answered, that he admired
the Christian paradise very much, and as the other was somewhat
uncertain, he thought he could be satisfied with the persons now around
him. It is quite possible that, except for the loss of dignity which
would have attended the act, the Shah's ambassador might easily have
been induced to join in a polka with one of the infidel houris then
present.

Many of the Mussulmans (Turks) of Stamboul come over the Golden Horn to
Pera, to witness the merry scenes of the Christian Carnival. They do not
select the most fashionable places of resort, and consequently fall into
rather doubtful company. They come sometimes with a companion or two,
but prefer to have only their own people with them, or at most a _toady_
or two to keep them in countenance. Such a person finds a conspicuous
place, where he can see what is going on, throws off his more than half
European coat, puts on his loose pelisse, calls for his _Tchibook_, or
pipe, and, it must be added, something very much like hot punch, and
goes in for the full enjoyment of the evening. In an hour or two, he is
rather 'pulverized,' and very disregardful of what he says and does. The
true semi-barbarian then comes to view; he becomes very ostentatious,
and is disposed to act the fast man; a friend will always find him a
lady, whom he invites to accompany him over to his _konak_, (private
dwelling in Stamboul,) which she refuses; he urges her to play _faro_ or
_rouge et noir_ with _his_ money, which she does, until his purse is
rather light, and by this time our Turk is so far insensible as to
require to be conveyed to his carriage by the toadies or private
attendants above mentioned. This he thinks is all right, and calls it _a
la Franka_, or conformably with European civilization and fashion.

The Armenian and Greek ladies, too, are adopting the same ideas of
reform and improvement in social life. One of the former, a fair,
married lady, of good family, having lately fallen in with a young and
handsome foreigner attached to one of the legations, allowed his visits
to become more and more frequent, so that one day her husband, returning
home rather sooner than expected, caught the couple in _flagrante
delicto_. This was carrying European civilization somewhat to a delicate
point; but she shielded herself against the husband's reproaches by the
assertion that it was _a la Franka_, and the matter was compromised
without any 'secession movement.'

The lat