My dear Constantine,
Aristides has just received mother’s letter
of the 18th instant and I answer thereto in the name
of all three. The Indemnities are now in course
of payment, by order of nationalities, and there
is little doubt we shall be paid next week, thus
enabling us to send you the £140 by the mail
of the 2nd September. We have carefully read all
you write about furniture, and in this matter
as well as in that of the choice of a house, we
shall act for the best and as circumstances may
direct. Besides the house already mentioned,
Aristides has one in view in the Boulevard de
Ramleh, which may probably suit us. Whe[n] the
house is taken we shall send you a detailed [plan]
of the internal arrangements. We clearly un-
derstand that if we get into our money by the
1st of September, we shall rent the house from the
1st of October; if our indemnity be not paid until
the middle of September, we shall rent the house
from 1st of November. We further understand that
no linen is to be bought by us here; ― pray remem-
ber that, on anything you purchase in Constantino-
ple, you will have to pay Custom House duty: namely
8% less 10%; the valuations of goods imported
are very arbitrary, and you must not be surprised
if you find duty is charged on a considerably
higher than the real value of the stuff you will
bring with you. We cannot refrain from thinking
that things are as cheap here as in Constantinople.
As far as the monthly remittance is concerned,
I regret I shall be unable to send you at the