of the Old World. 385 



" you are too greedy, and it is fortunate that every 

 one is not of your opinion, or some would come 

 poorly off; for where are all the women to come 

 from, if every man required a troop ? I am more 

 moderate, being content with one at a time ; besides 

 which, I do not like having a continual ' karabalik ' 

 (disturbance) in the house, which is always the case 

 when women get together; for I am of the same 

 opinion as the sage, who says that it is an easier task 

 to rule a thousand men than to control two women ; 

 and, to prove that my theory is correct, I will relate 

 to you the sad fate of a man you all knew, who owed 

 all his misfortunes to taking one woman too many in 

 his establishment. 



" Sulleiman Pacha, late commandant of the first 

 brigade that landed in the Crimea, was formerly a 

 collector of customs in the Pachalik of Widdin, and 

 subsequently held some lucrative civil appointment at 

 Stamboul. Tax-gathering, for a number of years, 

 had made Sulleiman Aga a rich man ; and through 

 the interest of Mehemet Ali Pacha, backed up with 

 a large packet of ' kaima ' (paper money) , the Aga was 

 made a Lever Pacha (General of Brigade), and 

 things went on swimmingly for a time. One day, 

 however, the horizon of his destiny was darkened 

 with the cloud of misfortune ; for as he was enjoying 

 his chibouk at a cafe near the * Buyuk Chouk ' (Grand 

 Bazaar), he was accosted by an old friend, and in an 



2 c 



