a low wall encircled the district around the watch-tower , soft and crumbling and very old , unattended ; inside the streets were much quieter ; only a handful of coffeehouses owned by greeks or italians still lit , small handfuls of men at tables talking in low voices over cups of the sweet-smelling apple tea , and here and there a devoted hookah-smoker gazing out upon the street while the fragrant steam emitted in slow , thin trails from between his lips .