oceeded to cut up the salt meat placed in front of him.
For a short time the conversation was constrained, and it was evident
that those who spoke were talking for the sake of talking; but this soon
wore off, and by the end of the meal even the youngest mids were talking
and laughing with a feeling that somehow a change had come over the
place. A quarter of an hour after the meal had ended, a boat was
lowered.

"Mr. Wilkinson, you will take charge," the first officer said. "Mr.
Blagrove, you will accompany the captain on shore."

A few minutes later they reached the landing-place. A number of men at
once crowded round to proffer their services, and the captain said:

"Choose one of them for a guide, Mr. Blagrove. Ask him to take us to our
embassy."

Edgar at once chose a quiet-looking Turk, and, to the latter's surprise,
addressed him in his own language. The others fell back disappointed,
and the guide soon conducted them to the embassy.

"I shall not want you here, Blagrove. I shall be engaged for at least a
couple of hours. You can either stroll about and have a look round or go
back to the boat as you please. It is now two o'clock; call again here
for me at four."

Cairo had prepared Edgar for Constantinople, and indeed he thought the
former city more picturesque in the variety of costume than the latter.
The views from the hill of Pera, whether looking up the Golden Horn,
across it at Stamboul, over to Scutari and the shores of the Sea of
Marmora, or up the Bosphorus, were beautiful beyond anything that he
had ever seen, and leaving the exploration of the city for another day,
he sat down under the shade of some cypress trees close to a Turkish
cemetery and entered into a conversation with the guardian of the tombs,
who pointed out the various mosques and places of interest to him. At
the end of two hours he repaired to the embassy. Presently a dragoman
came down and asked him if his name was Blagrove, and on his replying in
the affirmative, said that Sir Sidney Smith had ordered him to say that
he could return in the boat to the ship, for that he would dine ashore,
and the boat was to be at the wharf at ten o'clock.

Sir Sidney Smith remained two months at Constantinople. His duty, in
conjunction with his brother, Mr. Seymour Smith, was to engage the
Sultan in an active alliance with England, and to concert, as a naval
officer, the best plan to be pursued to render that alliance effective.
The former porti