He asked then if the French tongue was intelligible to me, and, hearing that it was, talked long in French about my project, which seemed to please him greatly.

He said that it would be a blessing for his district to have a highly civilised, enlightened being like myself established in it as the sun and centre of improvement; and what a comfort it would be to him particularly to have an educated man at hand to talk to! He hoped that, when I had set up my model farm--for a model it would be, in every way, he felt quite sure of that, from my appearance and my conversation--I would not limit my attention solely to the work of agriculture, but would go on to improve the native breeds of sheep and oxen.

He heard that splendid strains of both were found in England.

He wished me to import a lot of English bulls and rams, assuring me of the assistance of the Government in all that I might do in that direction, since the Sultan ('His Imperial Majesty' he called him always) took the greatest interest in such experiments.
All this was very far from my original design, which was to lead as far as possible a quiet life.

But I promised to give thought to all his Excellency's counsels.
He made me smoke two cigarettes and drink a cup of coffee which his secretary had prepared upon a brazier in a corner of the room; and then, with a sweet smile and deprecating gestures of the hands, he begged me to excuse him if he closed the interview.