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94 ORIGIN OF THE WAR OF 1853 CHAP. ' take us by surprise. Nuw I desire to speak to ' ' you as a friend aud as a " gentleman : " if Eng- ' land aud I arrive at an understanding in this ' matter, as regards the rest it matters little to me ; ' it is indifferent to me what others do or think. 1 Frankly, then, I tell you plainly that if England ' thinks of establishing herself one of these days ' at Constantinople, I will not allow it. I do not ' attribute this intention to you, but it is better ' on these occasions to speak plainly. Eor my ' part, I am equally disposed to take the engage- ' ment not to establish myself there — as proprie- ' tor that is to say, for as occupier I do not say : ' it might happen that circumstances, if no pre- ' vious provision were made, if everything should ' be left to chance, might place me in the position ' of occupying Constantinople.' On the 20th of February the Emperor came up to Sir Hamilton Seymour at a party given by the Grand Duchess Hereditary, and in the most gra- cious manner took him apart, saying he desired to speak to him. ' If your Government,' said the Emperor, ' has been led to believe that Turkey ' retains any elements of existence, your Govern- ' ment must have received incorrect information. ' I repeat to you that the sick man is dying, and ' we can never allow such an event to take us by ' surprise. We must come to some understanding.' Then Sir Hamilton Seymour felt himself able to infer that the Czar had settled in his own mind that the hour for bringing about the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire must be at hand.