laugh at your
condition."

He could not understand why Western sovereigns should permit their
subjects to enjoy the same conveniences and amusements as themselves.
"If I had a theatre," he said, "I would allow no one to be present at
performances except my own children; but these idiotic Christians do not
know how to uphold their own dignity."

There was no end to the mystifications which it amused the pacha to
carry out with those who approached him.

One day he chose to speak Turkish to a Maltese merchant who came to
display some jewels. He was informed that the merchant understood only
Greek and Italian. He none the less continued his discourse without
allowing anyone to translate what he said into Greek. The Maltese at
length lost patience, shut up his cases, and departed. Ali watched him
with the utmost calm, and as he went out told him, still in Turkish, to
come again the next day.

An unexpected occurrence seemed, like the warning finger of Destiny,
to indicate an evil omen for the pacha's future. "Misfortunes arrive
in troops," says the forcible Turkish proverb, and a forerunner of
disasters came to Ali Pacha.

One morning he was suddenly roused by the Sheik Yussuf, who had forced
his way in, in spite of the guards. "Behold!" said he, handing Ali a
letter, "Allah, who punishes the guilty, has permitted thy seraglio
of Tepelen to be burnt. Thy splendid palace, thy beautiful furniture,
costly stuffs, cashmeers, furs, arms, all are destroyed! And it is thy
youngest and best beloved son, Salik Bey himself, whose hand kindled the
flames!" So saying, Yussuf turned and departed, crying with a triumphant
voice, "Fire! fire! fire!"

Ali instantly ordered his horse, and, followed by his guards, rode
without drawing rein to Tepelen. As soon as he arrived at the place
where his palace had formerly insulted the public misery, he hastened to
examine the cellars where his treasures were deposited. All was intact,
silver plate, jewels, and fifty millions of francs in gold, enclosed
in a well over which he had caused a tower to be built. After this
examination he ordered all the ashes to be carefully sifted in hopes
of recovering the gold in the tassels and fringes of the sofas, and the
silver from the plate and the armour. He next proclaimed through
the length and breadth of the land, that, being by the hand of Allah
deprived of his house, and no longer possessing anything in his native
town, he requested all who loved