ali pacha-第7部分

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rother　Sepher；　Bey　of　Avlone。　Ali；　who　had　adopted　the　policy　of　opposing　alternately　the　Cross　to　the　Crescent　and　the　Crescent　to　the　Cross；　summoned　to　his　aid　the　Christian　chiefs　of　the　mountains；　who　descended　into　the　plains　at　the　head　of　their　unconquered　troops。　　As　is　generally　the　case　in　Albania；　where　war　is　merely　an　excuse　for　brigandage；　instead　of　deciding　matters　by　a　pitched　battle；　both　sides　contented　themselves　with　burning　villages；　hanging　peasants；　and　carrying　off　cattle。

Also；　in　accordance　with　the　custom　of　the　country；　the　women　interposed　between　the　combatants；　and　the　good　and　gentle　Emineh　laid　proposals　of　peace　before　Ibrahim　Pacha；　to　whose　apathetic　disposition　a　state　of　war　was　disagreeable；　and　who　was　only　too　happy　to　conclude　a　fairly　satisfactory　negotiation。　　A　family　alliance　was　arranged；　in　virtue　of　which　Ali　retained　his　conquests；　which　were　considered　as　the　marriage　portion　of　Ibrahim's　eldest　daughter；　who　became　the　wife　of　Ali's　eldest　son；　Mouktar。

It　was　hoped　that　this　peace　might　prove　permanent；　but　the　marriage　which　sealed　the　treaty　was　barely　concluded　before　a　fresh　quarrel　broke　out　between　the　pachas。　　Ali；　having　wrung　such　important　concessions　from　the　weakness　of　his　neighbour；　desired　to　obtain　yet　more。　　But　closely　allied　to　Ibrahim　were　two　persons　gifted　with　great　firmness　of　character　and　unusual　ability；　whose　position　gave　them　great　influence。　　They　were　his　wife　Zaidee；　and　his　brother　Sepher；　who　had　been　in　command　during　the　war　just　terminated。　　As　both　were　inimical　to　Ali；　who　could　not　hope　to　corrupt　them；　the　latter　resolved　to　get　rid　of　them。

Having　in　the　days　of　his　youth　been　intimate　with　Kurd　Pacha；　Ali　had　endeavoured　to　seduce　his　daughter；　already　the　wife　of　Ibrahim。　Being　discovered　by　the　latter　in　the　act　of　scaling　the　wall　of　his　harem；　he　had　been　obliged　to　fly　the　country。　　Wishing　now　to　ruin　the　woman　whom　he　had　formerly　tried　to　corrupt；　Ali　sought　to　turn　his　former　crime　to　the　success　of　a　new　one。　　Anonymous　letters；　secretly　sent　to　Ibrahim；　warned　him　that　his　wife　intended　to　poison　him；　in　order　to　be　able　later　to　marry　Ali　Pacha；　whom　she　had　always　loved。　　In　a　country　like　Turkey；　where　to　suspect　a　woman　is　to　accuse　her；　and　accusation　is　synonymous　with　condemnation；　such　a　calumny　might　easily　cause　the　death　of　the　innocent　Zaidee。　　But　if　Ibrahim　was　weak　and　indolent；　he　was　also　confiding　and　generous。　He　took　the　letters；　to　his　wife；　who　had　no　difficulty　in　clearing　herself；　and　who　warned　him　against　the　writer；　whose　object　and　plots　she　easily　divined；　so　that　this　odious　conspiracy　turned　only　to　Ali's　discredit。　　But　the　latter　was　not　likely　either　to　concern　himself　as　to　what　others　said　or　thought　about　him　or　to　be　disconcerted　by　a　failure。　　He　simply　turned　his　machinations　against　his　other　enemy；　and　arranged　matters　this　time　so　as　to　avoid　a　failure。

He　sent　to　Zagori；　a　district　noted　for　its　doctors；　for　a　quack　who　undertook　to　poison　Sepher　Bey　on　condition　of　receiving　forty　purses。　　When　all　was　settled；　the　miscreant　set　out　for　Berat；　and　was　immediately　accused　by　Ali　of　evasion；　and　his　wife　and　children　were　arrested　as　accomplices　and　detained；　apparently　as　hostages　for　the　good　behaviour　of　their　husband　and　father；　but　really　as　pledges　for　his　silence　when　the　crime　should　have　been　accomplished。　　Sepher　Bey；　informed　of　this　by　letters　which　Ali　wrote　to　the　Pacha　of　Berat　demanding　the　fugitive；　thought　that　a　man　persecuted　by　his　enemy　would　be　faithful　to　himself；　and　took　the　supposed　runaway　into　his　service。　　The　traitor　made　skilful　use　of　the　kindness　of　his　too　credulous　protector；　insinuated　himself　into　his　confidence；　became　his　trusted　physician　and　apothecary；　and　gave　him　poison　instead　of　medicine　on　the　very　first　appearance　of　indisposition。　As　soon　as　symptoms　of　death　appeared；　the　poisoner　fled；　aided　by　the　emissaries　of　All；　with　whom　the　court　of　Berat　was　packed；　and　presented　himself　at　Janina　to　receive　the　reward　of　his　crime。　　Ali　thanked　him　for　his　zeal；　commended　his　skill；　and　referred　him　to　the　treasurer。　　But　the　instant　the　wretch　left　the　seraglio　in　order　to　receive　his　recompense；　he　was　seized　by　the　executioners　and　hurried　to　the　gallows。　　In　thus　punishing　the　assassin；　Ali　at　one　blow　discharged　the　debt　he　owed　him；　disposed　of　the　single　witness　to　be　dreaded；　and　displayed　his　own　friendship　for　the　victim！　　Not　content　with　this；　he　endeavoured　to　again　throw　suspicion　on　the　wife　of　Ibrahim　Pacha；　whom　he　accused　of　being　jealous　of　the　influence　which　Sepher　Pacha　had　exercised　in　the　family。　　This　he　mentioned　regularly　in　conversation；　writing　in　the　same　style　to　his　agents　at　Constantinople；　and　everywhere　where　there　was　any　profit　in　slandering　a　family　whose　ruin　he　desired　for　the　sake　of　their　possessions。　　Before　long　he　made　a　pretext　out　of　the　scandal　started　by　himself；　and　prepared　to　take　up　arms　in　order；　he　said；　to　avenge　his　friend　Sepher　Bey；　when　he　was　anticipated　by　Ibrahim　Pacha；　who　roused　against　him　the　allied　Christians　of　Thesprotia；　foremost　among　whom　ranked　the　Suliots　famed　through　Albania　for　their　courage　and　their　love　of　independence。

After　several　battles；　in　which　his　enemies　had　the　a　vantage；　Ali　began　negotiations　with　Ibrahim；　and　finally　concluded　a　treaty　offensive　and　defensive。　　This　fresh　alliance　was；　like　the　first；　to　be　cemented　by　a　marriage。　　The　virtuous　Emineh；　seeing　her　son　Veli　united　to　the　second　daughter　of　Ibrahim；　trusted　that　the　feud　between　the　two　families　was　now　quenched；　and　thought　herself　at　the　summit　of　happiness。　　But　her　joy　was　not　of　long　duration；　the　death…groan　was　again　to　be　heard　amidst　the　songs　of　the　marriage…feast。

The　daughter　of　Chainitza；　by　her　first　husband；　Ali；　had　married　a　certain　Murad；　the　Bey　of　Clerisoura。　　This　nobleman；　attached　to　Ibrahim　Pacha　by　both　blood　and　affection；　since　the　death　of　Sepher　Bey；　had；　become　the　special　object　of　Ali's　hatred；　caused　by　the　devotion　of　Murad　to　his　patron；　over　whom　he　had　great　influence；　and　from　whom　nothing　could　detach　him。　　Skilful　in　concealing　truth　under　special　pretexts；　Ali　gave　out　that　the　cause　of　his　known　dislike　to　this　young　man　was　that　the　latter；　although　his　nephew　by　marriage；　had　several　times　fought　in　hostile　ranks　against　him。　Therefore　the　amiable　Ibrahim　made　use　of　the　marriage　treaty　to　arrange　an　honourable　reconciliation　between　Murad　Bey　and　his　uncle；　and　appointed　the　former　〃Ruler　a　the　Marriage　Feast；〃　in　which　capacity　he　was　charged　to　conduct　the　bride　to　Janina　and　deliver　her　to　her　husband；　the　young　Veli　Bey。　　He　had　accomplished　his　mission　satisfactorily；　and　was　received　by　Ali　with　all　apparent　hospitality。　　The　festival　began　on　his　arrival　towards　the　end　of　November　1791；　and　had　already　continued　several　days；　when　suddenly　it　was　announced　that　a　shot　had　been　fired　upon　Ali；　who　had　only　escaped　by　a　miracle；　and　that　the　assassin　was　still　at　large。　　This　news　spread　terror　through　the　city　and　the　palace；　and　everyone　dreaded　being　seized　as　the　guilty　person。　　Spies　were　everywhere　employed；　but　they　declared　search　was　useless；　and　that　there　must　bean　extensive　conspiracy　against　Ali's　life。　　The　latter　complained　of　being　surrounded　by　enemies；　and　announced　that　henceforth　he　would　receive　only　one　person　at　a　time；　who　should　lay　down　his　arms　before　entering　the　hall　now　set　apart　for　public　audience。　　It　was　a　chamber　built　over　a　vault；　and　entered　by　a　sort　of　trap…door；　only　reached　by　a　ladder。

After　having　for　several　days　received　his　couriers　in　this　sort　of　dovecot；　Ali　summoned　his　nephew　in　order　to　entrust　with　him　the　wedding　gifts。　　Murad　took　this　as　a　sign　of　favour；　and　joyfully　acknowledged　the　congratulations　of　his　friends。　　He　presented　himself　at　the　time　arranged；　the　guards　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder　demanded　his　arms；　which　he　gave　up　readily；　and　ascended　the　ladder　full　of　hope。　　Scarcely　had　the　trap…door　closed　behind　him　when　a　pistol　ball；　fired　from　a　dark　corner；　broke　his　shoulder　blade；　and　he　fell；　but　sprang　up　and　attempted　to　fly。　　Ali　issued　from　his　hiding　place　and　sprang　upon　him；　but　notwithstanding　his　wound　the　young　bey　defended　himself　vigorously；　uttering　terrible　cries。　　The　pacha；　eager　to　finish；　and　finding　his　hands　insufficient；　caught　a　burning　log　from　the　hearth；　struck　his　nephew　in　the　face　with　it；　felled　him　to　the　ground；　and　completed　his　bloody　task。　　This　accomplished；　Ali　called　for　help　with　loud　cries；　and　when　his　guards　entered　he　showed　the　bruises　he　had　received　and　the　blood　with　which　he　was　covered；　declaring　that　he　had　killed　in　self…defence　a　villain　who　endeavoured　to　assassinate　him。　　He　ordered　the　body　to　be　searched；　and　a　letter　was　found　in　a　pocket　which　Ali　had　himself　just　placed　there；　which　purported　to　give　the　details　of　the　pretended　conspiracy。

As　Murad's　brother　was　seriously　compromised　by　this　letter；　he　also　was　immediately　seized；　and　strangled　without　any　pretence　of　trial。　The　whole　palace　rejoiced；　thanks　were　rendered　to　Heaven　by　one　of　those　sacrifices　of　animals　still　occasionally　m