The Argosy — page 237: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Remembrances of Constantinople. 223 Paris boots and American goloshes by the side of clumsy yellow wellingtons with slippers to match, and broad turn-up-toed black shoes lined with red. Some of the slippers, embroidered and worked with seed pearls and diamonds, were really beautiful. We saw one pair bought by an English nobleman for eight pounds, but many were much more costly. Our first purchase gave us great amusement. One of our party desiring to buy a dressing-gown for her absent husband, we were conducted to a place where the streets, running at right angles, were filled with shops devoted exclusively to the sale of the usual outside garments wom by the Turks. At a sign from our dragoman the proprietors of eight or ten shops jumped upon their counters with an agility which at once told us that the majority of them were not Turks, but Greeks. When we were still distant from them, some dozen men, each trying to outvie the other, held aloft a gorgeous robe. Of course every man recommended his own wares, but as we understand not a word, and the good Ibrahim remained placidly watching his employer's eye, all came very soon to dumb show. If any of us looked specially at one man’s gown, we were tapped on the shoulder, and with insinu- ating gestures invited to inspect something more magnificent at a rival establishment. After veering about from one counter to another, selecting a gown first here, then there, until we most of us became impatient, a handsome green and gold dress was positively chosen. Directly Ibrahim’s keen observation convinced him that matters had arrived at a point when his talents might come into play, he stepped forward, and the battle began between him and the shopkeeper, who as a matter of course asked an extravagant price. After listening with considerable amusement to tones, on the one side eager, persuasive, and even fierce, and on the other careless, prevokingly nonchalant, and derisive, we left the combatants to fight it out, and sauntered on. In about a quarter of an hour Ibrahim rejoined us—but without the dressing - gown. Our countenances fell, but he smilingly assured us that, in spite of his antagonist having positively refused the price offered, the article would certainly be ours. In good truth, after a considerable time the repentant shopkeeper followed us with the parcel, which, on receiving a trifling extra backsheesh, he let us have for £5. In one of the largest and prettiest shops in the bazaar, where per- fumery and beads only were sold, we bought attar of roses, musk, sandal-wood, and other ‘essences, together with beads of all sorts of materials and colours, The Mohammedans, even more than Roman Catholics, use rosaries—indeed, they have them perpetually between their fingers. . Independent of any religious use they may serve, they seemed to me to be used as a watch-chain, a bunch of keys, or the ends of a moustache often are elsewhere by nervous or fidgety: (people. comicbooks.com