Kéraban the Inflexible (Part 1)/Chapter 1
KÉRABAN THE INFLEXIBLE.
CHAPTER I.
HOW VAN MITTEN AND HIS VALET WALKED AND TALKED.
At six o'clock on the evening of the 16th of August, in a certain year which need not be particularly specified, the quay of Top-Hané in Constantinople, usually so crowded and full of life and bustle, was silent—almost deserted. The view from this place over the Bosphorus was certainly a very charming one, but life was wanting to give it its full effect. Very few strangers were visible at that time, and they were hurrying on their way to Pera. The narrow, dirty, and dog-infested streets which led to what may be termed the "European" quarters, were almost free from the presence of the representatives of Western civilization. Pera is more especially affected as a residence by the Franks, whose white stone mansions contrast vividly with the dark cypress groves upon the hill.
But the quay is always picturesque, even when deprived of the rainbow hues of the various costumes worn by the passers-by. The Mosque of Mahmoud, with its graceful minarets, its pretty Arabic fountain (now deprived of its elegant roof), its shops where sweetmeats of all kinds are vended; the stalls piled with gourds, Smyrna melons, Scutari raisins, contrasting with the wares of the vendors of perfumery, and the bead sellers; the landing-place, or port, where lie hundreds of gaudy carques, double banked, the oars of which caressed rather than struck the blue waters of the Bosphorus or the Golden Horn.
But there were at that particular time many of the habitual loungers of the Top-Hané—Persians, coquettishly crowned with head-gear of Astrachan; Greeks, balancing the many-folded fustanelle; Circassians, nearly always in military dress; Georgians, still Russian in their costume, though many miles from the frontier; Armenians, saturnine and swarthy, whose sun-browned skins were perceptible between the folds of their embroidered vests; but the Turks—the Osmanlis—the sons of ancient Byzantium and old Stamboul—where were they?
Where were they? It would have been no use to question two Western strangers who, with inquisitive eyes, noses in the air, and with somewhat undecided steps, were walking almost apart upon the terrace. They could not have answered you.
But there is something more yet. In the town properly so called, beyond the port, a visitor would have remarked the same characteristic air of silence and desertion. On the other side of the Golden Horn—a deep indentation between the old Serail and the landing-place of Top-Hané on the right bank, which is united with the left by three bridges of boats—the whole of Constantinople appeared to be asleep. Was no one awake in the Palace of Serai Bournot? Were there none of the Faithful, no hadjis or pilgrims in the mosques of Ahmed, of Bayezidièh, Saint Sophia, or Suleimanieh?
Was this the hour of repose, of siesta for the careless guardian of the tower of the Seraskiecat, following the example of his colleague on the tower of Galata, on both of whom devolved the duty of giving warning of the frequent fires which break out in Constantinople? The stillness even appeared to extend to the pert, notwithstanding the presence of the Austrian, French and other steamers—the boats, steam launches, and caiques which passed and repassed upon the waters that laved the bases of the houses.
Was this, then, the much-vaunted Constantinople, the vision of the East realized by the will of Constantine and Mahomet II.? That is just what the two strangers above referred to were asking each other as they walked to and fro; and if they did not answer the question in Turkish, it was not for want of acquaintance with that language.
They were both well acquainted with the native tongue: one of them because he had been employed for twenty years in correspondence and merchants' business in the country; the other because he had frequently discharged the duties of secretary to his master, even while he acted in the capacity of a domestic servant.
These men were natives of Holland, and hailed from Rotterdam. Their names were Jan Van Mitten, and Bruno, his valet, whom destiny had driven to the extreme borders of Europe.
Van Mitten, a well-known individual, was a man of forty-five or forty-six years of age, still fair-haired, of fresh complexion, with blue eyes and yellow whiskers. He wore no moustaches. His nose was rather short relatively to his face; his head was massive; he had broad shoulders; stood somewhat below the middle height, and inclined to stoutness. His feet were more remarkable for usefulness than elegance. Altogether he had the air of a brave, resolute man; he was a good specimen of his nation.
Morally speaking, perhaps, Van Mitten was of a plastic temperament, of a somewhat pliable disposition—one of those men who, while of an extremely sociable and indeed humorous turn of mind, are ready to avoid discussion and ready to cede points; more fitting to obey than to command—quiet, phlegmatic individuals, who are supposed to have no decided will of their own. They are by no means the worse for that. Once and once only during his former life Van Mitten had been engaged in a discussion, the consequences of which had been very serious.
On that occasion certainly he had come out of himself, but before long he had re-entered his shell, so to speak. It would have been better, perhaps, had he yielded, and no doubt he would have done so, could he have foreseen the consequences. But it wiil not do to anticipate the events which form the ground-work of this tale.
"Well, sir!" said Bruno, when he and his master had reached Top-Hané.
"Well, Bruno?"
"Here we are, sir, in Constantinople."
"Yes," replied Van Mitten; "and some thousands of miles from Rotterdam."
"Don’t you think, sir, that we are quite far enough from Holland by this time?" said the valet drily.
"I do not think I can ever be too far from it,” replied his master in a low voice, as if he were afraid of Holland hearing him.
In Bruno, Van Mitten possessed a most devoted servitor. This faithful valet in some respects resembled his master, as much so, indeed, as his deference would permit him to resemble that personage, with whom he had been so many years associated. For twenty years master and man had not been separated for a day. If Bruno in the house was something less than a friend, he was more than a servant. He performed his service intelligently, methodically, and did not scruple to give advice, of which Van Mitten might take advantage; or make complaints which his master would accept without remonstrance. He was very much annoyed, however, when he had to obey the orders of any but his master; yet he could not resist—in a word, he wanted "character."
It may be added that Bruno, who was at this time forty years of age, was of a rather lazy temperament; he could not bear to move about. To be able to endure an active life, one must train and get thin; but Bruno was in the habit of having himself weighed every week so as to ensure his maintaining his rotundity of form.
When he entered the service of Van Mitten he turned the scale at only one hundred pounds, which was a miserable weight for a Dutchman. But within a year afterwards he had gained thirty pounds in weight, and was not ashamed to go anywhere. To his master, therefore, he owed it that he had reached the hundred and sixty-seven pounds of flesh which he then carried about with him, and which put him in such a good position amongst his countrymen. He found it necessary also to be modest and reserved, so that in time he might arrive at the proud distinction of pulling down two hundred pounds in the scale.
In fine, Bruno, who was greatly attached to his native land, which he looked upon as the finest in Europe, or in the world for that matter, would never, unless under very urgent circumstances, have quitted Rotterdam, the first city in Holland in his estimation, On the banks of the Niewe Haven canal. Nevertheless it was a fact that Bruno was then at Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
But what was Van Mitten?
Nothing less than a rich merchant of Rotterdam; a dealer in tobacco; a consignee of the best products of Havana, Maryland, Virginia, and Porto Rico; and particularly of those of Macedonia, Syria and Asia Minor.
For twenty years Van Mitten had done a considerable business of this kind with the house of Kéraban of Constantinople, who exported tobaccos all over the world. Thus it happened that in his dealings with this large Eastern house Van Mitten had picked up something of the Turkish tongue, which he soon spoke like one of the "Faithful." So also Bruno, from sympathy, and in order to be better acquainted with his patron’s business, made it a point to learn the language too; and spoke it scarcely less fluently than his master.
This pair of originals had made an agreement with each other, only to speak the Ottoman tongue in Turkey. In fact, but for their dress they might have passed for natives. This was by no means unwelcome to Van Mitten, and Bruno was too obedient to manifest his objections.
So he compelled himself to say every morning to his master,—
"Efendum emriniz nè dir?" which means, being interpreted, "Sir, what do you require?"
Then Van Mitten would reply,—
"Sitrimi pantalounymi purtcha," which signified that he required his clothes brushed.
From what has been said, the reader will now understand that Van Mitten and Bruno had no difficulty in finding their way about Constantinople, firstly because they understood the native language, and secondly because they were sure of a welcome at the "house" of Kéraban, the chief of which firm had already been in Holland, and according to the law of contrasts had struck up a great friendship with his Dutch correspondent.
For this reason Van Mitten, when he quitted Rotterdam, made up his mind to go to Constantinople, and Bruno made no objection, though he only resigned himself to the move unwillingly. So it came to pass that master and servant found themselves on the quay of Top-Hané, in the City of the Faithful.
About this time of the evening some passers-by appeared, strangers chiefly. Then two or three Turks walked past conversing, and the keeper of a café established at the end of the square arranged his unfilled tables leisurely, pending the expected arrival of his customers.
"In less than an hour," remarked one of the Turks, "the sun will have dipped beneath the waves of the Bosphorus, and then—"
"And then," continued another, "we shall be able to eat and drink in comfort, and smoke at our ease."
"This Fast of Ramadan is very long."
"All fasts are tedious," was the reply, as the interlocutors passed on.
Meanwhile two strangers were exchanging opinions upon the same subject, as they paced in front of the café.
"These Turks are extraordinary fellows," said one. "Really, a traveller who happened to arrive in Constantinople during this melancholy Lenten season would have but a poor opinion of the capital."
"Bah," replied the other, "London is no more gay on a Sunday. If the Turks fast during the day, they make up for their abstinence at night. When the sunset gun is fited, the odour of cooking and the smoke of tobacco will arise simultaneously with the people, and the streets will resume their wonted gaiety."
It would seem that the stranger was right in his estimate, for at that moment the proprietor of the café called out to his waiter,—
"See that everything is prepared. In an hour we shall be overwhelmed by the flood of customers."
The two strangers meanwhile continued their conversation.
"I think that Constantinople is best worth visiting during this period of the Ramadan. If the days are sad and triste like a succession of Ash Wednesdays, the evenings are gay and festive as a carnival."
"There is the contrast, you see, to emphasize it."
While these men exchanged their views, the Turks were regarding them not without a kind of envy.
"They are happy, those Franks," said one of the subjects of the Sultan. "They can eat, drink, and smoke as they please."
"No doubt," replied his companion; "but they cannot at this moment procure a kébal of mutton, nor a pilaw of nice fowl and rice, nor a cake of baklava—not even a slice of water-melon or cucumber."
"Because they are ignorant of the right places in which to find them. By means of a few piastres one can always find willing vendors who have received the dispensation of the prophet."
"By Allah," said his friend, "my cigarettes are drying up in my pocket, I cannot lose so much good tobacco."
So at the risk of his future happiness, the "Believer," who paid little attention to his creed, took out a cigarette and, lighting it, puffed rapidly the perfumed weed.
"Look out," said his companion; "if some ulema less tolerant than usual should see you—"
"Oh, I can soon swallow the smoke—he will see nothing," replied the faithful one.
Thus these men continued their promenade, lounging up and down the square, and subsequently disappearing up one of the narrow streets which lead to Pera and Galata.
"This is certainly a singular city," said Bruno as he gazed around him. "Ever since we left our hotel, I have scarcely seen even the "ghost" of a native. There are only phantoms in Constantinople apparently. The people and the place seem to be equally asleep; even the dogs, yellow and lean as they are, will scarcely trouble themselves to bite you. After all that travellers have said, I cannot see the object in travelling. What do you gain by it? I would rather be in our own city of Rotterdam, under the grey sky of Holland."
"Patience, Bruno, patience," said the calm Van Mitten. "We have only been here a few hours yet. Nevertheless, I cannot say this is altogether the Constantinople I had pictured to myself. I fancied we should plunge into the 'Arabian Nights' at once, into all the dreams of the East, and we actually find ourselves imprisoned in the depths of—"
"An immense convent," added Bruno, "in the midst of a people as sad as a Trappist priory.
"My friend Kéraban will explain to us what it all means, by-and-by," said Van Mitten.
"But where are we at this moment?" asked Bruno. "What is this place? what do they call this quay?"
"If I am not mistaken, we are on the Top-Hané," replied Van Mitten, "at the end of the Golden Horn. There is the Bosphorus, which laves the shores of Asia, and on the opposite side you may see the Seraglio Point, and the Turkish town which is raised above it."
"The Seraglio!" exclaimed Bruno. "Is that the palace of the Sultan, wherein the eighty thousand odalisques live?"
"Eighty thousand?" repeated Van Mitten, smiling; "I fancy you have estimated the number somewhat too highly—even for a Turk. In Holland we find one wife sufficient for a household, and even then one cannot always have peace!"
"Quite so; certainly, sir; let us not speak of that unless we must." Then Bruno, turning towards the café, said,—
"This looks like a café, and after his exertions, combined with this baking Turkish sun, I should not be surprised if my master would like some refreshment."
"That is one way of saying that you are thirsty," replied Van Vitten. "Well, let us enter this café."
So they seated themselves at one on the small tables on the façade of the establishment.
"Cawadjii!" cried Bruno, rapping on the table, European fashion. But as no one answered the summons, he called again more loudly.
After this second summons, the proprietor of the café appeared at the end of the shop, but made no signs of approaching nearer.
"Strangers," he murmured, when he caught sight of his customers. "Do they really believe they can be served?" Then he came to the table.
"Cawadjii, let us have some cherry-water, quite fresh," said Van Mitten.
"At gunfire," replied the man.
"What!" exclaimed Bruno. "Cherry-water with gunfire! No, cawadjii—no—with mint!"
"If you have no cherry-water," continued Van Mitten, "let us have a glass of rose-rahtlokoum. I remember it—it is very nice."
"At gun-fire," was the answer of the proprietor, as he shrugged his shoulders.
"What does he mean by gun-fire?" asked the valet of his master.
"We shall see," replied the latter, who, always willing to be accommodating, said, "If you have not rahtlokotim, let us have a cup of coffee, some sherbet—what you please."
"At gun-fire."
"At gun-fire?" repeated Van Mitten.
"Not before," said the café-keeper as he unceremoniously re-entered his shop.
"Let us come away from here," said Bruno. "There is no use in remaining with this stupid Turk, who deafens us with his 'gun-fire.'"
"Come along, Bruno," said Van Mitten. "I dare say we shall find a more complaisant café-keeper presently."
So they made their way across the open space once more.
"I am quite of opinion, sir," said Bruno, "that we cannot meet your friend, M. Kéraban, a moment too soon. We should have known what was in store for us had he been at his house of business."
"Yes, Bruno, but we must have patience a little longer. They told us we should find him here."
"But not before seven o'clock, sir. It is hither that his caïque will come to take us across to his villa at Scutari, on the opposite side of the Bosphorus."
"Quite so, Bruno; and my estimable friend will soon put us au courant with all that is going on. He is a true Turk, one of the old conservative party, who will not permit any innovations to be made in existing circumstances; who protest against all modern inventions—one of those men who still prefer a coach (when they find one) to the railroad, and a sailing vessel to a steamer. During the twenty years I have known Kéraban, I have never known him to change ever so little. When, three years ago, he came to visit me in Rotterdam, he arrived in a post-chaise, and instead of eight days he had been quite a month on the journey. I have known a good many obstinate people in my time, Bruno, but of all, Kéraban is the most ‘pig-headed’ person I ever met."
"He will be considerably astonished to meet you again in Constantinople," said the valet.
"I fancy so," replied Van Mitten, "and I would rather take him by surprise. At least in his company we shall be thoroughly the Turk. My friend Kéraban is not the man to adopt the costume of the Nizam, and to wear the blue coat and red fez of the modern 'believer.'"
"When they take off their fezzes they look like bottles with the corks out," remarked Bruno.
"Ah, my dear and inimitable Kéraban will come dressed just as he was when he visited me at the other side of Europe; he will have his turban and caftan on—"
"Just like a date merchant," interrupted Bruno.
"Yes, like a date merchant who sells golden fruit, and who might even eat them at every meal," replied Van Mitten. "He has the very business for this country—a merchant in tobacco. How could he fail to make his fortune in such a business in this place, where every one smokes, morning, noon and night?"
"Smoke!" exclaimed Bruno. "Where have you seen any one smoke? I have not seen any smokers at all—not one, yet I quite expected to find groups of Turks at every door smoking long curling pipes or tubts of cherry with amber mouthpieces. But, no! Not even a cigarette, much less a cigar!"
"There is something we do not understand, depend upon it, Bruno. Why, even in Rotterdam we shall find more smokers than in the streets of Constantinople."
"Are you quite sure that we have not mistaken the route and gone somewhere else?" continued Bruno. "Are you certain that we are in the Turkish capital, sir? Perhaps after all we have come wrong, and that is the Thames yonder, and not the Golden Horn in the Bosphorus. That mosque yonder may be St. Paul's instead of St Sophia. This Constantinople? Never. It is London!"
"Be quiet, Bruno. Moderate your spirits, you are much too volatile for a native of Holland. Be calm, patient, phlegmatic, as I am, and never be surprised at anything. We left Rotterdam, as you know—"
"Yes, yes," assented Bruno, shaking his head in a melancholy manner.
"We came by way of Paris, St Gothard, Italy, Brindisi, and the Mediterranean, and yet you would have me believe that the Messageries steamer landed us at London Bridge after eight days' steaming—and not at Galata at all!"
"Nevertheless—" began Bruno.
"I trust," continued Van Mitten, “that you will not give way to these little eccentricities before my friend Kéraban. He might take such joking in ill part, and begin to argue in his obstinate way."
"I will take care, sir," replied Bruno. "But though one cannot obtain any refreshment, I suppose it is permissible to light a pipe. Do you see any objection to that, sir?"
"None whatever," replied his master. "In my capacity of tobacco importer, nothing pleases me more than to see people smoking. Indeed, I am extremely sorry that nature has only endowed each individual with one mouth. It is true we can consume snuff by the nose."
"And by the teeth in chewing," added Bruno.
So saying, he pulled out an enormous pipe of painted porcelain, and, having lighted it, puffed it contentedly and with evident satisfaction.
But at this moment the Turks who had so emphatically protested against the abstinnce of the Ramadan, reappeared upon the quay, and the individual who had been indulging in the cigarette, at once perceived Bruno smoking his pipe. "By Allah!" he exclaimed, "here is one of those accursed Franks defying the ordinances of the Koran. I cannot suffer it."
"At least put out your own cigarette," said his companion.
"Of course:' he replied; and, throwing it away, he marched directly up to the Dutchman, who by no means expected such a meeting.
"Not till gun-fire," said the Turk, as he snatched the pipe from Bruno's lips.
"Here; my pipe!" exclaimed Bruno, whom his master vainly tried to control.
"Dog of a Christian—not till gun-fire," said the polite Turk.
"Dog yourself, Turk," retorted Bruno, with Christian spirit.
"Be quiet, Bruno," said Van Mitten.
"Let him give me my pipe, then; at least," said the valet.
"At gun-fire," replied the Turk, as he placed the pipe in the folds of his caftan.
"Come, Bruno, it is no use to transgress the customs of the country one visits," said his master.
"Robbers' customs:' said Bruno, indignantly.
"Come along, I say. My friend Kéraban will not arrive before seven o'clock. Let us resume our promenade, and we will meet him when the time comes."
So Van Mitten dragged away Bruno, who was much disgusted at being separated from his pipe, to which he clung with all the tenacity of a confirmed smoker.
As the strangers walked away, the Turks remarked one to the other,—
"Truly these Frankish strangers think they can do anything they please."
"Even to smoke before sunset!" Said the other.
"Do you want a light?" inquired his friend.
"Yes,—thank you," replied the other, as he lighted a fresh cigarette.