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During the past three or four days, mysterious events near Eyüp have drawn the attention of the public In this neighborhood, incidents have occurred of children straying fro These lost children are all too young to give an intelligible account of themselves to their parents However, when asked where they went, they say merely that they “played with the beautiful lady” The children always see; two have been found by their parents the following e that they speak of a “beautiful lady” However, police suppose that the children picked up the phrase from the first child and used it as occasion served There is, additionally, ato our correspondent and the police report, all of the htly torn or wounded in the throat These wounds rese The children also showed visible signs of exhaustion The orous search around Eyüp for stray dogs

One last piece of infor publication: A child, lost yesterday evening, was found under a cypress tree in Eyüp cemetery This child also had the same tiny wounds as has been noticed in the other cases The poor child appeared to be so exhausted that he was unable to h he had been through an illness in one night This boy also said that he had been lured to the cemetery by “a beautiful lady”

CHAPTER IX

FROM GÜZIN HANIM’S DIARY

24 September—I finally read Azmi’s notebook from start to finish My God… How horrible, how horrible! Whether it be true or only iination, my poor Azmi s ever be real? Did he write these long pages during a period of brain fever? It is impossible to discover; for his own mind and health I dare not broach the subject with him But what of the manin Sarayburnu Park yesterday? Did he not appear to be one hundred percent certain that the man was the Count? Does he believe what he saw and wrote? No doubt; is it not in his notebook that this Count would come to Istanbul? My God, e face some inconceivable incident, some real and unprecedented catastrophe? Could it be that those awful, frightening stories that we heard as children from Rumelians and our nannies are true? Can this s I would ask him if he were recovered from this mental illness!

Letter from Doctor Resuhî Bey to Güzin Hanim

“24 September

(Confidence)

“Dear Madame;

“I beg your forgiveness for bothering you like this Because I have been responsible for the treatment of Sadan Hanim and have been empowered by both her fiancé and her poor mother, I have read Sadan Hanim’s letters and diaries In them I have encountered stories of how close a friend you were to the deceased I ask for your infore catastrophes and to save some of your loved ones from pain You may believe and trust me, for I am a close friend of Afif Bey and Turan Bey, fiancé of the deceased Sadan Hanim who your forgiveness again I understand very well froolden heart and character I am also aware of your husband’s illness; perhaps it would be better to keep ourhim With all my respect”

Telegram from Güzin Hanim to Resuhî Bey

“25 September

“Please come today, we can meet any time

“Güzin”

From Güzin Hanim’s Diary