"I am going," said she, "to have the day of my life tomorrow."


Carlotta had already gone to sleep, so Antoinette informed me,
when the results of Mrs. McMurray's shopping came home. I am
glad she has early habits. It appears she has spent a happy and
fully occupied afternoon over a pile of French illustrated comic
papers in the possession of my excellent housekeeper.

I wonder whether it is quite judicious to make French comic
papers her initiation into the ideas of Western civilisation.
Into this I must inquire. I must also talk seriously to her with
a view to her ultimate destiny. But as my view would be
distorted by the red dressing-gown, I shall wait until she is
decently clad. I think I shall have to set apart certain hours
of the day for instructive conversation with Carlotta. I shall
have to develop her mind, of which she distinctly has the
rudiments. For the rest of the day she must provide entertainment
out of her own resources. This her oriental habits of
seclusion will render an easy task, for I will wager that
Hamdi Effendi did not concern himself greatly as to the way in
which the ladies of his harem filled up their time. And now I
come to think of it, he certainly did not allow Carlotta to
sprawl about his own private and particular drawing-room. I will
not westernise her too rapidly. The Turkish educational system
has its merits.

This, in its way is comforting. If only I could accept her as a
human creature. But when I think of her callous reception of the