Page:Kéraban the Inflexible Part 1 (Jules Verne).djvu/11

Rh in Holland in his estimation, On the banks of the Niewe Haven canal. Nevertheless it was a fact that Bruno was then at Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.

But what was Van Mitten?

Nothing less than a rich merchant of Rotterdam; a dealer in tobacco; a consignee of the best products of Havana, Maryland, Virginia, and Porto Rico; and particularly of those of Macedonia, Syria and Asia Minor.

For twenty years Van Mitten had done a considerable business of this kind with the house of Kéraban of Constantinople, who exported tobaccos all over the world. Thus it happened that in his dealings with this large Eastern house Van Mitten had picked up something of the Turkish tongue, which he soon spoke like one of the "Faithful." So also Bruno, from sympathy, and in order to be better acquainted with his patron’s business, made it a point to learn the language too; and spoke it scarcely less fluently than his master.

This pair of originals had made an agreement with each other, only to speak the Ottoman tongue in Turkey. In fact, but for their dress they might have passed for natives. This was by no means unwelcome to Van Mitten, and Bruno was too obedient to manifest his objections.

So he compelled himself to say every morning to his master,—

"Efendum emriniz nè dir?" which means, being interpreted, "Sir, what do you require?"

Then Van Mitten would reply,—

"Sitrimi pantalounymi purtcha," which signified that he required his clothes brushed.

From what has been said, the reader will now understand that Van Mitten and Bruno had no difficulty in finding their way about Constantinople, firstly because they understood the native language, and secondly because they were sure of a welcome at the "house" of Kéraban, the chief of which firm had already been in Holland, and according to the law of contrasts had struck up a great friendship with his Dutch correspondent.

For this reason Van Mitten, when he quitted Rotterdam,