Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 100, January 17, 1891Various
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 100, January 17, 1891
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
"That," Our Representative writes, "is not precisely the line as I
remember it; but I make it a rule never to correct a SULTAN."
Accordingly His Majesty proceeded: "And so, my good Cousin, _Mr.
Punch_, wants to know all about this interview, the _bruit_ of which
has shaken the Universe. His wishes are commands to me. In the first
place, I will tell you (though this is not for publication), that it
was by the merest accident I had the advantage of knowing your great
countryman. I heard there had come to Constantinople one FREDERICK
HARRISON, head of a sect called the Positivists. I am, you know, in
my way, and within the limits of my kingdom, one of the most absolute
Positivists of the age. I wanted to see the English apostle, and told
them to ask him to dinner. Somehow things got mixed up, and, at the
preliminary morning call, the SHAH LEFEVRE walked in. Had never heard
of him before, but gathered from CHAKIR PACHA, who had been talking to
WAHAN EFFENDI, who, had seen WOODS PACHA, who had spent an hour with
VAMBÉRY, upon whom SHAH LEFEVRE had called, that the SHAH was really
the mainspring of the Liberal Party in England, GLADSTONE being merely
figure-head, HARCOURT in his pay, and CHAMBERLAIN suffering in exile
under his displeasure. Allah is Good! Here was a chance thrown into
my hands. I forgot all about FREDERICK HARRISON; told CHAKIR PACHA and
WAHAN EFFENDI to entertain the SHAH in the ante-chamber with coffee
and cigarettes, drawing him out on Armenia and Egypt. Meanwhile I
crept under the sofa, and heard every word. The SHAH very stern about
Armenia, could not be drawn about Egypt. At end of hour and half
began to get tired under sofa; managed to stick in WAHAN EFFENDI's
Wellington boot a note, on which I had written, 'Take him to see my
horse.' So they went off to stable, and, as soon as coast was clear,
I crept out; shut myself up in room for rest of day. Heard afterwards
that they came back, the SHAH much impressed with appearance of my
horse; resumed conversation on Armenia and Egypt for another hour; at
last got rid of SHAH.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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