"In our empire," said a vartabed (Gregorian priest) "there will no longer be Turks, Greeks, Albanians, Armenians, Syrians and Arabs. No, there will be only Ottomans, now!" Two dervishes (Mussulman monks), delirious with joy, bore the priest off in triumph. The Turkish women had taken off their veils, and waved them as they sang. All Turkey was quivering with the same generous emotion. The words "Equality" and "Fraternity" intoxicated the men like strong wine. Alas; we are to see how bitter was the awakening and how great the disillusionment! "It seems too good to be true," said Garabed. "Yes," said Archag, "for years the Armenians have been groaning and dying under the yoke of the Mussulman, and now the deliverance has come suddenly, when nobody was expecting it any more. No bloodshed, as in the French Revolution; no frenzied demagogues, ready to become tyrants themselves! We have forgotten Abdul's crimes; now we have only to remember the favor he is granting us." "No more teskerehs (passports)," said Aram. "No more forbidden books. We shall be able to go to Europe and study, and to travel freely. Life is decidedly good!" In the evening, the students, led by the professors, had a torchlight procession, and went all about through the city streets. They stopped in front of the serail (palace) where they played the "Hamidieh March," [30] and the Kaimakan thanked them from his balcony, and had sherbet served to them. In the midst of the general rejoicing, our friends were saddened by the thought of the approaching departure of Monsieur Bernier. Their French master, having spent two years at Aintab, now desired to travel and see other countries. He had accepted a position at Constantinople as tutor to a Turkish prince, and his life in the Ottoman capital promised to be full of interest. At the same time, he was very sorry to leave his dear Central Turkey College, where he had passed such happy days. He was to go by araba to Alexandretta, and was planning to go from that place to Palestine. At five o'clock in the morning a servant came to tell him that the carriage was ready. He had taken leave of his American friends the evening before, but when he went down to the courtyard, to his surprise he found nearly all the boys waiting to bid him a last good-morning. There were tears in many eyes as they crowded around him for one more grasp of the hand. "A good journey!" they cried: "God bless you!" Archag and Garabed got into the carriage to go with him as far as the first change of horses; then they, too, had to part with Monsieur Bernier. He made them promise to write often, and if possible, to visit him in Switzerland. For a long time he followed them with his eyes, leaning out of the araba; and when they were lost to sight, he sat back with a sigh, for he counted the two years at Aintab among the happiest of his life.