text:  "The bare gloomy and massive stone walls of the exterior of our habitation had not prepared us for the comforts we found inside; and as for the first time we followed Giorgio and his brother-in-law up the rude and narrow stone staircase which appeared to be scarped out of the very thickness of the wall--an open sesame from the former causing a strong iron studded door to fly back on its hinges disclosed a handsome patis or court paved with black and white marble along the sides of which were luxuriantly growing and imparting a cooling freshness to the scene the perfumed orange-tree bearing at the same time both fruit and blossoms and flanked by green myrtles and flowering geraniums; whilst an apartment opening on this garden terrace and which appeared from the carpets and cushions scattered around the still smoking narghilis (or water-pipe in which is smoked the tumbic or Persian tobacco ) and other sundry traces of female industry to be appropriated as the common sitting-room of the family was on our entrance precipitately deserted by all its occupants save one fine-looking matronly lady whom Giorgio introduced as his mother; and while she was welcoming us with many 'F[=a]dd[=a]lls ' and politely repeating _Anna mugsond shoufuk_ (be seated I am delighted to see you ) with innumerable other euphonious phrases as we afterwards found high-flown Eastern compliments but which at the time were sadly wasted on our Frankish ignorance he following the fair fugitives soon brought back in each hand the blushing deserters who have already been introduced to the reader as Mesdemoiselles Sarah and Nasarah