DURING THE GREEK REVOLUTION. 189 



his orders suddenly, and that the woman had just 

 been strangled in prison. Alecco, it was evident, had 

 found powerful friends, and not a moment was to 

 be lost if I was ever to recover the portrait. To 

 think of bringing him to justice was clearly ridicu- 

 lous ; ho was a far more powerful personage than 

 myself. 



I walked slowly along the road towards Tyrinth, 

 and sent Demetri back to Xauplia, to bring out our 

 horses for a ride to Argos, where I spoke of passing 

 the night with George Mauromichalis. When he 

 arrived, I struck to the right, and gained the road 

 to Ligourio, beyond Aria. Embarking at Piadha, I 

 reached the Piraeus before midnight. I requested the 

 custom-officer to send off instantly one of his men to 

 inform Alecco that a messenger had arrived from 

 Xauplia, who desired to see him at the earliest dawn, 

 and to speak with him alone in the house of the 

 custom-house officer. My plan removed all suspicion ; 

 Alecco seemed to expect a messenger, and the spot did 

 not raise a doubt, so he sent word that he would meet 

 me. I removed the custom-house officer, and every 

 other person, except Demetri, asserting that our meeting 

 must be private. When Alecco entered the room, he 

 found there was no retreat, for Demetri and I were both 

 in the Albanian dress, with our hands resting on our 

 yataghans. I told him that I had obtained proof of his 

 possessing the portrait, of his having been the accom- 



