CHAPTER IV.
THE SLAVE OF THE SLAVE-GIRL.
Worthy Halil Patrona had become quite a by-word with his fellows. Thename he now went by in the bazaars was: The Slave of the Slave-Girl.This did not hurt him in the least; on the contrary, the result was,that more people came to smoke their chibooks and buy tobacco at hisshop than ever. Everybody was desirous of making the acquaintance of theMussulman who would not so much as lay a hand upon a slave-girl whom hehad bought with his own money, nay more, who did all the work of thehouse instead of her, just as if she had bought him instead of hisbuying her.
In the neighbourhood of Patrona dwelt Musli, a veteran Janissary, whofilled up his spare time by devoting himself to the art ofslipper-stitching. This man often beheld Halil prowling about on thehouse-top in the moonlit nights where Guel-Bejaze was sleeping, and aftersitting down within a couple of paces of her, remain there in a brownstudy for hours at a time, often till midnight, nay, sometimes tilldaybreak. With his chin resting in the palm of his hand there he wouldstay, gazing intently at her charming figure and her pale but beautifulface. Frequently he would creep closer to her, creep so near that hislips would almost touch her face; but then he would throw back his headagain, and if at such times the slave-girl half awoke from her slumbers,he would beckon to her to go to sleep again--nobody should disturb her.
Halil did not trouble his head in the least about all this gossip. Itwas noticed, indeed, that his face was somewhat paler than it used tobe, but if anyone ventured to jest with him on the subject, face toface, he was very speedily convinced that Halil's arms, at any rate,were no weaker than of yore.
One day he was sitting, as usual, at the door of his booth, payinglittle attention to the people coming and going around him, and staringabstractedly with wide and wandering eyes into space, as if his gaze wasfixed upon something above his head, when somebody who had approachedhim so softly as to take him quite unawares, very affectionately greetedhim with the words:
"Well, my dear Chorbadshi, how are you?"
Patrona looked in the direction of the voice, and saw in front of himhis mysterious guest of the other day--the Greek Janaki.
"Ah, 'tis thou, musafir! I searched for you everywhere for two wholedays after you left me, for I wanted to give you back the five thousandpiastres which you were fool enough to make me a present of. It was justas well, however, that I did not find you, and I have long ceasedlooking for you, for I have now spent all the money."
"I am glad to hear it, Halil, and I hope the money has done you a goodturn. Are you willing to receive me into your house as a guest oncemore?"
"With pleasure! But you must first of all promise me two things. Thefirst is, that you will not contrive by some crafty device to pay mesomething for what I give you gratis; and the second is, that you willnot expect to stay the night with me, but will wander across the streetand pitch your tent at the house of my worthy neighbour Musli, who isalso a bachelor, and mends slippers, and is therefore a very worthy andrespectable man."
"And why may I not sleep at your house?"
"Because you must know that there are now two of us in the house--I andmy slave-girl."
"That will not matter a bit, Halil. I will sleep on the roof, and youtake the slave-girl down with you into the house."
"It cannot be so, Janaki! it cannot be."
"Why can it not be?"
"Because I would rather sleep in a pit into which a tiger has fallen, Iwould rather sleep in the lair of a hippopotamus, I would rather sleepin a canoe guarded by alligators and crocodiles, I would rather spend anight in a cellar full of scorpions and scolopendras, or in the Tower ofSurem, which is haunted by the accursed Jinns, than pass a single nightin the same room with this slave-girl."
"Why; what's this, Halil? you fill me with amazement. Surely, it cannotbe that you are that Mussulman of whom all Pera is talking?--the man Imean who purchased a slave-girl in order to be her slave?"
"It is as you say. But 'twere better not to talk of that matter at all.Those five thousand piastres of yours are the cause of it; they haveruined me out and out. My mind is going backwards I think. When peoplecome to my shop to buy wares of me, I give them such answers to theirquestions that they laugh at me. Let us change the subject, let usrather talk of your affairs. Have you found your daughter yet?"
It was now Janaki's turn to sigh.
"I have sought her everywhere, and nowhere can I find her."
"How did you lose her?"
"One Saturday she went with some companions on a pleasure excursion inthe Sea of Marmora in a sailing-boat. Their music and dancing attracteda Turkish pirate to the spot, and in the midst of a peaceful empire hestole all the girls, and contrived to dispose of them so secretly that Ihave never been able to find any trace of them. I am now disposed tobelieve that she was taken to the Sultan's Seraglio."
"You will never get her out of there then."
Janaki sighed deeply.
"You think, then, that I shall never get at her if she is there?" and heshook his head sadly.
"Not unless the Janissaries, or the Debejis, or the Bostanjis lay theirheads together and agree to depose the Sultan."
"Who would even dare to think of such a thing, Halil?"
"I would if _my_ daughter were detained in the harem against her willand against mine also. But that is not at all in your line, Janaki. Youhave never shed any blood but the blood of sheep and oxen, but let metell you this, Janaki: if I were as rich a man as you are, trust me forfinding a way of getting my girl out of the very Seraglio itself. Wealthis a mightier force than valour."
"I pray you, speak not so loudly. One of your neighbours might hear you,and would think nothing of felling me to the earth to get my money. ForI carry a great deal of money about with me, and am always afraid ofbeing robbed of it. In front of the bazaar a slave is awaiting me with amule. On the back of that mule are strung two jars seemingly filled withdried dates. Let me tell you that those jars are really half-filled withgold pieces, the dates are only at the top. I should like to depositthem at your house. I suppose your slave-girl will not pry too closely?"
"You can safely leave them with me. If you tell her not to look at themshe will close her eyes every time she passes the jars."
Meanwhile Patrona had closed his booth and invited his guest toaccompany him homewards. On the way thither he looked in at the house ofhis neighbour, the well-mannered Janissary, who mended slippers. Musliwillingly offered Halil's guest a night's lodging. In return Patronainvited him to share with him a small dish of well-seasoned pilaf and afew cups of a certain forbidden fluid, which invitation the worthyJanissary accepted with alacrity.
And now they crossed Halil's threshold.
Guel-Bejaze was standing by the fire-place getting ready Halil's supperwhen the guests entered, and hearing footsteps turned round to see whoit might be.
The same instant the Greek wayfarer uttered a loud cry, and pitchinghis long hat into the air, rushed towards the slave-girl, and flinginghimself down on his knees before her fell a-kissing, again and again,her hands and arms, and at last her pale face also, while the girl flungherself upon his shoulder and embraced the fellow's neck; and then thepair of them began to weep, and the words, "My daughter!" "My father!"could be heard from time to time amidst their sobs.
Halil could only gaze at them open-mouthed.
But Janaki, still remaining on his knees, raised his hands to Heaven,and gave thanks to God for guiding his footsteps to this spot.
"Allah Akbar! The Lord be praised!" said Patrona in his turn, and hedrew nearer to them. "So her whom you have so long sought after you findin my house, eh? Allah preordained it. And you may thank God for it, foryou receive her back from me unharmed by me. Take her away therefore!"
"You say not well, Halil," cried the father, his face radiant with joy."So far from giving her back to me you shall keep her; yes, she shallremain yours for ever. For if I were thrice to traverse the whole earthand go in a different direction each time, I ce
rtainly should not comeacross another man like you. Tell me, therefore, what price you putupon her that I may buy her back, and give her to you to wife as a freewoman?"
Halil did not consider very long what price he should ask, so far as hewas concerned the business was settled already. He cast but a singlelook on Guel-Bejaze's smiling lips, and asked for a kiss from them--thatwas the only price he demanded.
Janaki seized his daughter's hand and placed it in the hand of Halil.
And now Halil held the warm, smooth little hand in his own big paw, hefelt its reassuring pressure, he saw the girl smile, he saw her lipsopen to return his kiss, and still he did not believe his eyes--still heshuddered at the reflection that when his lips should touch hers, thegirl would suddenly die away, become pale and cold. Only when his lipsat last came into contact with her burning lips and her bosom throbbedagainst his bosom, and he felt his kiss returned and the warm pulsationof her heart, then only did he really believe in his own happiness, andheld her for a long--oh, so long!--time to his own breast, and pressedhis lips to her lips over and over again, and was happier--happier byfar--than the dwellers in Paradise.
And after that they made the girl sit down between them, with her fatheron one side and her husband on the other, and they took her hands andcaressed and fondled her to her heart's content. The poor maid wasquite beside herself with delight. She kept receiving kisses andcaresses, first on the right hand and then on the left, and her face waspale no longer, but of a burning red like the transfigured rose whereona drop of the blood of great Aphrodite fell. And she promised her fatherand her husband that she would tell them such a lot of things--thingswondrous, unheard of, of which they had not and never could have theremotest idea.
And through the thin iron shutters which covered the window theBerber-Bashi curiously observed the touching scene!
They were still in the midst of their intoxication of delight when thefrequently before-mentioned neighbour of Halil, worthy Musli, thrust hishead inside the door, and witnessing the scene would discreetly havewithdrawn his perplexed countenance. But Halil, who had already caughtsight of him, bawled him a vociferous welcome.
"Nay, come along! come along! my worthy neighbour, don't stand on anyceremony with us, you can see for yourself how merry we are!"
The worthy neighbour thereupon gingerly entered, on the tips of histoes, with his hands fumbling nervously about in the breast of hiskaftan; for the poor fellow's hands were resinous to a degree. Wash andscrub them as he might, the resin would persist in cleaving to them. Hisawl, too, was still sticking in the folds of his turban--sticking forthaloft right gallantly like some heron's plume. Naturally he whosebusiness it was to mend other men's shoes went about in slippers thatwere mere bundles of rags--that is always the way with cobblers!
When he saw Guel-Bejaze on Halil's lap, and Halil's face beaming all overwith joy, he smote his hands together and fell a-wondering.
"There must be some great changes going on here!" thought he.
But Halil compelled him to sit down beside them, and after kissingGuel-Bejaze again--apparently he could not kiss the girl enough--hecried:
"Look! my dear neighbour! she is now my wife, and henceforth she willlove me as her husband, and I shall no longer be the slave of my slave.And this worthy man here is my wife's father. Greet them, therefore, andthen be content to eat and drink with us!"
Then Musli approached Janaki and saluted him on the shoulder, then,turning towards Guel-Bejaze, he touched with his hand first the earth andnext his forehead, sat down beside Janaki on the cushions that had beendrawn into the middle of the room, and made merry with them.
And now Janaki sent the slave he had brought with him to thepastry-cook's while Musli skipped homewards and brought with him atambourine of chased silver, which he could beat right cunningly andalso accompany it with a voice not without feeling; and thus Halil'sbridal evening flowed pleasantly away with an accompaniment of wine andmusic and kisses.
And all this time the worthy Berber-Bashi was looking on at thisjunketing through the trellised window, and could scarce restrainhimself from giving expression to his astonishment when he perceivedthat Guel-Bejaze no longer collapsed like a dead thing at the contact ofa kiss, or even at the pressure of an embrace, as she was wont to do inthe harem, indeed her face had now grown rosier than the dawn.
At last his curiosity completely overcame him, and turning the handle ofthe door he appeared in the midst of the revellers.
He wore the garb of a common woodcutter, and his simple, foolish facecorresponded excellently to the disguise. Nobody in the world could havetaken him for anything but what he now professed to be, and it was witha very humble obeisance that he introduced himself.
"Allah Kerim! Salaam aleikum! God's blessing go with your mirth. Why,you were so merry that I heard you at the cemetery yonder as I waspassing. If it will not put you out I should be delighted to remainhere, as long as you will let me, that I may listen to the music thisworthy Mussulman here understands so well, and to the pretty storieswhich flow from the harmonious lips of this houri who has, I ampersuaded, come down from Paradise for the delight of men."
Now Musli was drunk with wine, Guel-Bejaze and Halil Patrona were drunkwith love, so that not one of them had any exception to take to thestranger's words. Janaki was the only sober man among them, neither winenor love had any attraction for him, and therefore he whispered in theear of Halil:
"For all you know this stranger may be a spy or a thief!"
"What an idea!" Halil whispered back, "why you can see for yourself thathe is only an honest baltaji.[1] Sit down, oh, worthy Mussulman," hecontinued, turning to the stranger, "and make one of our little party."
The Berber-Bashi took him at his word. He ate and drank like one who hasgone hungry for three whole days, he was enchanted with the tambourineof Musli, listened with open mouth to his story of the miserly slippers,and laughed as heartily as if he had never heard it at least a hundredtimes before.
"And now you tell us some tale, most beautiful of women!" said he,wiping the tears from his eyes as he turned towards the damsel, and thenGuel-Bejaze, after first kissing her husband and sipping from the beakerextended to her just enough to moisten her lips, thus began:
"Once upon a time there was a rich merchant. Where he lived I know not.It might have been Pera, or Galata, or Damascus. Nor can I tell you hisname, but that has nothing to do with the story. This merchant had anonly daughter whom he loved most dearly. She had ne'er a wish that wasnot instantly gratified, and he guarded her as the very apple of hiseye. Not even the breath of Heaven was allowed to blow upon her."
"And know you not what the name of the maiden was?" inquired theBerber-Bashi.
"Certainly, they called her Irene, for she was a Greek girl."
Janaki trembled at the word. No doubt the girl was about to relate herown story, for Irene was the very name she had received at her baptism.It was very thoughtless of her to betray herself in the presence of astranger.
"One day," continued the maiden, "Irene went a-rowing on the sea withsome girl friends. The weather was fine, the sea smooth, and they sangtheir songs and made merry, to their hearts' content. Suddenly the sailof a corsair appeared on the smooth mirror of the ocean, pouncedstraight down upon the maidens in their boat, and before they couldreach the nearest shore, they were all seized and carried away captive.
"Poor Irene! she was not even able to bid her dear father God speed! Herthoughts were with him as the pirate-ship sped swiftly away with her,and she saw the city where he dwelt recede further and further away inthe dim distance. Alas! he was waiting for her now--and would wait invain! Her father, she knew it, was standing outside his door and askingevery passer-by if he had not seen his little daughter coming. A banquethad been prepared for her at home, and all the invited guests werealready there, but still no sign of her! And now she could see himcoming down to the sea-shore, and sweep the smooth shining watery mirrorwith his eyes in every direction, and ask the sailor-men: 'W
here is mydaughter? Do you know anything about her?'"
Here the eyes of the father and the husband involuntarily filled withtears.
"Wherefore do you weep? How silly of you! Why, you know, of course, itis only a tale. Listen now to how it goes on! The robber carried themaiden he had stolen to Stambul. He took her straight to the Kizlar-Agawhose office it is to purchase slave-girls for the harem of thePadishah. The bargaining did not take long. The Kizlar-Aga paid down atonce the price which the slave-merchant demanded, and forthwith handedIrene over to the slave-women of the Seraglio, who immediately conductedher to a bath fragrant with perfumes. Her face, her figure, her charms,amazed them exceedingly, and they lifted up their voices and praised herloudly. But when Irene heard their praises she shuddered, and her heartdied away within her. Surely God never gave her beauty in order that shemight be sacrificed to it? At that moment she would have much preferredto have been born humpbacked, squinting, swarthy; she would have likedher face to be all seamed and scarred like half-frozen water, and herbody all diseased so that everyone who saw her would shrink from herwith disgust--better that than the feeling which now made her shrinkfrom the contemplation of herself."
Then they put upon her a splendid robe, hung diamond ear-rings in herears, tied a beautiful shawl round her loins, encircled her arms andfeet with rings of gold, and so led her into the secret apartment wherethe damsels of the Padishah were all gathered together. This, of course,was long, long ago. Who can tell what Sultan was reigning then? Why,even our fathers did not know his name.
"Pomp and splendour, flowers and curtains adorned the immense saloon,the ceiling whereof was inlaid with precious stones, while the floor wasfashioned entirely of mother-o'-pearl--he who set his foot thereon mightfancy he was walking on rainbows. Moreover, cunning artificers hadwrought upon this mother-o'-pearl floor flowers and birds and other mostwondrous fantastical figures, so that it was a joy to look thereon, forno carpet, however precious, was suffered to cover all this splendour.Yet lest the cold surface of the pavement should chill the feet of thedamsels, rows of tiny sandals stood ready there that they might bindthem upon their feet and so walk from one end of the room to the otherat their ease. And these sandals they called _kobkobs_."
"Aye, aye!" cried the anxious Janaki, "you describe the interior of theSeraglio so vividly that I almost feel frightened. If a man listenedlong enough to such a tale he might easily get to feel as guilty as ifhe had actually cast an eye into the Sultan's harem, and 'twere best forhim to die rather than do that."
"Is it not a tale that I am telling you? is not the room I have justdescribed to you but a creature of the imagination?--In the centre ofthis saloon, then, was a large fountain, whence fragrant rose-waterascended into the air sporting with the golden balls. Along the wholelength of the walls were immense Venetian mirrors, in which splendidodalisks admired their own shapely limbs. Hundreds and hundreds of lampsshone upon the pillars which supported the room--lamps of manifoldcolours--which gave to the vast chamber the magic hues of a fairypalace, and in the midst thereof seemed to float a transparent bluecloud--it was the light smoke of ambergris and spices which the damselsblew forth from their long narghilis. But what impressed Irene far morethan all this magnificence, was the figure of the Sultana Asseki, towhom she was now conducted. A tall, muscular lady was sitting at the endof the room on a raised divan. Her figure was slender round the waistbut broad and round about the shoulders. Her snow-white arms and neckwere encircled by rows of real pearls with diamond clasps. A loftyheron's plume nodded on her bejewelled turban, and lent a stillhaughtier aspect to that majestic form. With her large black eyes sheseemed to be in the habit of ruling the whole world."
"Yes, yes!" exclaimed Janaki, "you describe it all so vividly, that I amhalf afraid of sitting down here and listening to you. You might atleast have let a little bit of a veil hang in front of her face."
"But this happened long, long ago, remember! Who can even say under whatSultan it took place?... So they led the slave-girl into the presenceof the Sultana, who was surrounded by two hundred other slave-girls, andwas playing with a tiny dwarf. They were singing and dancing all aroundher and swinging censers. Above her head was a large fruit-tree madeentirely of sugar, and covered with sugar-fruit of every shape and hue,and from time to time the Sultana would pluck off one of these fruitsand taste a little bit of it and give the remainder to the tiny dwarf,who ate up everything greedily. Here Irene was seized by a blackeunuch--a horrid, pockmarked man, whose upper lip was split right downso that all his teeth could be seen."
"Just like the present Kizlar-Aga!" cried Musli laughing, "I fancy I cansee him standing before me now!"
"The Moor commanded Irene to fall on her face before the Sultana. Irenefell on her face accordingly, and while her forehead beat the groundbefore the Sultana she muttered to herself the words: 'Holy Mother ofGod! protectress of virgins, thou seest me in this place, when I callupon thee, deliver me!' The Sultana, meanwhile, had commanded herhandmaidens to let down Irene's tresses, and as she stood before herthere covered by her own hair from head to heel, she bade them paint herface red because it was so pale, and her eyelashes brown. She commandedthem also to salve her hair with fragrant unguents, and to hang chainsof real pearls about her arms and neck. Irene knew not the meaning ofthese things. She knew not what they meant to do with her till theKizlar-Aga approached her, and said these words to her in a reassuringtone: 'Rejoice, fortunate damsel! for a great felicity awaits thee. In aweek's time it will be the Feast of Bairam, and the favourite Sultanahas chosen thee from among the other odalisks as a gift for thePadishah. Rejoice, therefore, I say.' But Irene at these words wouldfain have died. And in the meantime the Sultana had placed a large fanin her hand made entirely of pea-cocks' feathers, and permitted her tosit down by her side and hold the little dwarf in her lap. At a laterday Irene discovered that this was a mark of supreme condescension.During the next six days the damsel lived amidst mortal terrors. Hercompanions envied her. The damsels of the harem do not love each other,they can only hate. Every day she beheld the Sultan, whose gentle faceinspired involuntary respect, but the very idea of loving him filled hersoul with horror. The Sultan spent the greater part of his time with hisfavourite wife, but it happened sometimes that he cast a handkerchieftowards this or that odalisk, which was a great piece of good fortunefor her, or the reverse--it all depends upon the point of view. Thedamsel whom the Grand Seignior seemed to favour the most was a beautifulblonde Italian girl; on one occasion this beautiful blonde damselneglected to cast her eyes down as they chanced to encounter the eyes ofthe Sultana. The following day Irene could not see this damsel anywhere,and on inquiring after her was told by her bedfellow in a whisper thatshe had been strangled during the night. And oftentimes at dead of nightthe silence would be broken by a shriek from the secret dungeon of theSeraglio, followed by the sound of something splashing into the water,and regularly, on the day following every such occurrence, a familiarface would be missing from the Seraglio. All these victims wereself-confident slave-girls, who had been unable to conceal their joy atthe Sultan's favours, and therefore had been cast into the water. Nobodyever inquired about them any more."
Janaki shivered all over.
"It is well that this is all a tale," he observed.
But Guel-Bejaze only continued her story.
"At last the Feast of Bairam arrived, and throughout the day all thecannons on the Bosphorus sent forth their thunders. In the evening theSultan came to the Seraglio weary and inclined to relaxation, and thenthe Sultana Asseki took Irene by the hand and conducted her to thePadishah, and presented her to him, together with gold-embroideredgarments, preserved fruits, and other gifts intended for hisdelectation. The Grand Seignior regarded the girl tenderly, while she,like a kid of the flocks offered to a lion in a cage, stood tremblingbefore him. But when the Sultan seized her hand to draw her towards himshe sighed: 'Blessed Virgin!'--and lo! at these words her face grewpale, her eyes closed, and she fell to the ground as one dead
. This wasnot the first time that such a spectacle had been seen in the harem.Everyone of the damsels brought thither generally commenced with afainting-fit. The slave-girls immediately came running up to her, rubbedher body with fragrant unguents, applied penetrating essences to herface, let icy-cold water trickle down upon her bosom--and all wasuseless! The damsel did not awaken, and lay there like a corpse till thefollowing morning--in fact, she never stirred from the spot where theylaid her down. Next day the Padishah again summoned her to his presence.He spoke to her in the most tender manner. He gave her all manner ofbeautiful gifts, glittering raiment, necklaces, bracelets, and diamondaigrettes. The slave-girls, too, censed her all around with stupefyingperfumes, bathed her in warm baths fragrant with ambergris andspikenard, and gave her fiery potions to drink. But it was all in vain.At the name of the Blessed Virgin, the blood ceased to flow to herheart, she fell down, died away, and every resource of ingenuity failedto arouse her. The same thing happened on the third day likewise. Thenthe Sultana Asseki's wrath was kindled greatly against her. She declaredthat this was no doing of Allah's as they might suppose. No, it was thedamsel's own evil temper which made her pretend to be dead, and sheimmediately commanded that the damsel should be tortured. First of allthey extended her stark naked on the icy-cold marble pavement--not asign of life, not a shiver did she give. Then they held her over a slowfire on a gridiron--she never moved a muscle. Then they sent and soughtfor red ants in the garden among the puspang-trees and scattered themall over her body. Yet the girl never once quaked beneath the stings ofthe poisonous insects. Finally they thrust sharp needles down to thevery quicks of her nails, and still the damsel did not stir. Then theSultana Asseki, full of fury, seized a whip, and lashed away at thedamsel's body till she could lash no more, yet she could not thrash asoul into the lifeless body."
"By Allah!" cried Halil, smiting the table with his heavy fist at thispoint of the narration, "that Sultana deserves to be sewn up in aleather sack and cast into the Bosphorus."
"Why, 'tis only a tale, you know," said Guel-Bejaze, stroking mockinglythe chin of worthy Halil Patrona, and then she resumed her story. "TheSultan commanded that Irene should be expelled from the harem, for hehad no desire to see this living corpse anywhere near him, and theSultana gave her as a present to the Padishah's nephew, the son of hisown brother.
"The prince was a pale, handsome youth, as those whom women love muchare generally wont to be. He was kept in a remote part of the Seraglio,for although every joy of life was his, and he was surrounded by wealth,pomp, and slave-girls, he was never permitted to quit the Seraglio. TheSultana herself led Irene to him, thinking that the fine eyes of thehandsome youth would be the best talisman against the enchantmentobsessing the charms of the strange damsel. The pale prince was charmedwith the looks of the girl. He coaxed and flattered. He begged andimplored her not to die away beneath his kisses and embraces. In vain.The girl swooned at the very first touch, and he who touched her lipsmight just as well have touched the lips of a corpse. The prince kneltdown beside her, and implored her with tears to come to herself again.She heard not and she answered not. At last the fair Sultana Assekiherself had compassion on his tears and lamentations which produced noimpression on the dead. Her heart bled for him. She bent over the paleprince, embraced him tenderly, and comforted him with her caresses. Andthe prince allowed himself to be comforted, and they rejoiced greatlytogether; for of course there was nobody present to see them, for thesenseless damsel on the floor might have been a corpse so far as theywere concerned."
"Hum!" murmured the Berber-Bashi to himself, "this is a thing well worthremembering."
"On the following day the pale prince made a present of Irene to theGrand Vizier. The Grand Vizier also rejoiced greatly at the sight of thedamsel; took her into his cellar, showed her there three great vats fullof gold and precious stones, and told her that all these things shouldbe hers if only she would love him. Then he took and showed her themultitude of precious ornaments that he had concealed beneath theflooring of his palace, and promised these to her also. For every kissshe should give him, he offered her one of his palaces on the shores ofthe Sweet Waters, yes, for every kiss a palace."
"I would burn all these palaces to the ground!" cried Halil impetuously.
"Nay, nay, my son, be sensible!" said Janaki. He himself now began tofeel that there was something more than a mere tale in all this.
But the Berber-Bashi pricked up his ears and grew terribly attentivewhen mention was made of the hidden treasures of the Grand Vizier.
"The sight of the treasures," resumed the girl, "had no effect uponIrene. She never failed to invoke the name of the Blessed Virginwhenever the face of a man drew near to her face, and the Blessed Virginalways wrought a miracle in her behalf."
"'Tis my belief," said Halil, "that there were no miracles at all in thematter; but that the girl had so strong a will that by an effort shemade herself dead to all tortures."
"At last they came to a definite decision concerning this slave-girl, itwas resolved to sell her by public auction in the bazaars--to sell heras a common slave to the highest bidder. And so Irene fell to a poorhawker who gave his all for her. For a whole month this man left hisslave-girl untouched, and the girl who could not be subdued by torture,nor the blandishments of great men, nor by treasures, nor by ardentdesire, became very fond of the poor costermonger, and no longer becameas one dead when _his_ burning lips were impressed upon her face."
And with that Guel-Bejaze embraced her husband and kissed him again andagain, and smiled upon him with her large radiant eyes.
"A very pretty story truly!" observed Musli, smacking his lips; "what apity there is not more of it!"
"Oh, no regrets, worthy Mussulman, there _is_ more of it!" cried theBerber-Bashi, rising from his place; "just listen to the sequel of it!Having had the girl sold by auction in the bazaar, the Padishah bade AliKermesh, his trusty Berber-Bashi, make inquiries and see what happenedto the damsel _after_ the sale. Now the Berber-Bashi knew that the girlhad only pretended to faint, and the Berber-Bashi brought the girl backto the Seraglio before she had spent a single night alone with herhusband. For I am the Berber-Bashi and thou art Guel-Bejaze, that sameslave-girl going by the name of Irene who feigned to be dead."
Everyone present leaped in terror to his feet except Janaki, who felldown on his knees before the Berber-Bashi, embraced his knees, andimplored him to treat all that the girl had said as if he had not heardit.
"We are lost!" whispered the bloodless Guel-Bejaze. The intoxication ofjoy and wine had suddenly left her and she was sober once more.
Janaki implored, Musli cursed and swore, but Halil spake never a word.He held his wife tightly embraced in his arms and he thought withinhimself, I would rather allow my hand to be chopped off than let her go.
Janaki promised money and loads of treasure to Ali Kermesh if only hewould hold his tongue, say nothing of what had happened, and let thegirl remain with her husband.
But the Berber-Bashi was inexorable.
"No," said he, "I will take away the girl, and your treasures also shallbe mine. Ye are the children of Death; yea, all of you who are nowdrawing the breath of life in this house, for to have heard the secretthat this slave-girl has blabbed out is sufficient to kill anyone thriceover. I command you, Irene, to take up your veil and follow me, and youothers must remain here till the Debedzik with the cord comes to fetchyou also."
With these words he cast Janaki from him, approached the damsel andseized her hand. Halil never once relaxed his embrace.
"Come with me!"
"Blessed Mary! Blessed Mary!" moaned the girl.
"Your guardian saints are powerless to help you now, for your husband'slips have touched you; come with me!"
Then only did Halil speak. His voice was so deep, gruff, and stern, thatthose who heard it scarce recognised it for his:
"Leave go of my wife, Ali Kermesh!" cried he.
"Silence thou dog! in another hour thou wilt be hanging up befor
e thineown gate."
"Once more I ask you--leave go of my wife, Ali Kermesh!"
Instead of answering, the Berber-Bashi would, with one hand, have tornthe wife from her husband's bosom while he clutched hold of Halil withthe other, whereupon Halil brought down his fist so heavily on the skullof the Berber-Bashi that he instantly collapsed without uttering asingle word.
"What have you done?" cried Janaki in terror. "You have killed the chiefbarber of the Sultan!"
"Yes, I rather fancy I have," replied Halil coolly.
Musli rushed towards the prostrate form of Ali Kermesh, felt him allover very carefully, and then turned towards the hearth where the otherswere sitting.
"Dead he is, there is no doubt about it. He's as dead as a door-nail.Well, Halil, that was a fine blow of yours I must say. By the Prophet!one does not see a blow like that every day. With your bare hand too! Tokill a man with nothing but your empty fist! If a cannon-ball hadknocked him over he could not be deader than he is."
"But what shall we do now?" cried Janaki, looking around him withtremulous terror. "The Sultan is sure to send and make inquiries abouthis lost Berber-Bashi. It is known that he came here in disguise. Theaffair cannot long remain hidden."
"There is no occasion to fear anything," said Musli reassuringly. "Goodcounsel is cheap. We can easily find a way out of it. Before thebusiness comes to light, we will go to the Etmeidan and join theJanissaries. There let them send and fetch us if they dare, for we shallbe in a perfectly safe place anyhow. Why, don't you remember that onlylast year the rebel, Esref Khan, whom the Padishah had been pursuing tothe death, even in foreign lands, hit, at last, upon the idea ofresorting to the Janissaries, and was safer against the fatal silkencord here, in the very midst of Stambul, than if he had fled all the wayto the Isle of Rhodes for refuge. Let us all become Janissaries, I andyou and Janaki also."
But Janaki kicked vigorously against the proposition.
"You two may go over to the Janissaries if you like, but in the meantimemy daughter and I will make our escape to the Isle of Tenedos and thereawait tidings of you. One jar of dates I will take with me, the otheryou may divide among the Janissaries; it will put them in a good humourand make them receive you more amicably."
Halil embraced his wife, kissed her, and wept over her. There was notmuch time for leave-taking. The Debedjis who had accompanied theBerber-Bashi were beginning to grow impatient at the prolonged absenceof their master; they could be heard stamping about around the door.
"Hasten, hasten! we can have too much of this hugging and kissing,"whispered Musli, lifting one of the jars on to his shoulders.
Yet Halil pressed one more long, long kiss on Guel-Bejaze's tremblingcheek.
"By Allah!" said he, "it shall not be long before we see each otheragain."
And thus their ways parted right and left.
Musli conducted Janaki away in one direction, through a subterraneancellar, whilst Halil fled away across the house-tops, and within aquarter of an hour the pair of them arrived at the Etmeidan.
FOOTNOTE:
[1] Woodcutter.