thought myself the most venerable Of
! men. Bismillah. what . raw lad was for
my years. had been nowhere, had seen moth
ing
Gabriel glanced inquiringly into the PashA' g
| lace.
~ thought you began life very early"
"Oh yes. l did, answered Amber. "and I had
| seen and done the usual things that Q young
| Englishman Of good family and fair means sees
and does. had seen most Of Europe, had seen
America. but this was my first crossing the
threshold Of the east. ! was going at last to
Constantinople. The first time that ever saw
Constantinople I saw 1t under somewhat pecu-
liar conditions. had long been dreaming Of
| that earliest glimpse Of Stamboul, which was to
reward my hopes and satisfy my expectations.
was up betimes on the morning when we
| steamed into the Dardanslles; through the faint
mist Of raw morning I scanned the distant
coast Of Asia Minor, and saw. or fondly fancied
that saw, dimlv dark against the sky the
Mound Of Achilles. From the Greeks Of the
early age my thoughts turned to the Greeks of
that later age, the Greeks Of that Byzantium
| was now and at last approaching, Byzantium Of
the Varangians, the Micklegarth OF the men of
the north. Soon should behold its domes OF
delicate curve, its crescents and its minarets,
the white walls Of its mosques and the green
quiet Of its gardens rising like dream Of the
Arabian nights out Of the enchanted waters.
"Alas for dear anticipation. This mist Of
the raw morning deepened. darkened. curtained
close the vessel, muffled the shores in an i'm
penetrable gray, swallowed up and land and
sky. We sailed up to the sea gates, to the quays
Of Constantinople in fog that for consistency
and opacity rivaled the most strenuous efforts
Of brumous London far away. Perhaps at mo-
ments. and only for moments. the veil would
lift here and there ragged edge and show
surface Of tapping water. the glimpse of white
building ghostly in the gloom, the crest Of a
| stately minaret, . green CLEAN Of waving foli-
age. Only for moments; then the mist would
| descend and deepen again, screening Constanti-
nople as jealously from the eyes of her Frank
ish lover as ever folded thi cknesses OF gauze
concealed a harem lady from the curious
glances Of the giaour. Constantinople, for all
hat on,,lA of ,rhk ha
Mapping. or Staten Island, or Calais; might be
more beautiful than Naples or more common
place than Gravesend for anything that ! could
| see or say to the contrary. In the mantle Of
this masking fog our steamer came to her halt,
lay alongside the dock. Fezzed officials began
to appear Unexpectedly over the ships side
leaping like Jacks-in-th e-box out Of the almost
palpabie yeilowness. We had arrived at our
journeys end, and still Constantinople was as
| strange to US as If we were back again in
England.
There were some people on board with
whom had made friends. l was alone, and [
have always been Of the gregarious kind, and
| can say with Goethe. that l never met really
dull person. So wherever have been have
always found companions, and often found
friends"
Gabriers fancy foated swiftly back over
| seas to the day when he sat and looked ut the
little Surrey church yard, and saw the face and
heard the voice of Amber Pasha for the first
time, So in consequence Of his mind listening
to the words that voice spoke then his ear v as
| inattentive to the words the voice was speaking
now, and 1t was some seconds before he again
was comprehensive Of what Amber Pasba was
saying. He was speaking Of his companions ON
board the ship.
''She was q very pretty girl; one Of the pref
test girl creatures that think have ever
seen. had never seen q prettier then; have
! never seen a pIettier since. It was q soft and
tender kind Of beauty, If indeed the word
beauty does not convey something Of q stronger
impression than belonged by right to her deli
cate coloring and youthful comeliness Her
hair was very fair, quite CONNIE les bles' as de
| Musset sings Of the girl in his song and her
| eyes were very blue and her lips we're warmly
| red. There, l can't describe her; she was
pretty, exquisitely pretty, with pathetic, ca
ressing weakness Of demeanor which was verv
captivating. 'Afsos! 1 wonder il We ever
| know what happiness really is2''
"Ihere are so many kinds Of happiness"
said Gabriel, gravely. 1.-THE negro with q vel
| low kerchief twisted around his woolly head, is
happy in the sunlight singing his wild songs
But if / were to spend all my substance in
canary -colored silk it would afford me very lit
tie delight
As he spoke he pointed to where, in the front
| OF the boat, not very far from where they we're,
great negro stood, the most picturesque OF
the many picturesque figures that thronged the
humber portion Of the steamer He was as
black As ebony and above the living bronze Of
his face he had wound q great yellow turban.
| He was talking eagerly to an immobile Turk,
and his whole bearing was animated by a sense