ali pacha-第17部分

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h　the　Divan　by　giving　precise　information　of　what　had　really　occurred。　　This　was　what　Ali　wanted；　who　profited　thereby　in　having　the　fugitive's　track　followed　up；　and　soon　got　wind　of　his　retreat。　　As　Pacho　Bey's　innocence　had　been　proved　in　the　explanations　given　to　the　Porte；　the　death　firman　obtained　against　him　became　useless；　and　Ali　affected　to　abandon　him　to　his　fate；　in　order　the　better　to　conceal　the　new　plot　he　was　conceiving　against　him。

Athanasius　Vaya；　chief　assassin　of　the　Kardikiotes；　to　whom　Ali　imparted　his　present　plan　for　the　destruction　of　Ismail；　begged　for　the　honour　of　putting　it　into　execution；　swearing　that　this　time　Ismail　should　not　escape。　　The　master　and　the　instrument　disguised　their　scheme　under　the　appearance　of　a　quarrel；　which　astonished　the　whole　town。　　At　the　end　of　a　terrible　scene　which　took　place　in　public；　Ali　drove　the　confidant　of　his　crimes　from　the　palace；　overwhelming　him　with　insults；　and　declaring　that　were　Athanasius　not　the　son　of　his　children's　foster…mother；　he　would　have　sent　him　to　the　gibbet。　　He　enforced　his　words　by　the　application　of　a　stick；　and　Vaya；　apparently　overwhelmed　by　terror　and　affliction；　went　round　to　all　the　nobles　of　the　town；　vainly　entreating　them　to　intercede　for　him。　　The　only　favour　which　Mouktar　Pacha　could　obtain　for　him　was　a　sentence　of　exile　allowing　him　to　retreat　to　Macedonia。

Athanasius　departed　from　Janina　with　all　the　demonstrations　of　utter　despair；　and　continued　his　route　with　the　haste　of　one　who　fears　pursuit。　　Arrived　in　Macedonia；　he　assumed　the　habit　of　a　monk；　and　undertook　a　pilgrimage　to　Mount　Athos；　saying　that　both　the　disguise　and　the　journey　were　necessary　to　his　safety。　　On　the　way　he　encountered　one　of　the　itinerant　friars　of　the　great　Servian　convent；　to　whom　he　described　his　disgrace　in　energetic　terms；　begging　him　to　obtain　his　admission　among　the　lay　brethren　of　his　monastery。

Delighted　at　the　prospect　of　bringing　back　to　the　fold　of　the　Church　a　man　so　notorious　for　his　crimes；　the　friar　hastened　to　inform　his　superior；　who　in　his　turn　lost　no　time　in　announcing　to　Pacho　Bey　that　his　compatriot　and　companion　in　misfortune　was　to　be　received　among　the　lay　brethren；　and　in　relating　the　history　of　Athanasius　as　he　himself　had　heard　it。　　Pacho　Bey；　however；　was　not　easily　deceived；　and　at　once　guessing　that　Vaya's　real　object　was　his　own　assassination；　told　his　doubts　to　the　superior；　who　had　already　received　him　as　a　friend。　　The　latter　retarded　the　reception　of　Vaya　so　as　to　give　Pacho　time　to　escape　and　take　the　road　to　Constantinople。　Once　arrived　there；　he　determined　to　brave　the　storm　and　encounter　Ali　openly。

Endowed　by　nature　with　a　noble　presence　and　with　masculine　firmness；　Pacho　Bey　possessed　also　the　valuable　gift　of　speaking　all　the　various　tongues　of　the　Ottoman　Empire。　　He　could　not　fail　to　distinguish　himself　in　the　capital　and　to　find　an　opening　for　his　great　talents。　　But　his　inclination　drove　him　at　first　to　seek　his　fellow…exiles　from　Epirus；　who　were　either　his　old　companions　in　arms；　friends；　of　relations；　for　he　was　allied　to　all　the　principal　families；　and　was　even；　through　his　wife；　nearly　connected　with　his　enemy；　Ali　Pacha　himself。

He　had　learnt　what　this　unfortunate　lady　had　already　endured　on　his　account；　and　feared　that　she　would　suffer　yet　more　if　he　took　active　measures　against　the　pacha。　　While　he　yet　hesitated　between　affection　and　revenge；　he　heard　that　she　had　died　of　grief　and　misery。　　Now　that　despair　had　put　an　end　to　uncertainty；　he　set　his　hand　to　the　work。

At　this　precise　moment　Heaven　sent　him　a　friend　to　console　and　aid　him　in　his　vengeance；　a　Christian　from　OEtolia；　Paleopoulo　by　name。　This　man　was　on　the　point　of　establishing　himself　in　Russian　Bessarabia；　when　he　met　Pacho　Bey　and　joined　with　him　in　the　singular　coalition　which　was　to　change　the　fate　of　the　Tepelenian　dynasty。

Paleopoulo　reminded　his　companion　in　misfortune　of　a　memorial　presented　to　the　Divan　in　1812；　which　had　brought　upon　Ali　a　disgrace　from　which　he　only　escaped　in　consequence　of　the　overwhelming　political　events　which　just　then　absorbed　the　attention　of　the　Ottoman　Government。　　The　Grand　Seigneur　had　sworn　by　the　tombs　of　his　ancestors　to　attend　to　the　matter　as　soon　as　he　was　able；　and　it　was　only　requisite　to　remind　him　of　his　vow。　　Pacho　Hey　and　his　friend　drew　up　a　new　memorial；　and　knowing　the　sultan's　avarice；　took　care　to　dwell　on　the　immense　wealth　possessed　by　Ali；　on　his　scandalous　exactions；　and　on　the　enormous　sums　diverted　from　the　Imperial　Treasury。　　By　overhauling　the　accounts　of　his　administration；　millions　might　be　recovered。　　To　these　financial　considerations　Pacho　Bey　added　some　practical　ones。　　Speaking　as　a　man　sure　of　his　facts　and　well　acquainted　with　the　ground；　he　pledged　his　head　that　with　twenty　thousand　men　he　would；　in　spite　of　Ali's　troops　and　strongholds；　arrive　before　Janina　without　firing　a　musket。

However　good　these　plans　appeared；　they　were　by　no　means　to　the　taste　of　the　sultan's　ministers；　who　were　each　and　all　in　receipt　of　large　pensions　from　the　man　at　whom　they　struck。　　Besides；　as　in　Turkey　it　is　customary　for　the　great　fortunes　of　Government　officials　to　be　absorbed　on　their　death　by　the　Imperial　Treasury；　it　of　course　appeared　easier　to　await　the　natural　inheritance　of　Ali's　treasures　than　to　attempt　to　seize　them　by　a　war　which　would　certainly　absorb　part　of　them。　　Therefore；　while　Pacho　Bey's　zeal　was　commended；　he　obtained　only　dilatory　answers；　followed　at　length　by　a　formal　refusal。

Meanwhile；　the　old　OEtolian；　Paleopoulo；　died；　having　prophesied　the　approaching　Greek　insurrection　among　his　friends；　and　pledged　Pacho　Bey　to　persevere　in　his　plans　of　vengeance；　assuring　him　that　before　long　Ali　would　certainly　fall　a　victim　to　them。　　Thus　left　alone；　Pacho；　before　taking　any　active　steps　in　his　work　of　vengeance；　affected　to　give　himself　up　to　the　strictest　observances　of　the　Mohammedan　religion。　　Ali；　who　had　established　a　most　minute　surveillance　over　his　actions；　finding　that　his　time　was　spent　with　ulemas　and　dervishes；　imagined　that　he　had　ceased　to　be　dangerous；　and　took　no　further　trouble　about　him。




CHAPTER　VIII

A　career　of　successful　crime　had　established　Ali's　rule　over　a　population　equal　to　that　of　the　two　kingdoms　of　Sweden　and　Norway。　But　his　ambition　was　not　yet　satisfied。　　The　occupation　of　Parga　did　not　crown　his　desires；　and　the　delight　which　it　caused　him　was　much　tempered　by　the　escape　of　the　Parganiotes；　who　found　in　exile　a　safe　refuge　from　his　persecution。　　Scarcely　had　he　finished　the　conquest　of　Middle　Albania　before　he　was　exciting　a　faction　against　the　young　Moustai　Pacha　in　Scodra；　a　new　object　of　greed。　　He　also　kept　an　army　of　spies　in　Wallachia；　Moldavia；　Thrace；　and　Macedonia；　and；　thanks　to　them；　he　appeared　to　be　everywhere　present；　and　was　mixed　up　in　every　intrigue；　private　or　political；　throughout　the　empire。　　He　had　paid　the　English　agents　the　price　agreed　on　for　Parga；　but　he　repaid　himself　five　times　over；　by　gifts　extorted　from　his　vassals；　and　by　the　value　of　the　Parga　lands；　now　become　his　property。　　His　palace　of　Tepelen　had　been　rebuilt　at　the　public　expense；　and　was　larger　and　more　magnificent　than　before；　Janina　was　embellished　with　new　buildings；　elegant　pavilions　rose　on　the　shores　of　the　lake；　in　short；　Ali's　luxury　was　on　a　level　with　his　vast　riches。　　His　sons　and　grandsons　were　provided　for　by　important　positions；　and　Ali　himself　was　sovereign　prince　in　everything　but　the　name。

There　was　no　lack　of　flattery；　even　from　literary　persons。　　At　Vienna　a　poem　was　pointed　in　his　honour；　and　a　French…Greek　Grammar　was　dedicated　to　him；　and　such　titles　as　〃Most　Illustrious；　〃Most　Powerful；〃　and　〃　Most　Clement；〃　were　showered　upon　him；　as　upon　a　man　whose　lofty　virtues　and　great　exploits　echoed　through　the　world。　A　native　of　Bergamo；　learned　in　heraldry；　provided　him　with　a　coat　of　arms；　representing；　on　a　field　gules；　a　lion；　embracing　three　cubs；　emblematic　of　the　Tepelenian　dynasty。　　Already　he　had　a　consul　at　Leucadia　accepted　by　the　English；　who；　it　is　said；　encouraged　him　to　declare　himself　hereditary　Prince　of　Greece；　under　the　nominal　suzerainty　of　the　sultan；　their　real　intention　being　to　use　him　as　a　tool　in　return　for　their　protection；　and　to　employ　him　as　a　political　counter…balance　to　the　hospodars　of　Moldavia　and　Wallachia；　who　for　the　last　twenty　years　had　been　simply　Russian　agents　in　disguise；　This　was　not　all；　many　of　the　adventurers　with　whom　the　Levant　swarms；　outlaws　from　every　country；　had　found　a　refuge　in　Albania；　and　helped　not　a　little　to　excite　Ali's　ambition　by　their　suggestions。　　Some　of　these　men　frequently　saluted　him　as　King；　a　title　which　he　affected　to　reject　with　indignation；　and　he　disdained　to　imitate　other　states　by　raising　a　private　standard　of　his　own；　preferring　not　to　compromise　his　real　power　by　puerile　displays　of　dignity；　and　he　lamented　the　foolish　ambition　of　his　children；　who　would　ruin　him；　he　said；　by　aiming；　each；　at　becoming　a　vizier。　Therefore　he　did　not　place　his　hope　or　confidence　in　them；　but　in　the　adventurers　of　every　sort　and　kind；　pirates；　coiners；　renegades；　assassins；　whom　he　kept　in　his　pay　and　regarded　as　his　best　support。　Thes