GEUMAN SULTAN. .11

and three brilliant stars on his left breast, and sabre at his

side ; the Prince, Duke Paul William of Mergentheim, was also

dressed in a sort of half Turkish style, a red cap on his head, a

shawl round his white trowsers, and his broad sabre at his side.

Soliman Effendi, who had got there before us, had taken on him-

self the office of interpreter, although the Prince could only con-

verse with him in French, and this he often misunderstood. The

institutions of Mahomed Ali seemed to have struck the noble

traveller as exceeding all his expectations. The Pascha listened

and was silent; but on the conversation being turned on European,

and at last on German affaii's, love of country, and a feeling of

insulted nationality burst from me, and now German was the

language ; happily our views and opinions agreed, and ere long,

all again went on quietly and pleasantly. The Duke rose, so did

the Pascha, and all the rest of us ; the curtain was drawn back by

the numerous attendants, and I plainly observed how the proud

Circassian drew himself up, and hardly bent his handsome head as

our good countryman, on coming to the head of the steps, took a

wordless leave with many low bows and reverences, at which

the Pascha could not conceal his laughter and great amusement. On the stairs the Prince took my arm, which gave the Pascha

afterwards reason for a well-founded remark on respect due to

difference of ranks, though Turkish etiquette carries it rather

too far.

Next evening wc supped with the Pascha. In vain had we

been amusing ourselves with the idea of beholding the fat Prince

seated on the ground and eating with his lingers, the table was set

out and all arranged European fashion. Some Franks and Turks

had been also invited ; my brother sat by the Duke, I by the

Pascha at the opposite side of tiie table, and each had before him

a different kind of wine. The Pascha did not fail to continually

fill my glass, something unheard of, as here this is a servant's

business, and to insist on my being helped before himself; "Keddi

el tartibb Frengk" (Sucli are European customs), he said to me. The Duke first proposed a health to the Viceroy ; the Pascha drank

it, and gave the Duke ; and then came the Pascha's own health, and

it was also drunk. I was again filling the Pascha's glass, when I

felt, under the table, an ice-cold hand laid on mine, and he