ali pacha-第4部分

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This　disappointment　kindled　the　wrath　of　the　ambitious　Ali。　　He　swore　vengeance　for　the　spoliation　of　which　he　considered　himself　the　victim。　　But　the　moment　was　not　favourable　for　putting　his　projects　in　train。　　The　murder　of　Capelan；　which　its　perpetrator　intended　for　a　mere　crime；　proved　a　huge　blunder。　　The　numerous　enemies　of　Tepeleni；　silent　under　the　administration　of　the　late　pacha；　whose　resentment　they　had　cause　to　fear；　soon　made　common　cause　under　the　new　one；　for　whose　support　they　had　hopes。　　Ali　saw　the　danger；　sought　and　found　the　means　to　obviate　it。　　He　succeeded　in　making　a　match　between　Ali　of　Argyro…Castron；　who　was　unmarried；　and　Chainitza；　his　own　sister。　　This　alliance　secured　to　him　the　government　of　Tigre；　which　he　held　under　Capelan。　　But　that　was　not　sufficient。　　He　must　put　himself　in　a　state　of　security　against　the　dangers　he　had　lately；　experienced；　and　establish　himself　on　a　firm　footing'　against　possible　accidents。　　He　soon　formed　a　plan；　which　he　himself　described　to　the　French　Consul　in　the　following　words：

〃Years　were　elapsing；〃　said　he；　〃and　brought　no　important　change　in　my　position。　　I　was　an　important　partisan；　it　is　true；　and　strongly　supported；　but　I　held　no　title　or　Government　employment　of　my　own。　I　recognised　the　necessity　of　establishing　myself　firmly　in　my　birthplace。　　I　had　devoted　friends；　and　formidable　foes；　bent　on　my　destruction；　whom　I　must　put　out　of　the　way；　for　my　own　safety。　I　set　about　a　plan　for　destroying　them　at　one　blow；　and　ended　by　devising　one　with　which　I　ought　to　have　commenced　my　career。　　Had　I　done　so；　I　should　have　saved　much　time　and　pains。

〃I　was　in　the　habit　of　going　every　day；　after　hunting；　for　a　siesta　in　a　neighbouring　wood。　　A　confidential　servant　of　mine　suggested　to　my　enemies　the　idea　of　surprising　me　and　assassinating　one　there。　　I　myself　supplied　the　plan　of　the　conspiracy；　which　was　adopted。　　On　the　day　agreed　upon；　I　preceded　my　adversaries　to　the　place　where　I　was　accustomed　to　repose；　and　caused　a　goat　to　be　pinioned　and　muzzled；　and　fastened　under　the　tree；　covered　with　my　cape；　I　then　returned　home　by　a　roundabout　path。　　Soon　after　I　had　left；　the　conspirators　arrived；　and　fired　a　volley　at　the　goat。

They　ran　up　to　make　certain　of　my　death；　but　were　interrupted　by　a　piquet　of　my　men；　who　unexpectedly　emerged　from　a　copse　where　I　had　posted　them；　and　they　were　obliged　to　return　to　Tepelen；　which　they　entered；　riotous　with　joy；　crying　'Ali　Bey　is　dead；　now　we　are　free！'　This　news　reached　my　harem；　and　I　heard　the　cries　of　my　mother　and　my　wife　mingled　with　the　shouts　of　my　enemies。　　I　allowed　the　commotion　to　run　its　course　and　reach　its　height；　so　as　to　indicate　which　were　my　friends　and　which　my　foes。　　But　when　the　former　were　at　the　depth　of　their　distress　and　the　latter　at　the　height　of　their　joy；　and；　exulting　in　their　supposed　victory；　had　drowned　their　prudence　and　their　courage　in　floods　of　wine；　then；　strong　in　the　justice　of　my　cause；　I　appeared　upon　the　scene。　　Now　was　the　time　for　my　friends　to　triumph　and　for　my　foes　to　tremble。　　I　set　to　work　at　the　head　of　my　partisans；　and　before　sunrise　had　exterminated　the　last　of　my　enemies。　　I　distributed　their　lands；　their　houses；　and　their　goods　amongst　my　followers；　and　from　that　moment　I　could　call　the　town　of　Tepelen　my　own。〃

A　less　ambitious　man　might　perhaps　have　remained　satisfied　with　such　a　result。　　But　Ali　did　not　look　upon　the　suzerainty　of　a　canton　as　a　final　object；　but　only　as　a　means　to　an　end；　and　he　had　not　made　himself　master　of　Tepelen　to　limit　himself　to　a　petty　state；　but　to　employ　it　as　a　base　of　operations。

He　had　allied　himself　to　Ali　of　Argyro…Castron　to　get　rid　of　his　enemies；　once　free　from　them；　he　began　to　plot　against　his　supplanter。　　He　forgot　neither　his　vindictive　projects　nor　his　ambitious　schemes。　　As　prudent　in　execution　as　bold　in　design；　he　took　good　care　not　to　openly　attack　a　man　stronger　than　himself；　and　gained　by　stratagem　what　he　could　not　obtain　by　violence。　　The　honest　and　straightforward　character　of　his　brother…in…law　afforded　an　easy　success　to　his　perfidy。　　He　began　by　endeavouring　to　suborn　his　sister　Chainitza；　and　several　times　proposed　to　her　to　poison　her　husband；　but　she；　who　dearly　loved　the　pacha；　who　was　a　kind　husband　and　to　whom　she　had　borne　two　children；　repulsed　his　suggestions　with　horror；　and　threatened；　if　he　persisted；　to　denounce　him。　　Ali；　fearing　the　consequences　if　she　carried　out　her　threat；　begged　forgiveness　for　his　wicked　plans；　pretended　deep　repentance；　and　spoke　of　his　brother…in…law　in　terms　of　the　warmest　affection。　　His　acting　was　so　consummate　that　even　Chainitza；　who　well　knew　her　brother's　subtle　character；　was　deceived　by　it。　　When　he　saw　that　she　was　his　dupe；　knowing　that　he　had　nothing　more　either　to　fear　or　to　hope　for　from　that　side；　he　directed　his　attention　to　another。

The　pacha　had　a　brother　named　Soliman；　whose　character　nearly　resembled　that　of　Tepeleni。　　The　latter；　after　having　for　some　time　quietly　studied　him；　thought　he　discerned　in　him　the　man　he　wanted；　he　tempted　him　to　kill　the　pacha；　offering　him；　as　the　price　of　this　crime；　his　whole　inheritance　and　the　hand　of　Chainitza；　only　reserving　for　himself　the　long　coveted　sanjak。　　Soliman　accepted　the　proposals；　and　the　fratricidal　bargain　was　concluded。　　The　two　conspirators；　sole　masters　of　the　secret；　the　horrible　nature　of　which　guaranteed　their　mutual　fidelity；　and　having　free　access　to　the　person　of　their　victim；　could　not　fail　in　their　object。

One　day；　when　they　were　both　received　by　the　pacha　in　private　audience；　Soliman；　taking　advantage　of　a　moment　when　he　was　unobserved；　drew　a　pistol　from　his　belt　and　blew　out　his　brother's　brains。　　Chainitza　ran　at　the　sound；　and　saw　her　husband　lying　dead　between　her　brother　and　her　brother…in…law。　　Her　cries　for　help　were　stopped　by　threats　of　death　if　she　moved　or　uttered　a　sound。　　As　she　lay；　fainting　with　grief　and　terror；　Ali　made；　a　sign　to　Soliman；　who　covered　her　with　his　cloak；　and　declared　her　his　wife。　　Ali　pronounced　the　marriage　concluded；　and　retired　for　it　to　be　consummated。　　Thus　was　celebrated　this　frightful　wedding；　in　the　scene　of　an　awful　crime；　beside　the　corpse　of　a　man　who　a　moment　before　had　been　the　husband　of　the　bride　and　the　brother　of　the　bridegroom。

The　assassins　published　the　death　of　the　pacha；　attributing　it；　as　is　usual　in　Turkey；　to　a　fit　of　cerebral　apoplexy。　　But　the　truth　soon　leaked　out　from　the　lying　shrouds　in　which　it　had　been　wrapped。　Reports　even　exceeded　the　truth；　and　public　opinion　implicated　Chainitza　in　a　crime　of　which　she　had　been　but　the　witness。　Appearances　certainly　justified　these　suspicions。　　The　young　wife　had　soon　consoled　herself　in　the　arms　of　her　second　husband　for　the　loss　of　the　first；　and　her　son　by　him　presently　died　suddenly；　thus　leaving　Soliman　in　lawful　and　peaceful　possession　of　all　his　brother's　wealth。　　As　for　the　little　girl；　as　she　had　no　rights　and　could　hurt　no　one；　her　life　was　spared；　and　she　was　eventually　married　to　a　bey　of　Cleisoura；　destined　in　the　sequel　to　cut　a　tragic　figure　in　the　history　of　the　Tepeleni　family。

But　Ali　was　once　more　deprived　of　the　fruit　of　his　bloody　schemes。　Notwithstanding　all　his　intrigues；　the　sanjak　of　Delvino　was　conferred；　not　upon　him；　but　upon　a　bey　of　one　of　the　first　families　of　Zapouria。　　But；　far　from　being　discouraged；　he　recommenced　with　new　boldness　and　still　greater　confidence　the　work　of　his　elevation；　so　often　begun　and　so　often　interrupted。　　He　took　advantage　of　his　increasing　influence　to　ingratiate　himself　with　the　new　pasha；　and　was　so　successful　in　insinuating　himself　into　his　confidence；　that　he　was　received　into　the　palace　and　treated　like　the　pacha's　son。　　There　he　acquired　complete　knowledge　of　the　details　of　the　pachalik　and　the　affairs　of　the　pacha；　preparing　himself　to　govern　the　one　when　he　had　got　rid　of　the　other。

The　sanjak　of　Delvino　was　bounded　from　Venetian　territory　by　the　district　of　Buthrotum。　　Selim；　a　better　neighbour　and　an　abler　politician　than　his　predecessors；　sought　to　renew　and　preserve　friendly　commercial　relations　with　the　purveyors　of　the　Magnificent　Republic。　　This　wise　conduct；　equally　advantageous　for　both　the　bordering　provinces；　instead　of　gaining　for　the　pacha　the　praise　and　favours　which　he　deserved；　rendered　him　suspected　at　a　court　whose　sole　political　idea　was　hatred　of　the　name　of　Christian；　and　whose　sole　means　of　government　was　terror。　　Ali　immediately　perceived　the　pacha's　error；　and　the　advantage　which　he　himself　could　derive　from　it。　　Selim；　as　one　of　his　commercial　transactions　with　the　Venetians；　had　sold　them；　for　a　number　of　years；　the　right　of　felling　timber　in　a　forest　near　Lake　Reloda。　　Ali　immediately　took　advantage　of　this　to　denounce　the　pasha　as　guilty　of　having　alienated　the　territory　of　the　Sublime　Porte；　and　of　a　desire　to　deliver　to　the　infidels　all　the　province　of　Delvino。　　Masking　his　ambitious　designs　under　the　veil　of　religion　and　patriotism；　he　lamented；　in　his　denunciatory　report；　the　necessity　under　which　he　found　himself；　as　a　loyal　subject　and　faithful　Mussulman；　of　accusing　a　man　who　had　been　his　benefactor；　and　thus　at　the　same　time　gained　the　benefit　of　crime　and　the　credit