The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-14

with gliding and painted ornaments In the
Oriental style. while the ceiling was inlaid
with pieces Of looking glass. which pro-
duced rich effect Iayard recalls that
such In those days, before Turkish taste
; was corrupted by European influence.
,, were tho decorations seen In the palaces
OF the Ottoman mobiles.
Now let us hear him tell the rest OF the
story In tho first person: 'on . very low
divan, at the further end OF the hall. was
seated a lady whom he recognized at once
as tho ono We had seen at the Sweet Waters,
We had not been deceived by the glimpse
she had allowed us to obtain Of her face
when she furtively lowered her veil az she
stepped into her boat She was young
and singularly beautiful, with the large.
almond shaped eyes, the delicate and regu-
lar features. and tho clear, brilliant COM
pexion, somewhat too pale, perhaps. for
perfect beauty. peculiar to Turkish women
OF mixed Circassian descent. She was
splendidly clad In the dress then worn by
wealthy Turkish ladies. before II was rem
dered vulgar and unbecoming by the intro
duction Of French fashions. Round about
her stood a number Of girls, all richly clad,
and for the most part exceedingly pretty.
who were, evidently, her attendants ;"
Layard goes on to relate that the lady
invited her visitors to be seated on the
divan beside her and entered at once into
conversation. -She asked numerous ques-
tions upon all manner Of subjects. politics
included, said that she knew who We were.
and that. seeing that we had observed her
at the Sweet Waters she had resolved to
make our acquaintance, but that she had
been imprudent In inviting us to follow
her, and was glad that we turned back
when we did. She then ordered ndrouiles.
coffee and sweetmeats to he brought. which
were handed to us by some Of her damsels.
she herself partaking Of them with US We
were soon engaged in a very lively discourse.
The ladies were delighted with Alison, who
spoke their language perfectly and laughed
uproariously at his jokes and anecdotes.
No one knew better how to entertain and
amuse Orientals than he did. After we
had talked for some time. the lady directed
some Of her attendants to play on the usual
Turkish Instruments. and others to dance.
which they did very gracefully. But the
dance soon degenerated into kind of romp.
in which all the girls took part. pelting each
other with comfts, and tumbing over each
other on the floor and divans amid shouts
Of laughter, to the great amusement OF
their mistress, who encouraged them in
their somewhat boisterous play"
IAyard says that after he and Alison
had passed nearly two hours very agreeably
with their fascinating hostess and her
ladies' they thought it time to withdraw.
When they took leave Of her she made them
promise that they would repeat their visit,
telling them that she would send the same
messenger as she had already employed to
communicate with them. to let them know
when she would receive them. They were
then taken through the garden to the same
wicket by which they had been admitted,
and they issued thence by the small street
into which the gate opened into the main
thoroughfare Of Ayoub. Now, in those
days this sacred quarter of the Turkish
capital. which contains the tombs of the
first Mussulman martyrs who fell before
Constantinople, was rarely visited by
Europeans, who, IL discovered in it. were
exposed to insult and molestation from its
fanatical inhabitants, chiefly Mullahs and
Sofas, or students OF the religious law.
The two Englshmen, therefore, were glad
to- escape from it unobserved and to regain
their cdiqus, which they had left at come
distance In the Golden Horn.
The lady whose acquaintance had thus
been made had given no clue as TO who
she might he: nor would the attendant
who admitted the visitors to the garden
answer any questions on the subject OF
high rank she evidently was. from her
distinguished manners. the richness Of her
dress and the lux ury in which she lived.
The curiosity Of the young men was greatly
kal thov Iotorrnipo1 IN eQtiafy II
With this object they sent for an old Italian
woman, generally known as LA Giusep-
pima. with whom they were we'll acquainted,
and who kept small hotel in Pera. She
had access to most Turkish harems and was
much employed by Turkish ladies In e1-
ecuting commissions for them. The two
young men Informed her Of their adventure
and described the lady and the house in
which they had been received. La Giusep-
pima undertook to discover the mysterious
beauty and to return with the information
required before the end OF the day. Ac-
cording to her promise she reappeared after
a few hours. but with a face pale with terror.
The lady, she declared. belonged to the
palace, and was, she had reason to believe,
a sister Of the Sultan. She implored the
young men not to persist in the adventure
or to meet the lady again under any circum-
stances. II they were found with her their
lives would unquestionably she said. be
forfeited. and even II a suspi cion arose
that they had visited her the consequences
to them might be most serious
The young Engishmen were quite ready
to follow the advice Of La Giuseppina, as
the scandal of an exposure-to say nothing
of the danger they might would have
ben very great. especially in the case of
Alison. who held diplomatic post They.
therefore. decided not to repeat their visit
to their lovely friend. She continued, for
some time. to send her messenger to re-
proach them for not having fulfilled their
promise to see her again, and to appoint
a time for meeting her. They persisted
however, In their resolution not to expose
her or themselves To further risk.
Iayard tells us further that this Prin- ,
cess--for the lady was no doubt the Sultan's
sister subsequently made herself notorious
by not wearing yashmak, or veil, and by
throwing OF many Of the restraints placed
upon Turkish women and especially upon
members OF the Imperial family and harem,
who were not then permitted to appear
in public without precautions being taken
In Dravent INV man from approachjno