The Pirate City: An Algerine Tale

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER ELEVEN.

  IS DIPLOMATIC AND OTHERWISE.

  Just after the escape of the slaves, as already narrated, the Britishconsul demanded a private audience of the Dey. His request was granted,and one morning early he set off on horseback to the city. Arrivingthere too soon, he put up his horse, and, threading his way through thestreets of the old town, soon found himself in front of the small andunpretending, though massive, portal of Bacri the Jew.

  He found the master of the house seated in the central court, or skiffa,drinking coffee with his wife and children.

  "Bacri," said the Colonel, "may I venture to interrupt your presentagreeable occupation? I wish to have a talk with you in private."

  "With pleasure," replied the Jew, rising and ushering his visitor into asmall apartment, the peculiar arrangement and contents of whichbetokened it the wealthy merchant's study or office,--indeed, it mighthave been styled either with equal propriety, for Bacri, besides beingan able man of business, was learned in Arabic literature--of which thetown possessed, and still possesses, a valuable library,--and was adiligent student of the Hebrew Scriptures.

  "You are aware," said the Colonel, "that I am, at your request, about touse my influence with the Dey in behalf of certain friends of yours.Now, there is an old saying--and I have great respect for many oldsayings,--that `one good turn deserves another.' May I, then, ask youto do me a favour?"

  "Certainly," said the Jew. "Name it."

  "You must know, then, that the Dey has been pleased to send me a prettyPortuguese girl as a slave, along with her infant child."

  "I know it," said Bacri.

  "You do? Well, this poor girl turns out to be a very sweet creature,and my wife, although somewhat annoyed at first by the unexpected gift,and puzzled what to do with her, is now so fond of her, and finds her sogentle as well as useful, that she has set her heart on having PaulinaRuffini--that is her name--freed and sent home. This, however, is notthe point. Paulina has a sister named--"

  "Angela Diego," interrupted the Jew.

  "Oh! you know that too?" said the Colonel, with some surprise. "Youseem to know everything that goes on in this curious city! Indeed, itis a belief in this general knowledge of yours that brings me here.Well, poor Paulina is naturally in great anxiety about her sister'sfate, not having heard of her since the day they were cruelly separatedby Sidi Hassan. The latter is now my janissary, and tells me that hesold Angela to a Jew in the public market, and does not know where sheis. Believing that you can find this out for me, I have come hitherthis morning on my way to the palace. Do you think you can?"

  "I think I can," said the Jew, opening a door and beckoning to some onewithout. "Come hither, Angela. A gentleman wishes to see you."

  "What! is this Paulina's sister?" said the consul in surprise, as apretty bright-eyed girl obeyed the summons.

  "Speak, fair one," said the Jew. "Dost know of one Paulina Ruffini, andher infant Angelina?"

  We need scarcely add that Angela admitted, with a look of surprise, thatshe did, and was overwhelmed with joy on finding that her sister was ahappy inmate of the consul's villa, and that in a short time she wouldbe permitted to see her.

  Leaving the Jew's house, well satisfied with his unlooked-for success inthis matter, the consul proceeded to the palace, and was at onceadmitted into the audience-chamber.

  According to custom, the Dey was seated on a sort of throne, with thehuge lion-pup serving as a footstool. We have said before that thislion had a decided antipathy to the British consul. Not being able tospeak, it could not give the reason why! Perhaps, although unable tospeak, it might have been able to understand what was said, and,possibly, had taken offence at the straightforward manner in which theconsul had more than once remonstrated with the Dey for allowing so olda pup to be at large. Be this as it may, certain it is that, on thepresent occasion, the lion raised its head when the consul wasannounced. On seeing his hated scarlet uniform, it uttered a savagegrowl, sprang up, and ran out of the room by another door, with its tailbetween its legs. In springing up, the brute had forgotten itstemporary character of footstool. The result was that the Dey wastilted violently backwards, and fell off his throne in a confused andmost undignified heap!

  Fortunately for the lion--perchance also for the consul--Achmetpossessed too much native dignity and common-sense to allow such anaccident to ruffle his temper. He rose and resumed his seat with ahearty laugh, as he said--

  "You see, Monsieur le Consul, that even lions are afraid of the Englishuniform!"

  "Your highness is pleased to be complimentary," replied the consul, witha bow; "and that emboldens me to observe that a Dey should not retainthe services of one who is capable of showing fear."

  "Perhaps you are right," returned Achmet, with a smile; "especially onewho has had the audacity to dethrone me.--And now, what demand have youto make of me to-day? Not, I trust, that old one--the liberation ofslaves!"

  "No, not exactly that," replied the consul. "Nevertheless," he addedearnestly, "I do come to make an appeal in behalf of slaves."

  The Dey's countenance became grave.

  "I refer," continued the consul, "to those unfortunate slaves whorecently attempted to escape, and are now lying in chains condemned tobe bastinadoed, thrown on the hooks, and otherwise tortured to death."

  "How!" exclaimed the Dey, frowning darkly, while a flush of angercovered his face, "can you plead for slaves who have not only rebelledand fled, but who have disabled two of my janissaries, and some ofwhom--especially their leader Castello and the young Sicilian Mariano--are so turbulent as to be an absolute nuisance to their guards?"

  "Your highness is aware," answered the consul respectfully, "thatBritish ideas in regard to slavery and all connected with it are widelydifferent from those entertained by Algerines, and I do not presume topass an opinion on the sentences pronounced on men who are held guiltyof having violated your laws. I merely plead that you will extend tothem the royal prerogative of mercy--especially to two of their number,Francisco and Mariano."

  "On what ground do you ask mercy for these?" demanded Achmet sternly.

  "On the ground that courageous and worthy men, although tempted to rebelin order to regain their liberty, are not deserving of death; that thePortuguese girl your Highness was so generous as to send me, and who wascaptured along with them, has interested me deeply in their history, andalso on the ground that one is the father and the other the brother ofyour scrivano Lucien Rimini."

  "Indeed!" exclaimed the Dey in surprise, "Lucien never told me that,although his own hand made out the order for their execution!"

  "That," answered the consul, with a smile, "is because I advised him toleave the pleading of their cause to me."

  "Believing, no doubt," returned the Dey, with a laugh, "that your powersof persuasion are superior to his. Well, Monsieur le Consul, you may beright; nevertheless, let me tell you that short though the time be inwhich Lucien has been my scrivano, there is that in his modest air andready will, as well as his talent, which constitutes a sufficient pleato induce me to pardon his relations."

  "It rejoices me," said the consul, "to find that, as I expected, yourhighness's--"

  "Yes, yes; say no more on that head," interrupted the Dey. "Here!Lucien," he added, calling aloud to his secretary, who, clad in superbOriental costume, appeared at the door which led into his office, "makeout an order to cancel the sentence against your father and brother, andlet them be sent to the palace immediately. I will speak with theeagain on the matter.--Meanwhile, will Monsieur le Consul come and beholdthe present which I am preparing for my royal master the Sublime Porte?"

  There was a touch of sarcasm in the tone in which he used the words"royal master," which the consul understood well enough, for he wasaware that although nominally subject to Turkey, Algiers was to allintents and purposes an independent power, and that the present referredto was almost all the benefit derived by the Sultan from his piraticalvassal.

  It
was costly enough, no doubt, viewed simply in the light of a gift,and afforded a subject of great interest to the consul when permitted tosurvey it--an honour, by the way, which the Dey would not have conferredon the consul of any of the other nations represented at the Algerinecourt, for the British consul at that time was, as we have said, aspecial favourite. It consisted of two magnificent milk-white Arabhorses, richly caparisoned; their saddles and bridles being profuselyornamented with diamonds and other gems, and their shoes being made ofpure gold; several boxes of rare and costly jewels; six women-slaveswith skins of the most beautiful ebony tint; a number of black-manedlions, several parrots, and a few monkeys.

  "Your highness is resolved to please the Sultan by means of variety,"observed the consul, with a smile, after commenting on the gift indetail.

  "That," replied Achmet, "would have little power to please if the jewelswere not numerous and costly. But happily our treasury can afford it,although we have not been very successful in war of late."

  He looked at the consul with a sly smile as he spoke, but the latterdeemed it wise to be lost in admiration of some of the jewels inquestion.

  After examining the "present," the consul retired, and Achmet went tohis private apartments to enjoy a cup of coffee and a pipe.

  The room in which he sat was similar to that already described as beingthe reception-room of the bridal party, only the decorations were ifpossible more elaborate and sumptuous. Here, seated on rich cushions,with, not his most beautiful, but his wisest wife beside him, Achmet--once a petty officer of janissaries--gave himself up to the enjoyment ofthe hour. Christian slaves--once the happy butterflies of European andother lands--attended on him, filled his pipe, brought him hot coffee,and watched his every movement. They were richly dressed, more richlyand gaily, perchance, than they had ever been in the days of freedom,when they had been wont to chat and laugh with careless hilarity. Butthey were mute enough now. A few of them had tasted the bastinado andbeen tamed; most of them had been wise enough to tame themselves. IfShakespeare had been a Turk he would probably have written a verydifferent version of the Taming of the Shrew!

  When coffee was finished, the Dey ordered the attendants to withdraw,and then settling himself comfortably on the cushions, and puffing twowhite streams of smoke slowly through his nose, in order to gather thefullest enjoyment therefrom, he thus addressed himself to hisbetter-proportion--we had almost said "half," but forgot for the momentthat there were several Sultanas!

  "Ashweesha, thou art a wise woman. I might almost style thee myguardian angel, for not only hast thou often guided me on the rightroad, but sometimes thou hast prevented me from straying into thewrong."

  Ashweesha, who was a sweet and passably good-looking woman of aboutthirty, raised her large dark eyes to the face of Achmet with a look ofgratitude, but did not reply. Indeed, her husband did not seem toexpect an answer, for he continued to smoke for some time in silence,with his eyes fixed abstractedly on a tame gazelle--the kitten of theharem--which tried to attract his attention.

  "Thou art sad, or anxious, to-night," said Ashweesha, at length breakingsilence.

  "Both sad and anxious," replied the Dey slowly. "My position is indeedone of power, but not of comfort or safety."

  A shade rested for a moment like a flitting cloud on the face ofAshweesha. Gladly would she have exchanged her high estate, with allits costly and gorgeous array, for a life of humble toil accompaniedwith peace and security--for she was of gentle nature--but this wasdenied her.

  "Listen," said the Dey, laying aside his pipe and talking earnestly; "itmay well chance, as it has happened before, that thy counsel may lightenmy care. I am sad because two of my chief officers are snakes in thegrass. They are venomous too, and their bite will prove deadly if it benot avoided. Canst thou guess their names, Ashweesha?"

  "Sidi Omar and Sidi Hassan," said Ashweesha.

  Achmet looked surprised.

  "Thou art partly right, though I did not expect thy swift reply. Is ita guess, or hast thou obtained information?"

  "I have heard of it from one who is our friend."

  "Indeed. Well, thou art right as to Omar, and it is that which makes mesad. Thou art right also in regard to Sidi Hassan, but I care littlefor him. He is but a tool in the hands of one whose power is great--Hamet, our Aga of cavalry. Omar I had hoped better things of; but fearhim not. The Aga, however, is a dangerous foe, and unscrupulous. I donot clearly see my way to guard against his wiles. My chief safeguardis that he and Omar are bitter enemies. I know not what to do."

  "The bow-string," suggested Ashweesha.

  The reader must not think this suggestion inconsistent with thecharacter of one whom we have described as gentle and sweet. TheSultana had been trained in a peculiar school, and was as muchaccustomed to hear of disagreeable and troublesome people beingstrangled as Europeans are to the drowning of inconvenient kittens.

  The Dey laughed.

  "Alas! my gentle one," he said, "all powerful and despotic though I be,there are a few officers around me whom I dare not get rid of in thisway--at least not just now. But it amuses me to hear thee recommendsuch strong measures, thou who art always on the side of mercy."

  "Truly," said Ashweesha, with a flash in her dark eyes that proved thepresence of other elements besides sweetness in her disposition, "myleanings are always towards mercy, save when you have to deal with thosewho possess no mercy. If you do not apply the bow-string to Hamet ingood time, rest assured that he will apply it to you."

  The Dey became more serious at this, yet still smiled as he gazed in theflushed countenance of his spouse and adviser.

  "Thou art right, Ashweesha," said he, in a meditative tone, "and it isfor the purpose of finding out, if possible, when it is the right timeto strike that I now take counsel with thee. What wouldst thou advise?"

  "Sidi Hassan, you say, has been sent to be the British consul'sjanissary?"

  "Yes."

  "For what purpose?" asked the Sultana.

  "Partly to keep him out of the way of the mischief which is alwaysbrewing more or less in this warlike city; partly to flatter his vanityby placing him in the service of one for whom he knows that I entertaingreat respect, personally, as well as on account of the powerful nationwhich he represents; and partly to remind him gently of my power toorder him on any service that I please, and to cut off his insolent headif so disposed."

  "That is so far well," said Ashweesha, letting her delicatehenna-stained fingers play idly with the gorgeous pearls which fell likea lustrous fountain from her neck, "but it is possible that he mayreflect on the propriety of trying to secure, at no distant date, amaster who will reward him more liberally without conveying covertthreats. But much good," she hastened to add, observing that her lorddid not much relish her last remark, "much good may result from hisbeing placed under the British consul's roof; for the consul's wife is awise woman, and may help us to discover some of his plots; for plottinghe is certain to be, whether in the city or out of it, and you may besure that a clever woman like Madame Langley will have her eyes open toall that goes on in her own palace."

  "Nay, then, Ashweesha," returned the Dey, laughing, "thou hast studiedthe lady to small profit if thou dost believe her capable of acting thepart of a spy on her own domestics."

  "And thou hast studied thy wife to small profit," retorted Ashweeshaplayfully, "if you think I could make such a mistake as to ask her tobecome a spy. Does not all the city know that Madame Langley has overand over again refused the most costly bribes offered to induce her touse her influence with her husband? and is it not also well-known thatif her influence is to be gained at all, it must be by touching herheart? She is so open, too, in her conduct, that her domestics know allshe does. Did I not tell you, the other night, how the chief fromMarocco offered her a splendid diamond ring to induce her to intreat herhusband's favour in something--I know not what,--and how she flushedwith indignation as she refused it, and told the chief that all thediamonds in
the world could not move her to attempt the leading of herhusband from the path of duty? No, I will not ask her to become a spy,but I will lead her, in conversation, to tell me all she knows, or atleast is willing to communicate, about Sidi Hassan; and perchance somegood may come of it."

  "It may be so," said the Dey; "and where and when dost thou propose tomeet with her?"

  "Here, and to-morrow."

  "How! in the palace?"

  "Yes. Ask her and her little girl to come and dine with me," saidAshweesha.

  "That would be a high compliment," returned the Dey dubiously; "such ashas never been paid before, methinks, by a Dey of Algiers to anyconsul's wife."

  "No matter," returned the Sultana; "you have a high regard for ColonelLangley, and have often paid him unusual compliments,--why notcompliment his wife?"

  "Well, it shall be done. To-morrow afternoon prepare to receive her."