Part 47 (1/2)
My dear ed me, as a favour, that I would attend her to the place of execution, and I consented Poor creature! she, as well as I, had but an imperfect idea of what she was to endure The punishreat square, and the troops were out, and a large concourse of people were assembled She appeared on the raised platforenteel undress, which contributed still hten her extreme beauty The sweetness of her countenance obtained for her the commiseration of those ere ordered and accustomed to execute the will of the despotic and cruel eht for, and caressed by every body, high in rank, and rich in, worldly wealth, she stood, no longer surrounded by the attentions and hoe due to her talents, her beauty, and her wit, but surrounded only by stern executioners She looked at the to doubt if such preparations could be intended for her One of the executioners then pulled off a kind of furred tippet which covered her boso the alarm, made her start back a few steps; she turned pale, and burst into tears
Her clothes were soon afterwards all stripped off, and in a few moments she was all naked to the waist, exposed to the looks of a vast multitude, ere all profoundly silent One of the executioners then seized her by both hands, and turning half round, threw her on his back, bending forwards, so as to raise her feet a few inches froh hands, and without symptoms of remorse, adjusted her on the back of his companion in a posture most convenient for her to receive her punishe hands brutally upon her head, in order toa lamb, he appeared to soothe her until he had fixed her in a favourable attitude He then took the knout, a whipstrip of leather, prepared for the purpose; he retreated a few steps,the requisite distance with a steady eye, and looking backwards, gave a stroke with the end of the whip, so as to carry away a slip of skin fro his feet against the ground, he took his aim for a second blow, parallel to the former, so that in a few moments all the skin of her back was cut away in s to her shi+ft and dress below I fainted with horror long before the punishht I, ”I have suffered the bastinado and the bowstring, but both were merciful compared to this
Is there no God in heaven to punish such despotic cruelty?” My eons were ordered to pay her every attention, that she ht this attention on the part of the emperor in some measure made amends for his barbarity But, God in heaven! she was restored to life that she ht be more cruelly punished; for no sooner was she able to bear this infliction, than they cut out her tongue, and then banished her to Siberia
Thus, O pacha! was uilty she never was I had been permitted to see her previous to her latter punish, that the emperor's wrath had been appeased, and that she would have been perue was cut out without her receiving any warning of the second punishment which awaited her, and after that I was refused admittance, and I never saw my beautiful and ill-treated e of her that I learnt this cruel intelligence, and I went back to nation
I was resolved that, if possible, I would escape froues were cut out; but how to e it I knew not I had still some money and valuables, which had been left in my possession by my unfortunateto Constantinople, where, at least, I should be in a civilised country At last a Jeho heard that I wished to go to the southward, offered to take round, for which I bargained to pay five hundred roubles In a fortnight the winter had set in, and we got into a drotski, and went away We arrived at Moscow, and froained Constantinople On reed; but it was snatched from me by the old rascal, who saluted me with a kick in the body which half killed me I was locked up in a room, and in half an hour a slave merchant ca in vain against the injustice My beauty was now gone, I was more than thirty years old, and hardshi+p had done the rest
My subsequent life has been nothing but a series of changes and disasters I was sold to a pastry-cook, and broiled by standing over the oven I grew obstinate and was punished by blows, but for those I cared not The pastry was burnt, and I was resold to a barber, whose as a shrew, and half killeda cri was stretched out before his own door, with his head under his arain as slaves
Thus did I go down hill each year, fetching less and less, and receiving worse treatment, until I was embarked with several others by an Armenian, as bound to Serine pirate, and for a long while I was kept on board to cook their victuals At last she recked on this coast; how I escaped I know not, for I eary of life But I was thrown up, and made my way to this place--where I have for many years lived in co alo, and leftfor my subsistence; and now, pacha, you have e that I may well say that ”_Tiood woman There is but one God, and Mahomet is his Prophet,” observed the pacha ”You are dishness,” whispered Mustapha
”Let her retain it Has she not been a sultana?” observed the pacha, with so
The old woman's ears were keen, she had heard the question of Mustapha, and she easily iined the rest; and she had heard the reply of the pacha
”And now, pacha, before I quit your presence, as I have enjoyed your bounty, I will, with your pere of the world and of people's countenances, may be of no small service to you Is it permitted, O pacha!”
”Speak,” replied the pacha
”Then, pacha, beware of that man who sits beside you; for there is that in his face which tells me that he will raise hi of Jehanu froer, and walked out of the divan
The pacha looked suspiciously at Mustapha, for he was of a suspicious nature; and Mustapha looked any thing but innocent
”Doth ue of an old wo himself ”Hath not your slave proved himself faithful? Am not I as dust in thy presence? Take my life, O pacha! but doubt not the fidelity of thy slave”
The pacha see?” said he, rising and quitting the apart! I know better--there is no tiade return froloomy countenance, quitted the divan
VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER SEVEN
Although the pacha, with the usual diploainst Mustapha, treated hiotten the advice of the old woman
Suspicion once raised was not to be allayed, and he had consulted with his favourite wife, Fatiood adviser on cases of this description The only danger which could threaten the pacha was from the imperial court at Stamboul, for the troops were devoted to him, and the people of the country had no very serious cause of complaint By the advice of the favourite, the pacha sent as a present to Mustapha a young and handsoirl, but she was a spy in the service of the favourite, and had been informed that the vizier had been doomed She was to discover, if she could, whether there was any intercourse between the renegade, who commanded the fleet, and the vizier, as froer could be anticipated The Greek had not been a week in the harem of Mustapha, before she ascertained more than was sufficient The fleet had been sent to Constantinople, with presents to the sultan from the pacha, and its return was hourly expected
It was on the afternoon of this eventful day that the fleet hove in sight, and lay becal Mustapha hastened to report it to the pacha, as he sat in his divan, hearing coh not justice Nohen the pacha heard that the fleet had returned, his heart ave him, and thethan ever He retired for a short time from the divan, and hastened to his favourite, Fatima
”Pacha,” said she, ”the fleet has arrived, and Mustapha has already coade Depend upon it you are lost, if you do not forestall theade by violence to Mustapha To-morrow the fleet will anchor, and if there is , you will as usual send for coffee, while you sht in Drink not your coffee, for there shall be death in it Be all se the rest”
The pacha smoothed his brow and returned to the divan Business proceeded as usual, and at length the audience was closed The pacha appeared to be in high good humour, and so was the vizier
”Surely,” said Mustapha, when the pipes were brought, ”his ihness, the sultan, will have sent you soreat, and the sultan is wise,” replied the pacha ”I have been thinking so too, Mustapha Who knows but that he may add to the territory under my sway by another pachalik?”