heard,
flowing down from the spring where the lane ends. There they sat down
beneath a giant tree on a beaten terrace, where a Kaffegee has his
little shop. The water pours from the spring in the hillside into a
great basin bordered with green, the air is cool, and there is a
delicious sense of rest after leaving the noise and dust of the quay.
Both men smoked and drank their coffee in silence. Paul could not help
wishing that his brother would take a little more interest in Turkey and
a little less in the lady of the thick yashmak; and especially he wished
that Alexander might finish his visit without getting into trouble. He
had successfully controlled him during three weeks, and in another
fortnight he must return to Russia. Paul confessed to himself that his
brother's visit was not an unmitigated blessing, and found it hard to
explain the object of it. Indeed, it was so simple that his diplomatic
mind did not find it out; for Alexander had merely said to himself that
he had never seen Constantinople, and that, as his brother was there, in
the embassy, he could see it under favorable circumstances, at a very
moderate cost. He was impetuous, spoiled by too much flattery, and
incapable of imagining that Paul could consider his visit in any light
but that of a compliment. Accordingly he had come, and had enjoyed
himself very much.

"Let us dine here," he said suddenly, as he finished his coffee.

"There is nothing to eat," answered Paul. "Coffee, cold water, and a few
cakes. That is all, and that would hardly satisfy you."

"What a nuisance!" exclaimed the elder brother. "What a barbarous
country this is! Nothing to eat but coffee, cold water, and cakes!"

"It is rather hard on the Turks to abuse them for not keeping
restaurants in their woods," remarked Paul.

"I detest the Turks. I shall never forget the discomfort I had to put up
with in the war. They might have learned something from us then; but
they never learn anything. Come along. Let us go and dine in your
rooms."

"It is impossible to be more discontented than you are," said Paul,
rather bitterly. "It is utterly impossible to please you,--and yet you
have most things which are necessary to happiness."

"I suppose you mean the money?" sneered his brother. But Paul kept his
temper.

"I mean everything," he answered. "You have money, youth, good looks,
and social success; and yet you can hardly see anything without abusing
it."

"You forget that I do