of the Old World. 387 



a rage that I could make out little but a long string 

 of curses against a cat-like fiend who must have 

 escaped from ' Jehanum ' (the infernal regions), so I 

 concluded he got his face clawed. However, he ad- 

 mitted that he spent the night in a neighbouring cafe, 

 and when he went home the next morning he found a 

 mutiny had taken place in his harem ; for whether his 

 scratched face and disordered appearance told tales, 

 or some maliciously inclined persons had given his 

 wives an insight into the affair, he knew not, but he 

 was received with torrents of abuse. One knocked 

 his turban off, a second pulled his beard, the third 

 spat in his face, and they all left the marks of their 

 nails on his person, besides belabouring him with the 

 heels of their slippers until he was almost insensible, 

 when the guardians of the fold of the 'third sex ' came 

 to the rescue, and enabled him to get out of their 

 clutches. Finding himself driven out of house and 

 home, he grew desperate, and, being weary of his life, 

 went for a soldier, thinking to terrify the household 

 into subordination, for he had no idea of going to 

 fight; and the Seraskier (Minister of War) gave him 

 the command of a brigade of ' redifs ' (militia), which, 

 unfortunately for our hero, were the first troops 

 ordered out on active service in the Crimea, and he 

 was obliged to go. Although not actually engaged, 

 he saw quite enough at the battle of the Alma to 

 turn his stomach against the profession he had chosen, 



2 c 2 



