r broached a
proposal to cut the Gordian knot. He would abandon all disputed claims
for a lump sum paid privately to himself, and asked what the Moorish
Government might feel inclined to offer.

The Wazeer el Kiddab received this proposal with great complacency. He
was accustomed to such overtures. Every day of his life that style of
bargain was part of his business. But this was the first time that a
European ambassador had made such a suggestion in its nakedness, and
he was somewhat taken aback, though his studied indifference of manner
did not allow the foreigner to suspect such a thing for a moment. The
usual style had been for him to offer present after present to the
ambassadors till he had reached their price, and then, when his master
had overloaded them with personal favours--many of which existed but
in promise--they had been unable to press too hard the claims they had
come to enforce, for fear of possible disclosures. So this was a novel
proceeding, though quite comprehensible on the part of a man who had
been bribed on a less extensive scale on each previous visit to Court.
Once, however, such a proposition had been made, it was evident that
his Government could not be much in earnest regarding demands which he
could so easily afford to set aside.

As soon, therefore, as Kyrios Mavrogordato had left, the Wazeer
ordered his mule, that he might wait upon His Majesty before the hours
of business were over. His errand being stated as urgent and private,
he was admitted without delay to his sovereign's presence.

"May God prolong the days of our Lord! I come to say that the way to
rid ourselves of the importunity of this ambassador from Greece is
plain. He has made it so himself by offering to abandon all disputed
claims for a round sum down for his own use. What is the pleasure of
my Lord?"

"God is great!" exclaimed the Sultan, "that is well. You may inform
the Minister from me that a positive refusal is given to every demand
not already allowed in writing. What _he_ can afford to abandon, _I_
can't afford to pay."

"The will of our Lord shall be done."

"But stay! I have had my eye upon that Greek ambassador this long
while, and am getting tired of him. The abuses he commits are
atrocious, and his man Drees is a devil. Haj Taib el Ghassal writes
that the number of his _proteges_ is legion, and that by far the
greater number of them are illegal. Inform him when you see him that
henceforth the provision