castle of
Yanina, fatigued with long service"--

Here Haidee cast a significant glance at Monte Cristo, whose eyes
had been riveted on her countenance during the whole course of her
narrative. The young girl then continued, speaking slowly, like a person
who is either inventing or suppressing some feature of the history which
he is relating. "You were saying, signora," said Albert, who was paying
the most implicit attention to the recital, "that the garrison of
Yanina, fatigued with long service"--

"Had treated with the Serasker [*] Koorshid, who had been sent by the
sultan to gain possession of the person of my father; it was then that
Ali Tepelini--after having sent to the sultan a French officer in whom
he reposed great confidence--resolved to retire to the asylum which he
had long before prepared for himself, and which he called kataphygion,
or the refuge."

"And this officer," asked Albert, "do you remember his name, signora?"
Monte Cristo exchanged a rapid glance with the young girl, which was
quite unperceived by Albert. "No," said she, "I do not remember it just
at this moment; but if it should occur to me presently, I will tell
you." Albert was on the point of pronouncing his father's name, when
Monte Cristo gently held up his finger in token of reproach; the young
man recollected his promise, and was silent.

* A Turkish pasha in command of the troops of a province.--
Ed.

"It was towards this kiosk that we were rowing. A ground-floor,
ornamented with arabesques, bathing its terraces in the water, and
another floor, looking on the lake, was all which was visible to the
eye. But beneath the ground-floor, stretching out into the island, was
a large subterranean cavern, to which my mother, myself, and the women
were conducted. In this place were together 60,000. pouches and 200
barrels; the pouches contained 25,000,000 of money in gold, and the
barrels were filled with 30,000. pounds of gunpowder.

"Near the barrels stood Selim, my father's favorite, whom I mentioned to
you just now. He stood watch day and night with a lance provided with
a lighted slowmatch in his hand, and he had orders to blow up
everything--kiosk, guards, women, gold, and Ali Tepelini himself--at
the first signal given by my father. I remember well that the slaves,
convinced of the precarious tenure on which they held their lives,
passed whole days and nights in praying, crying, and groaning. As for
me, I can never forget