He  is  said  to  have  been  absent  from  the  all-night  council
at  which  the  constitution  was  granted.  At  first  he  would
not  believe  the  news,  but  when  proof  was  given  him  he


414      CONSTANTINOPLE  OLD  AND  NEW

called  for  his  wife  and  told  her  to  pack  at  once.  She  did
so  with  such  expedition  that  three  days  later,  borrowing
the  Itahan  embassy  launch  on  the  pretext  of  seeing  off
their  son,  who  was  going  to  his  post  in  the  Turkish  em-
bassy at  Rome,  they  sailed  on  the  steamer  with  him.
