text:  "Though " as he writes "I never had an opportunity of _verifying_ any thing like Miss Pardoe's anecdote of the 'sentries being ordered to face about when presenting arms ' rather than be permitted to gaze on the _tempting_ and _forbidden_ fruit; but on the contrary witnessed soldiers escorting all the sultanas' carriages: it is nevertheless true that a gruff attendant attacked and found fault with me for daring to raise my eyes to a beautiful Turkish woman whom it was quite impossible I could admire beyond her forehead and two large black eyes eyebrows and lashes which glanced from under her yashmack