386 The Hunting Grounds 



evil moment accepted an invitation to accompany him 

 to a slave-merchant's ' khan,' in order to select a 

 Nubian eunuch as a guardian for his harem. This 

 matter settled, the slave-merchant took them to see 

 a magnificent Georgian damsel, who was considered 

 to be the finest importation for many years. Her 

 price was eighty thousand piasters (about six hundred 

 pounds sterling), and Sulleiman Pacha became so cap- 

 tivated with her appearance, that, notwithstanding he 

 was an elderly man, and had three wives at home, he 

 became the purchaser; and the object of his affections 

 was ordered to be conveyed to his garden-house near 

 Scutari, on the extreme quiet, so that his other wives 

 might hear nothing about it. The Pacha thought he 

 observed a diabolical twinkle in the eye of the slave- 

 dealer, when, after he had received his money, he 

 wished him ' every felicity ;' but at the moment he 

 merely thought he had been cheated out of some 

 piastres, which, being rich, he did not care about, 

 never imagining that he would have such cause to 

 repent of his bargain. The cunning old fox then 

 went home, and informed his wives that he was 

 obliged to start on a journey, and after taking an 

 affectionate farewell he set off for his country house. 

 His reception could not have proved very satisfactory, 

 nor did he ever disclose to me what actually passed, 

 for although he has often related his grievances to me, 

 at this point he invariably worked himself up in such 



I 



