Sublimity the Sultan had been graciously
pleased to receive the royal envoy, who had
been presented by the French ambassador
on his hands and knees, with many marks of
his august favour, that he had deigned to
accept the suzerainty of France, which was
henceforth, and for ever, to be held in fief of
the Sultan of Constantinople, and to pay an
annual tribute. Finally, the Pasha, opening
the inmost recesses of his gifted and amiable
mind to the faithful Hamed, proceeded to show
him how he meant to undermine the favour of
the subject monarch, in order that he himself
might be named Prince or Waywode of France
at some future date. This would be an easy
thing, inasmuch as an infidel might always
be safely accused of blaspheming the true
faith, or of having stamped on the spot where
the Sultan's shadow had rested while going
to the mosque, or of being a Sheytan, or
evil spirit. This virtuous man's aim being
thus accomplished, he would lose no time in
appointing the wondering Hamed as his
kaimacam, or lieutenant.

The news flew from mouth to mouth as
fast as breath could carry it. The men of
Constantinople began to treat the French
subjects in the place with unusual marks of
kindness and protection, and all were eager in
portioning out to their own profit the goods
of the subject land which had just submitted
itself so dutifully, and become annexed to
their country. Hey! what fat pashaliks
would be forthcoming by and bye.

Meantime, it soon became known that His
Highness the Duke de Vendôme aspired to
the command in chief of the armies of
Constantinople, in the war which was then
expected with the Russians. This seemed
reasonable enough under such circumstances,
thought his believers. He was a man, too,
whose air and manners were admirably
calculated to support pretensions, however
extravagant. He had a plentiful stock of the
gravity, assurance, and plausibility which
succeed so well with Orientals. In person
he was of gigantic stature, and though
his face was not of the cast which pleases a
physiognomist, he was handsome. His
forehead was high, but narrow; the nose and
mouth well cut; but the shifting and
uncertain expression of the eye never could
have belonged to an honest man. It seemed
always to be mutely asking how much you
believed of him, or trying to penetrate into
your thoughts, and see if you had heard or
suspected anything against him. For the rest,
he wore his beard, already growing grey,
after the fashion of the Orientals, and dressed
in a manner rather more imposing than is
usual among French gentlemen of real rank
and consideration; but, perhaps this was
part of his tactics, and not ill judged if it
were so.

He took up his quarters at the first hotel
in Constantinople, and engaged a numerous
suite; for the clever man, who seemed to have
well studied his part, knew that nothing is
more respected in the East than a splendid
retinue. He had secretaries, aides-de-camp,
grooms, and horses, all obtained on credit,
and things at first went smoothly enough.
Day after day he enacted the part of the
courtly host to admiring pashas and beys,
who went away full of his praises. His
Highness and his Highness's wife—one of
those pretty, quiet women who always fall in
love with a lion—were an honour to the hotel
at which they lived. They promised also to
be a considerable profit, for they lived in the
best rooms at a great expense, just at the
very time when the beau monde, and travellers
who came to Constantinople, were all too glad
to run away into the country to escape the
fierce heats of summer.

At length came the unlucky quarter of an
hour, so pathetically mentioned by immortal
Rabelais. One morning, the bowing landlord
presented his bill. The Prince was all
affability. He had no time to see his
bankers just then, but would send to them to
come to him immediately he could spare the
time. Unluckily, he had no money but a
thousand pound note by him. If, however,
M. Bouffet had change, eh?—and the Prince,
in his brocaded dressing-gown (got on credit
over the way), rose from his honoured seat
upon his august legs, and looked towards a
splendid escritoire—which was quite empty,
for it had only just been sent home—and His
Highness twirled the golden key in his hand
with an inquiring glance.

Mine host was all blushes and apologies.
He was desolated at having deranged His
Royal Highness. Might he be permitted to
retire himself?

The Prince consented; and, shortly after,
the Princess, His Highness's august consort,
sent for Madame Bouffet, and made her the
prettiest compliments possible upon the
general arrangements and excellence of the
hotel. Madame Bouffet received them
curtseying to the ground. She was an English-
woman, and had been "own maid to Her
Excellency the British Ambassadress, but
she never expected to have the honour of
seeing a crowned 'ed under her 'umble reuf,
but ryalty was scarce in these rumbustical"
(she meant republican) " days, and so it wuss,
yer Ryal Majesty's 'Ighness."

Her Ryal Majesty's 'Ighness complimented
Madame Bouffet again on the excellence of
her political opinions, and having learned all
the scandal of the place and ascertained that
Madame Bouffet had never expected to marry
a Frenchman, " which her father was in the oil
and Italian business, but had married her
mother-in-law, and sent her out to service,
which she never was brought up teu," with
much other information of a similar nature;
and having given Mrs. Bouffet a dress worn
by her royal self at the coronation (it was
black satin), accordingly, the storm was lulled
for a time. Mercy on us, what humbugs those