"We understand each other right well, my good defterdar. You are
right; go in advance, and announce me to the viceroy."
He waited a short time in the court-yard, conversing with the
soldiers who gathered around him to complain of their wrongs.
"I am going up to the citadel to the viceroy, in your interests.
Wait patiently for an entire hour," repeated Mohammed.
He then mounts his horse and rides up to the citadel. The defterdar
has hardly had time to convey the warning to the viceroy:
"Do not detain him here too long, highness. If he remains here
longer than an hour, his soldiers will come up here after him in
open revolt. Taher's troops have not gone to their barracks, and are
only awaiting the signal to join them."
Cousrouf nodded his assent, and muttered to himself: "I was wrong in
not treading this viper under foot in Cavalla; now it intends to
bite me--I feel it, it intends to bite me; but it shall not. I will
draw its fangs."
His Nubian slave now enters and announces to his master that the
sarechsme, Mohammed Ali, stands without, awaiting his pleasure.
Cousrouf's countenance quickly assumes a friendly expression.
"Leave me, defterdar, and await me in the next room. I shall not
detain the sarechsme long."
The defterdar withdrew, and the Nubian slave opened the door to
admit the general. With a military greeting, Mohammed Ali entered,
and advanced toward the viceroy, who, on this occasion, received him
standing, and not indolently reclining on his cushions, as was his
habit; he even stepped forward to meet him, extending his hand, and
saluting more cordially than usual.
Pages:
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522