ali pacha-第25部分

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ould　have　pardoned　Ali　on　condition　of　again　bringing　Hellos　under　his　iron　yoke。　　It　is　possible　that　the　Greeks　might　not　have　prevailed　against　an　enemy　so　formidable　and　a　brain　so　fertile　in　intrigue。　But　so　simple　an　idea　was　far　beyond　the　united　intellect　of　the　Divan；　which　never　rose　above　idle　display。　　As　soon　as　these　negotiations；　had　commenced；　Kursheed　filled　the　roads　with　his　couriers；　sending　often　two　in　a　day　to　Constantinople；　from　whence　as　many　were　sent　to　him。　　This　state　of　things　lasted　mare　than　three　weeks；　when　it　became　known　that　Ali；　who　had　made　good　use　of　his　time　in　replacing　the　stores　lost　in　the　conflagration；　buying　actually　from　the　Kiaia　himself　a　part　of　the　provisions　brought　by　him　for　the　Imperial　camp；　refused　to　accept　the　Ottoman　ultimatum。　Troubles　which　broke；　out　at　the　moment　of　the　rupture　of　the　negotiations　proved　that　he　foresaw　the　probable　result。

Kursheed　was　recompensed　for　the　deception　by　which　he　had　been　duped　by　the　reduction　of　the　fortress　of　Litharitza。　　The　Guegue　Skipetars；　who　composed　the　garrison；　badly　paid；　wearied　out　by　the　long　siege；　and　won　by　the　Seraskier's　bribes；　took　advantage　of　the　fact　that　the　time　of　their　engagement　with　Ali　had　elapsed　same　months　previously；　and　delivering　up　the　fortress　they　defended；　passed　over　to　the　enemy。　　Henceforth　Ali's　force　consisted　of　only　six　hundred　men。

It　was　to　be　feared　that　this　handful　of　men　might　also　become　a　prey　to　discouragement；　and　might　surrender　their　chief　to　an　enemy　who　had　received　all　fugitives　with　kindness。　　The　Greek　insurgents　dreaded　such　an　event；　which　would　have　turned　all　Kursheed's　army；　hitherto　detained　before　the　castle；　of　Janina；　loose　upon　themselves。　　Therefore　they　hastened　to　send　to　their　former　enemy；　now　their　ally；　assistance　which　he　declined　to　accept。　　Ali　saw　himself　surrounded　by　enemies　thirsting　for　his　wealth；　and　his　avarice　increasing　with　the　danger；　he　had　for　some　months　past　refused　to　pay　his　defenders。　　He　contented　himself　with　informing　his　captains　of　the　insurgents'　offer；　and　telling　them　that　he　was　confident　that　bravery　such　as　theirs　required　no　reinforcement。　　And　when　some　of　them　besought　him　to　at　least　receive　two　or　three　hundred　Palikars　into　the　castle；　〃No；〃　said　he；　〃old　serpents　always　remain　old　serpents：　I　distrust　the　Suliots　and　their　friendship。〃

Ignorant　of　Ali's　decision；　the　Greeks　of　the　Selleid　were　advancing；　as　well　as　the　Toxidae；　towards　Janina；　when　they　received　the　following　letter　from　Ali　Pacha：

〃My　well…beloved　children；　I　have　just　learned　that　you　are　preparing　to　despatch　a　party　of　your　Palikars　against　our　common　enemy；　Kursheed。　　I　desire　to　inform　you　that　this　my　fortress　is　impregnable；　and　that　I　can　hold　out　against　him　for　several　years。　The　only；　service　I　require　of　your　courage　is；　that　you　should　reduce　Arta；　and　take　alive　Ismail　Pacho　Bey；　my　former　servant；　the　mortal　enemy　of　my　family；　and　the　author　of　the　evils　and　frightful　calamities　which　have　so　long　oppressed　our　unhappy　country；　which　he　has　laid　waste　before　our　eyes。　　Use　your　best　efforts　to　accomplish　this；　it　will　strike　at　the　root　of　the　evil；　and　my　treasures　shall　reward　your　Palikars；　whose　courage　every　day　gains　a　higher　value　in　my　eyes。〃

Furious　at　this　mystification；　the　Suliots　retired　to　their　mountains；　and　Kursheed　profited　by　the　discontent　Ali's　conduct　had　caused；　to　win　over　the　Toxide　Skipetars；　with　their　commanders　Tahir　Abbas　and　Hagi　Bessiaris；　who　only　made　two　conditions：　one；　that　Ismail　Pacho　Bey；　their　personal　enemy；　should　be　deposed；　the　other；　that　the　life　of　their　old　vizier　should　be　respected。

The　first　condition　was　faithfully　adhered　to　by　Kursheed；　actuated　by　private　motives　different　from　those　which　he　gave　publicly；　and　Ismail　Pacho　Bey　was　solemnly　deposed。　　The　tails；　emblems　of　his　authority；　were　removed；　he　resigned　the　plumes　of　office；　his　soldiers　forsook　him；　his　servants　followed　suit。　　Fallen　to　the　lowest　rank；　he　was　soon　thrown　into　prison；　where　he　only　blamed　Fate　for　his　misfortunes。　　All　the　Skipetar　Agas　hastened　to　place　themselves　under　Kursheeds'　standard；　and　enormous　forces　now　threatened　Janina。　　All　Epirus　awaited　the　denoument　with　anxiety。

Had　he　been　less　avaricious；　Ali　might　have　enlisted　all　the　adventurers　with　whom　the　East　was　swarming；　and　made　the　sultan　tremble　in　his　capital。　　But　the　aged　pacha　clung　passionately　to　his　treasures。　　He　feared　also；　perhaps　not　unreasonably；　that　those　by　whose　aid　he　might　triumph　would　some　day　become　his　master。　　He　long　deceived　himself　with　the　idea　that　the　English；　who　had　sold　Parga　to　him；　would　never　allow　a　Turkish　fleet　to　enter　the　Ionian　Sea。　Mistaken　on　this　point；　his　foresight　was　equally　at　fault　with　regard　to　the　cowardice　of　his　sons。　　The　defection　of　his　troops　was　not　less　fatal；　and　he　only　understood　the　bearing　of　the　Greek　insurrection　which　he　himself　had　provoked；　so　far　as　to　see　that　in　this　struggle　he　was　merely　an　instrument　in　procuring　the　freedom　of　a　country　which　he　had　too　cruelly　oppressed　to　be　able　to　hold　even　an　inferior　rank　in　it。　　His　last　letter　to　the　Suliots　opened　the　eyes　of　his　followers；　but　under　the　influence　of　a　sort　of　polite　modesty　these　were　at　least　anxious　to　stipulate　for　the　life　of　their　vizier。　　Kursheed　was　obliged　to　produce　firmans　from　the　Porte；　declaring　that　if　Ali　Tepelen　submitted；　the　royal　promise　given　to　his　sons　should　be　kept；　and　that　he　should；　with　them；　be　transferred　to　Asia　Minor；　as　also　his　harem；　his　servants；　and　his　treasures；　and　allowed　to　finish　his　days　in　peace。　　Letters　from　Ali's　sons　were　shown　to　the　Agas；　testifying　to　the　good　treatment　they　had　experienced　in　their　exile；　and　whether　the　latter　believed　all　this；　or　whether　they　merely　sought　to　satisfy　their　own　consciences；　they　henceforth　thought　only　of　inducing　their　rebellious　chief　to　submit。　　Finally；　eight　months'　pay；　given　them　in　advance；　proved　decisive；　and　they　frankly　embraced　the　cause　of　the　sultan。

The　garrison　of　the　castle　on　the　lake；　whom　Ali　seemed　anxious　to　offend　as　much　as　possible；　by　refusing　their　pay；　he　thinking　them　so　compromised　that　they　would　not　venture　even　to　accept　an　amnesty　guaranteed　by　the　mufti；　began　to　desert　as　soon　as　they　knew　the　Toxidae　had　arrived　at　the　Imperial　camp。　　Every　night　these　Skipetars　who　could　cross　the　moat　betook　themselves　to　Kursheed's　quarters。　　One　single　man　yet　baffled　all　the　efforts　of　the　besiegers。　　The　chief　engineer；　Caretto；　like　another　Archimedes；　still　carried　terror　into　the　midst　of　their　camp。

Although　reduced　to　the　direst　misery；　Caretto　could　not　forget　that　he　owed　his　life　to　the　master　who　now　only　repaid　his　services　with　the　most　sordid　ingratitude。　　When　he　had　first　come　to　Epirus；　Ali；　recognising　his　ability；　became　anxious　to　retain　him；　but　without　incurring　any　expense。　　He　ascertained　that　the　Neapolitan　was　passionately　in　love　with　a　Mohammedan　girl　named　Nekibi；　who　returned　his　affection。　　Acting　under　Ali's　orders；　Tahir　Abbas　accused　the　woman　before　the　cadi　of　sacrilegious　intercourse　with　an　infidel。　　She　could　only　escape　death　by　the　apostasy　of　her　lover；　if　he　refused　to　deny　his　God；　he　shared　her　fate；　and　both　would　perish　at　the　stake。　　Caretto　refused　to　renounce　his　religion；　but　only　Nekibi　suffered　death。　　Caretto　was　withdrawn　from　execution；　and　Ali　kept　him　concealed　in　a　place　of　safety；　whence　he　produced　him　in　the　time　of　need。　　No　one　had　served　him　with　greater　zeal；　it　is　even　possible　that　a　man　of　this　type　would　have　died　at　his　post；　had　his　cup　not　been　filled　with　mortification　and　insult。

Eluding　the　vigilance　of　Athanasius　Vaya；　whose　charge　it　was　to　keep　guard　over　him；　Caretto　let　himself　down　by　a　cord　fastened　to　the　end　of　a　cannon：　He　fell　at　the　foot　of　the　rampart；　and　thence　dragged　himself；　with　a　broken　arm；　to　the　opposite　camp。　　He　had　become　nearly　blind　through　the　explosion　of　a　cartridge　which　had　burnt　his　face。　　He　was　received　as　well　as　a　Christian　from　whom　there　was　now　nothing　to　fear；　could　expect。　　He　received　the　bread　of　charity；　and　as　a　refugee　is　only　valued　in　proportion　to　the　use　which　can　be　made　of　him；　he　was　despised　and　forgotten。

The　desertion　of　Caretto　was　soon　followed　by　a　defection　which　annihilated　Ali's　last　hopes。　　The　garrison　which　had　given　him　so　many　proofs　of　devotion；　discouraged　by　his　avarice；　suffering　from　a　disastrous　epidemic；　and　no　longer　equal　to　the　necessary　labour　in　defence　of　the　place；　opened　all；　the　gates　simultaneously　to　the　enemy。　　But　the　besiegers；　fearing　a　trap；　advanced　very　slowly；　so　that　Ali；　who　had　long　prepared　against　very　sort　of　surprise；　had　time　to　gain　a　place　which　he　called　his　〃refuge。〃

It　was　a　sort　of　fortified　enclosure；　of　solid　masonry；　bristling　with　cannon；　which　surrounded　the　private　apartments　of　his　seraglio；　called　the　〃Women's　Tower。〃　　He　had　taken　care　to　demolish　everything　which　could　be　set　on　fire；　reserving　only　a　mosque　and　the　tomb　of　his　wife　Emineh；　whose　phantom；　after　announcing　an　eternal　repose；　had　ceased　to　haunt　him。　　Beneath　was　an　immense　natural　cave；　in　whi