The scene was more novel to George than to Maurice. The great hall was thronged with people, dressed in every variety of costume and colour. Here was a rough countryman from the hills, there a portly merchant; soldiers marched up and down with clanking heels, or lounged against the wall; messengers elbowed their way through the crowd with shrill outcries. The noise was deafening as the people chatted, laughed, disputed in a score of different dialects. George thought that they were politer than an English crowd would have been, since they paid little attention to the newcomers.
Presently the officer returned, and led the travellers through a curtained doorway into a large room railed off at one end, where a number of officers and secretaries were seated on a divan raised a few inches above the floor. In the centre, cross-legged in an arm-chair, sat the Chief of Police. He rose as the prisoners were led forward, saluted, and signed to them to seat themselves on the divan near him. George was amused at the elaborate ceremony that followed. The whole company rose and saluted, then sat down again, but immediately half rose from their seats in turn, and repeated the salutation. George copied his brother faithfully, thinking what a pleasant description he would make of the ceremony when he got home again.
These preliminaries being concluded, the Chief ordered the officer of zaptiehs to make his report.
“Excellence,” he said, “these men came into the city in a strange machine, that makes a noise like a motor-car, but is such as I have never seen before. They are Austrians, and spies; their presence in this city is very injurious to our Government. The elder has a passport, which I deliver to your excellence, who will no doubt give orders that the spies be lodged in the prison.”
“What have you to say, effendi?” asked the Chief, not looking at the passport, from which Maurice inferred that he, too, was unable to read it.
“I compliment you, excellence,” said Maurice blandly, “on the zeal of your officers. His information is not absolutely correct, but that is a small matter; it is well that in these times every care should be taken. In the first place we are not Austrians, but Englishmen.”
Here there was a rustle of interest among the company.
“How do you prove that?” asked the Chief suspiciously. “You speak Turkish; how should Englishmen do that?”
“I have lived for some time in Constantinople, excellence,” replied Maurice.
“Why are you here?”