0*J THE CAPEDJI BACHI. 



Dost thou know, that there is above all a stern and inexorable One ? 

 Art thou acquainted by what means the brilliant empire of Osman 

 exists ? Hast thou not often heard that the Sublime Porte cannot 

 always punish traitors in the face of day, and that for the sake of our 

 holy religion she is often obliged to strike in the dark ? In short, 

 when such a mission is necessary, dost thou know that it is to a 

 Capidgi that it is entrusted ? " 



" I know it all," replied Mustapha, with assurance. 



" But dost thou know also, that thou must succeed, or pay the 

 penalty of a failure with thy head ? " 



" My lord let but the Sublime Porte speak. Has she condemned 

 the Scheref of Mecca, or even the Schah of Persia ? In two months 

 both shall have ceased to exist." 



" No; it is a faithless slave that the Sultan wishes to punish: 

 Ahmed, Pacha of Aleppo." 



Mustapha's heart beat high, but he concealed his emotion. 



" This perfidious Pacha has gained the friendship of all the dif- 

 ferent corporations of that city. Scherefs or Janissaries all rally 

 round him, and would no doubt, if necessary, march against the Im- 

 perial army, for his ambition is unbounded. He has also attached to 

 his party all the Arabian tribes hitherto constantly in a state of revolt. 

 Such conduct gives umbrage to the Porte, who has resolved, while 

 yet it is time, to defeat his designs. But a traitor is always on his 

 guard ; it was therefore necessary to have recourse to secret means. 

 Disguise thyself gain admittance to the Pacha, and stab him with- 

 out remorse as a victim marked by the finger of the Lord. Depart; 

 there is the firman of his death." 



An hour afterwards Mustapha lay stretched on his divan. If the 

 Grand Seignior had ceded to him the empire had he held in his 

 hand the firman of investiture, he could not have contemplated it 

 with more complacency than he did the death one of his enemy. He 

 touched it he rattled it against his ears, as if to convince himself by 

 the evidence of all his senses that it was no dream he admired it 

 he examined it, and found it beautiful. A most admirable chancel- 

 lery is that of the Turkish empire : whether she sends death or for- 

 tune, her firmans are written in a rich harmonious style. The Im- 

 perial cipher is always pompously drawn. An ink alternately blue 

 as the azure of heaven, red as blood, glittering as gold, is used 

 whether she makes a pacha or proscribes a head. 



Some days afterwards a caravan was seen on the road to Aleppo ; 

 it was not one of those formidable caravans with its thousand camels 

 and warlike pomp, destined as they are to cross the desert in spite of 

 the myriads of Arabs who scour it in every direction, with the eye of 

 a lynx or the avidity of a Greek pirate. It was a pacific caravan ; a 

 singular assemblage of travellers of every description, who disap- 

 peared, were changed, or renewed at every station : it was an entire 

 family emigrating soldiers of fortune seeking the service of some 

 warlike pacha pilgrims proceeding to the tomb of Christ, or to kiss 

 the block-stone of the Cabashi merchants in pursuit of gain Jews, 

 Turks, and Christians every form of worship was there represented : 

 Christianity and its numerous sects; Islamism and its inexorable 



