Was it not on his account that the double tax had been imposed on
the people? Had not the extra expenditure been incurred on his
account? True, the tschorbadji had attempted to deny this, but the
additional expense was nevertheless clearly owing to the pacha's
presence in Cavalla. Moreover, the sad story of the unhappy Masa,
who had chosen to die rather than become a slave, was now known.
Yes, she had taken her own life--of that, no one now entertained a
doubt. She had assuredly thrown herself from the cliffs into the
sea. Some boys, who were engaged at night in setting out nets, had
seen a white figure alone on the Ear of Bucephalus.
That white figure was certainly Masa. She had thrown herself into
the sea in order that she, the free daughter of the sheik, might not
be compelled to become a slave and enter the harem of the stranger.
They had sought for the body of the poor girl on the shore and among
the cliffs. The sea had, however, been stormy throughout the entire
day, and the surging waves must have borne her away into the depths,
where she had become a welcome prey to the greedy shark. Nowhere a
trace of her; she is surely dead.
The complaints and lamentations of the sheik are also silenced--he
reclines motionless on his cushions. Grief and anxiety have made him
helpless, and chained him to his couch. He suffers in silence, and
his friends hope that death will soon release him from his misery.
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