Part 29 (1/2)

”Sidi Cadua,” exclaimed the consul, rising hastily, ”excuse my leaving you now. I have to attend the divan. You shall hear from me soon.

You--you,”--looking round--”have no other house than this--no food?”

”Nothing!” said the old man in a low voice, as his white head sank on his bosom.

”Listen, my man,” said the consul earnestly, as he hastened down to the Marina.

”Yis, Signor,” answered Bobi.

”Can you find time to go out to my house just now?”

”Yis, Signor.”

”Then, go--go as fast as legs or horse can carry you. See my wife; tell her what we have seen; let her send Rais Ali into town with other servants--separately, not to attract attention--with baskets--full baskets, you understand?”

”Yis, Signor, full to bustin',” answered Bobi, with glittering eyes.

”Full as they can hold of all that is needful--she will understand that.--There, be off--lose no time,” said the consul, thrusting a quant.i.ty of silver into the man's hand.

”Kurnul Langley,” said Bobi, with enthusiasm glowing in his solitary eye, as he turned to go; ”you--by the beard of the Prophet!--you're the ace of trumps!”

With this strong, if not elegant expression of his sentiments, the sympathetic Bobi hurried away, and Colonel Langley entered the divan, where were a.s.sembled the Dey and the chief officers of state.

The discussion on that occasion was conducted warmly, for the pirates believed that they had made a good and legitimate prize in the shape of a Greek vessel, which was owned by a Mr and Mrs de Lisle, who, with their little son, were also captured.

Colonel Langley claimed these as British subjects, and the vessel as British property.

In this case the pirates had taken a precaution which, they had hoped, would save them all trouble. On boarding the vessel they had demanded all Mr de Lisle's papers and pa.s.sports, which, when delivered up, were torn into atoms and thrown into the sea. Thus they sought to destroy all evidence of the nature of the prize.

Mr de Lisle was a native of Guernsey, and therefore an English subject.

Early in life he had entered a commercial house in Holland, and been naturalised there. Afterwards he was sent to a branch of the same house in Naples, which at that time was occupied by the French. Ama.s.sing considerable property, he resolved to return to his native land, and hired a Greek vessel, as being a neutral one, to convey him. On his way, he fell into the hands of the Algerines.

At the divan the British consul claimed that Mr de Lisle and his family and property should be delivered up to him.

The Turks, with whom Colonel Langley was out of favour now that his friend Achmet was dead, were furious. How could he be an Englishman, they said, when it was well-known that the French would not have permitted one of their chief enemies to remain at Naples?

”And besides,” added Omar, with a touch of sarcasm, ”where are his papers to prove that what he says is true?”

The consul had made his demand with unusual firmness and dignity, for the memory of poor Sidi Cadua was strong upon him, but this latter remark somewhat perplexed him. Fortunately, at the moment, de Lisle himself, who was present, started up and said in English, across the divan--

”If I am permitted to go on board my vessel, I can still bring satisfactory evidence of my nationality.”

The Turks were extremely unwilling to concede this, but when the consul turned and said to the Dey, ”I trust your highness will not refuse so reasonable a request,” he was permitted to go. In a short time he returned with the certificate of his marriage, which proved that he had been married in Guernsey, and was a British subject, to the inexpressible rage of the divan, who were compelled, however, to give in.

”Nevertheless, Monsieur le Console,” said the Dey sternly, ”if it shall be proved, even twenty years hence, that you were wrong in this matter, you shall have to answer for it.”

From that time the British consul and the Dey became open enemies, which was a matter of gratulation to the consuls of some of the other powers, who had been rather jealous of Colonel Langley's influence with the late Dey, Achmet.

Not long afterwards they would have been glad if his influence could have been restored; for Omar, being soured by what had occurred at the divan, as well as by many other things that crossed his imperious will, commenced to act in such an outrageous manner that the various consuls felt not only their independence but their lives in jeopardy.

Sending for the Danish consul one morning, Omar told that unfortunate man that his government had already been warned more than once to pay the tribute which was past due, and that he was going to stand their neglect no longer. He therefore ordered him to be put in chains, and sent forthwith to work in the stone-quarries.