."

"Just so; but before zat, I mean," said the Pasha, with a keen glance.

Lancey was a bold and an honest man. He would not condescend to
prevaricate.

"I'm wery sorry, your--your Pashaship, but, to tell the plain truth, I
never _did_ 'ear of you _before_ that."

"Well, zat matters not'ing. I do go now to sup vid von friend, Hamed
Pasha he is called. You go vid me. Go, get ready."

Poor Lancey opened his eyes in amazement, and began to stammer something
about having nothing to get ready with, and a mistake being made, but
the Pasha cut him short with another "Go!" so imperative that he was
fain to obey promptly.

Having no change of raiment, the perplexed man did his best by washing
his face and hands, and giving his hair and clothes an extra brush, to
make himself more fit for refined society. On being called to rejoin
the Pasha, he began to apologise for the style of his dress, but the
peremptory despot cut him short by leading the way to his carriage, in
which they were driven to the konak or palace of Hamed Pasha.

They were shown into a richly-furnished apartment where Hamed was seated
on a divan, with several friends, smoking and sipping brandy and water,
for many of these _eminent_ followers of the Prophet pay about as little
regard to the Prophet's rules as they do to the laws of European
society.

Hamed rose to receive his brother Pasha, and Lancey was amazed to find
that he was a Nubian, with thick lips, flat nose, and a visage as black
as coal. He was also of gigantic frame, insomuch that he dwarfed the
rest of the company, including Lancey himself.

Hamed had raised himself from a low rank in society to his present high
position by dint of military ability, great physical strength, superior
intelligence, reckless courage, and overflowing animal spirits. When
Sanda Pasha entered he was rolling his huge muscular frame on the divan,
and almost weeping with laughter at something that had been whispered in
his ear by a dervish who sat beside him.

Sanda introduced Lancey as an Englishman, on hearing which the black
Pasha seized and wrung his hands, amid roars of delight, and torrents of
remarks in Turkish, while he slapped him heartily on the shoulder.
Then, to the amazement of Lancey, he seized him by the collar of his
coat, unbuttoned it, and began to pull it off. This act was speedily
explained by the entrance of an attendant with a pale blue loose
dressing-gown lined with fur, which the