The times., 1899-09-24

The evening / arrived in Constsntinople
my cousins had a party. Bessie introduced
q certain Pacha to me. and / found him
most agreeable-in fact, modern among
the moderns-and advanced, even, His
topics were literary and mildly scientific
! am told that some people cram these
subjects from the reviews for use in So
ciety; but If he had only -'crammed" he
had done the work remarkably well. for
his knowledge seemed to be all his own, no
reneer, but solid possession. With me
ne spoke in French, with Bessie in an
amusing Gallic- English dialect For both
OF US he found adroit compliments. He re-
16rred 10 me a professor" my cousin
having told him that / taught in a college,
TO her he expressed his ardent desire that
his wives Il heard Of them with shock,
considering that the Pacha had been talk
ing with me for an hour-shall l say
like Christian )-that his wives should
visit her refined and delightful home.
He spoke OF a home as an interior"
fair example OF his Frenchifed English
The visit should take place, madame.
whenever you say you will be visible" he
said.
Bessie's face clouded She consulted her
set OF tablets, murmuring; Nearly always
invisible; engaged each afternoon, recep-
tions ibut mixed, like this EVENING" when
ever at home
Thinking to be helpful. said: Gould
i show the house? Your curios Bessie? I?
Take the ladies up to the Belyedere2 You
know. have no engagements yet" And
/ certainly was curious TO make the ac-
quaintance of the denizens of harem
Bessie glanced quickly in warning, but
too late The die was already cast, for
the Pacha was in the act of saying that
The ladies viii come the very next after
noon at 3 o'clock
What have you let yourself in for.'
laughed Bessie and her husband. when we
were alone few minutes later You'll
be bored to extinction. as the Pacha says .
Nothing will induce me 10 share your
miseries." said Bessie; but I'll do what
i can for your guests. There'll be coffee
for them mice thick stuff with the
grounds left I'M and mountain of sweets
and pipes, or cigarettes. If you all pre-
fer" Il loathe tobacco in all its forms).
'and their path Will be kept clear OF men. -
] was not daunted-
Why should 1 dread the visit so?"
asked
Turkish ladies are difficult TO enter
tain, I'm told said my host y don't
mind making bet that you won't try il
twice"
Next day as / waited alone, peeped from
the balcony now and then, until al last
great coach came rumbling into the court
yard. This carriage hung land swung)
upon c springs, and all its blue silk blinds
we're closely drawn. Two stalwart Nubians
were upon the box seat The coach drew
up. and the footman lifted out first a little
bundle with q crimson fez on top. 1t shook
itself free on the perron. and proved &c
be a brown-faced. monkey-like, dried up
boy Later ! learned he was twelve But
he looked only withered seven. The next
bundle 10 be placed upon the ground was
FIVE times as large. The outline wss decid-
edly queer. and might be described as ex-
1inguisher shape. very wide toward the end.
and mounted on two feet and a half of
white cotton stockings. above odd. half
French looking. silver buckled shoes The
outside of the extinguisher was made of
black silk. The third bundle was a larger
edition OF that already described II stood
upon pillar-like white stockings and splay
feet shod in elastic-sided boots, completely
out OF shape. Next descended q Circassian
girl, who turned out to be the interpreter.
She wore a forehead band with coins, and
flowing hair. Her costume was the we'll
known rich and picturesque garb OF her
country. Another black extinguishsr fol-
lowed
waited in the large drawing-room, as
had been told to do: and heard scufiiing.
voices. and the froufrou Of silks from the
anteroom. When fully twenty minutes had
woman in incongruous French clothes.
leading the boy by the hand.
The Pacha's principal wife; her son"
announced the Circasssn in French
Next came a dropsical looking. compare
lively shabbily dressed woman also in
kind OF European attre- The Pachas
second wife" said the circassian.
The Pacha's bride OF six MONTHS
came quickly after that; pretty girl in
pink silk robe decollete; a Paris bonnet
with high plumes and flowers, and dia-
mend tiara in front OF the bonnet on the
thick hair just above her forehead
i took some time TO seat the party. No
one cared for the armchass that ] drew
forward. The Circassian at once popped
down on a mat upon the floor. She had
large. dark eyes and changeful express
son. in pleasing contrast to the chief wife
and the second. The elder was grim and
defiant, the second wife oppressieyly apa-
thetic and ugly. The bride pulled on and
of her short pink kid gloesr TO display
her rings 10 me; played with her bracelets
and her ieweled watch, calling attention
10 the fact that II ''ticked" and was wound
from The handle. Il noticed that il was
several hours behind the timepiece on the
console tablet She patted her dress with
her palm: adjusted her necklace; idgeted
IN her armchair: pointed with her fore
finger to objects in the room, and screamed
10 the Interpreter for explanations of their
uses. etc
OF course. ] tried 10 make my visitors
welcome. But I did not succeed Gener-
ally speaking. my conversation did not in
terest them, and sometimes it even dis
pleased as when ] spoke OF meeting the
Pacha- Then the first wife's face flushed
darkly. She wonders foreign ladies speak
10 men" explained the circassian The
girls French was feeble. / struggled des-
perately to say pleasant things through her
10 my guests but perhaps she failed to
understand, or perhaps my efforts were
altogether mistaken The conversation
dragged frtghtfully in any case.
] turned 10 beautiful illustrated book
precious gift from an art loving friend
but the guests cared little for ii. Worse.
they threatened 10 spoil it, The bride at
tempted TO turn a page with a noistened
thumb. The second wife held a beautiful
plate hard-pulling it TIL I thought she
must tear H. hastily proposed an ad-
5ournment 10 the Belvedere; but the guests
recoiied in horror when they saw the cork
screw staircase. Moreover. they would not
venture ap any stairs without the black
eKtinguishers- They say they were very
well IN there" said the Interpreter. point
ing 10 the door we had just come through:
so We returned to bore each other In the
drawing room.
.he boy began TO smoke. This made me
cough The Clrcassisn suggested that he
should divert himself on the balcony,
and hencefOrth he oscillated between his
mothers side and the window
CoTee and sweetmsats came at last. They
made slight break in the tedium Having
had 10 success when ! tried 10 amnse the
guests, ieft on showing them Bessie's
pretty china Photographs and brIc-a- brac
al -