A romantic incident at Constantinople, of which the Opposi- tion
were inclined to make much, was explained in the House of Commons on Thursday. It had been reported that a female slave had fled for protection to the British Embassy, had been claimed by the Turkish Government, and had been sent away as a compromise to Egypt. Tories, who are never in favour of surrendering slaves except when they are in power, thought something might be made of this compro- mise, the Ambassador's house being an inviolable asylum, which Mr. Goschen, of course, had basely surrendered, to the degradation of the British name ; but it turns out that the fugitive was a lady belonging to the household of the ex-Sultan Mara& of whom Abdul Harald is always suspicious, that she knew or fancied that she was in danger, and that she had fled to the Embassy for protection. Thence she departed, with the Sultan's safe-conduct, for Egypt. It is possible, of course, that the weather may disagree with her, as it is apt to do with all whom the Sultan distrusts ; but she went away with her own consent, and under the protection of an English lady, and the Sultan vehemently denies that she is in any danger. This may be true, moreover, as he does not fear the banished.
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