Sidi Hassan, and partly to say that I will do what lies in
my power to alleviate your sad condition. With Lucien's education and
knowledge of languages, it may be possible to get him into the immediate
service of the Dey, in which case he will be able to aid his father and
brother."

"Have you, then, much influence with the Dey?" asked Francisco.

"None," replied the Jew, with a sad smile. "I have already told you
that the pirates detest us; that we are tolerated only because of our
money-making powers, and the ease with which they can bleed us when they
want gold. But I have some influence with others in the city who have
power to move the Dey. There is one thing, however," here the Jew
glanced pointedly at Mariano, "in regard to which I would give you most
earnest counsel, namely, that you should at once dismiss all idea of
rebellion. It will be utterly unavailing. You may, like the caged
lion, if you will, dash yourselves to death against your prison bars,
but you cannot break them. Countless thousands of bold and brave
spirits have attempted this plan, with no good result, in time past.
The Turks are well acquainted with and quite prepared for it. Your only
chance of mitigating the woes of your condition lies in submission."

"It were better and nobler to die than to submit," said Mariano
gloomily.

"It were better and nobler to bow to the will of the Almighty than to
commit suicide," retorted Bacri, somewhat sternly. "It is selfishness
and pride which induces us to seek deliverance from sorrow and suffering
in death. There are men who have thought that truest nobility lay in
choosing a life in the midst of suffering and woe for the purpose of
alleviating it, and who have acted on their opinion. This lesson,
however, is not so frequently learnt by us through precept as in the
school of sorrow."

Mariano felt abashed, yet at the same time rather nettled.

"Truly, then," he said, with a glance at his blood-stained shirt, "it
seems to me that I have at all events begun my lesson in the right
school. However, I believe thou art right, Bacri, and I bear thee no
ill-will for the rap thou didst bestow on my skull, which, luckily, is a
thick one, else thy ponderous fist had split it from the cranium to the
chin."

"We had misjudged you, Bacri," said Francisco, extending his hand, as
the Jew rose to depart.

"We will lay your advice to heart; and we thank you, meanwhile, for
coming to see us in this fou