at the Seven Towers. Now, I will tell you what I
have done. I have sent to my uncle and offered him two hundred thousand
piastres a year for his life and that of his sons, if they will
represent to the Porte that none but a prince of the house of Shehaab
can possibly pacify and administer Lebanon, and that, to obtain this
necessary end, they are ready to resign their rights in favour of any
other member of the family.'

'What then?' said the Lady of Bethany, taking her nargileh from her
mouth.

'Why, then,' said Fakredeen, 'I am by another agent working upon Riza
Pasha to this effect, that of all the princes of the great house of
Shehaab, there is none so well adapted to support the interests of the
Porte as the Emir Fakredeen, and for these three principal reasons: in
the first place, because he is a prince of great qualities----'

'Your proof of them to the vizir would be better than your assertion.'

'Exactly,' said Fakredeen. 'I prove them by my second reason, which is a
guaranty to his excellency of the whole revenue of the first year of my
princedom, provided I receive the berat.'

'I can tell you something,' said the lady, 'Riza shakes a little. He is
too fond of first-fruits. His nomination will not be popular.'

'Yes it will, when the divan takes into consideration the third reason
for my appointment,' said the prince. 'Namely, that the Emir Fakredeen
is the only prince of the great house of Shehaab who is a good
Mussulman.'

'You a good Mussulman! Why, I thought you had sent two months ago
Archbishop Murad to Paris, urging King Louis to support you, because,
amongst other reasons, being a Christian prince, you would defend the
faith and privileges of the Maronites.'

'And devote myself to France,' said Fakredeen. 'It is very true, and an
excellent combination it is, if we could only bring it to bear, which I
do not despair of, though affairs, which looked promising at Paris, have
taken an unfortunate turn of late.'

'I am sorry for that,' said the lady, 'for really, Fakredeen, of all
your innumerable combinations, that did seem to me to be the most
practical. I think it might have been worked. The Maronites are
powerful; the French nation is interested in them; they are the link
between France and Syria; and you, being a Christian prince as well as
an emir of the most illustrious house, with your intelligence and such
aid as we might give you, I think your prospects were, to say the least,
fair.'