for animals at one end and an enormous raised stone fireplace at
the other. Wooden platforms for the use of guests faced each other
down the two long sides, and the only promise of better than usual
comfort lay in the piles of firewood waiting for whoever felt rich
and generous enough to foot the bill for a quantity.

But an agreeable surprise made us feel at home before ever the fire
leaped up to warm the creases out of saddle-weary limbs. We had
given up thinking of Kagig, not that we despaired of him, but the
gipsies, and especially Maga, had replaced his romantic interest
for the moment with their own. Now all the man's own exciting claim
on the imagination returned in full flood, as he arose leisurely
from a pile of skins and blankets near the hearth to greet Monty,
and shouted with the manner of a chieftain for fuel to be piled on
instantly--"For a great man comes!" he announced to the rafters.
And the kahveh servants, seven sons of the owner of the place, were
swift and abject in the matter of obeisance. They were Turks. All
Turks are demonstrative in adoration of whoever is reputed great.
Monty ignored them, and Kagig came down the length of the room to
offer him a hand on terms of blunt equality.

"Lord Montdidier," he said, mispronouncing the word astonishingly,
"this is the furthest limit of my kingdom yet. Kindly be welcome!"

"Your kingdom?" said Monty, shaking hands, but not quite accepting
the position of blood-equal. He was bigger and better looking than
Kagig, and there was no mistaking which was the abler man, even at
that first comparison, with Kagig intentionally making the most of
a dramatic situation.