"I will put your message more mildly."
And having spoken to the ladies again, he said--
"Their ladyships are enchanted to find so much favour in the eyes of your excellency."
"Thirteen wives," mused Mole, scarcely heeding the last reply. "It is preposterous--though nothing it seems, compared to some of the Turkish grandees. But fancy old Isaac Mole--ha, ha! really it"s quite amusing.
Why, the mere marrying so many would be a hard day"s work, Abdullah."
"The ceremony would be slightly wearisome, your highness."
"Yes, but I should require thirteen wedding rings--ha, ha, ha!--the idea of thirteen wedding rings being used at once, and by one man."
"Don"t let that be any objection," said Abdullah; "for the ladies tell me they have come provided with exactly the number of rings requisite for the purpose."
Sure enough, Alme detached from her fair neck an elastic band, whereon were strung thirteen bright gold rings.
Mole was fairly staggered by this determined preparation on the part of the irresistible enslavers.
"They mean to have me," he gasped. "I see how it is; they come here with the intention of dragging me to the late pasha"s mansion, and marrying me by main force."
"It looks like it," answered the interpreter, "for I find that they have brought with them a dozen of the harem-guard, fully armed."
"Then I am indeed lost," cried Mole. "But no, I"ll die game. Here, help, guards, soldiers, fly to the rescue of your pasha. Oh! Mrs. Mole, where are you now? Your poor Mole is in danger."
As Mole uttered the piteous lament we have recorded, both ladies made a combined charge at him, with a wild shriek and a sudden outburst in Turkish, which might have been either a chorus of endearments or of reproaches.
Alme got behind him and flung her arms around his neck with such vigour that he was nearly strangled, Hannifar attacking him in the same way from the front.
In the pressure of this combined a.s.sault he was powerless; struggle as he would, he could not detach himself from their overwhelming embrace.
His cries for help were smothered.
His turban was knocked over his eyes.
He could feel the placards being torn from him, and himself being hauled hither and thither by the ladies who seemed fighting for the sole possession of him.
At length, by a gigantic effort, he freed himself and raised a cry of alarm that might have aroused the dead, but in that effort, he stumbled and fell on his back over a pile of sofa cushions.
Roused by his cries, the military and body guard of the pashalik rushed in, and the whole house was in an uproar.
When Mole had been again uplifted to his feet, and was gasping forth confused explanations, he perceived that the Ladies Alme and Hannifar had mysteriously levanted.
CHAPTER LXXVI.
THE SUDDEN RUIN AND UTTER DOWNFALL OF THE GREAT MOLEY PASHA.
The ladies" absence was a great relief to Mole. He devoutly hoped that he had for ever got rid of the thirteen widows of his late lamented predecessor.
About an hour afterwards, when Mole was striving to calm his irritated feelings with a cup of coffee and hookah, Jack and Harry arrived, as they said, from a walk round the neighbouring country, looking as innocent as any of the lambs they may have met on the finely-gra.s.sed hills.
This innocent look was remarkable, because, as the reader has probably suspected, they had really been concerned in Mr. Mole"s recent adventure.
In short, Jack had been the Alme, and Harry the Hannifar, of the domestic scene we have described, the Turkish dress and the ladies"
custom of keeping veiled, immensely a.s.sisting them in the imposture.
"Whatever has been the matter here?" asked Jack. "As we were coming along, we heard a dreadful row outside, and saw a large body of troops bolting off in a deuce of a hurry."
"Oh, my sons," replied the pasha, in a tone of paternal pathos, "sore hath been the wretchedness and distress of your afflicted parent. I wish you had been here, then it could not have happened. I"ll tell you all about it."
Jack and Harry Girdwood had sufficient self-command to listen with unmoved countenances to Mr. Mole"s account of the adventure, and even to express great surprise and alarm at the harrowing details.
"Shall I write home to Mrs. Mole for you, sir?" said Jack.
"For the Lord"s sake, no," cried Mole, in dismay.
Then they tried their best to frighten the old tutor, by suggesting various deadly schemes of vengeance, which it was very possible the ladies of his late highness"s seraglio might form against Moley Pasha.
"You must never go out without a strong body guard," said Jack, "for at any time they may have you seized and borne off to the harem."
"And you"ll have to take care of yourself even at home," added Harry, "especially with regard to the food you eat, for in Turkey, those who owe a grudge think nothing of paying it out in poison."
"Gracious Heaven! don"t talk in that way," cried Mole. "you quite make my blood run cold. I think--I hope--I can trust my guards and my new attendants."
"I hope so too," replied Jack, shaking his head in grave doubt. "But you must always bear in mind that treachery is one of the commonest vices of the East; you can"t be too careful."
"Oh, Allah, Allah!" exclaimed Mr. Mole, who had slipped naturally into a habit of using Turkish interjections; "what a life it is to be a pasha. I used to think it was all glory and happiness, but now I find, to my grief, that--if this sort of thing goes on, I shall bolt."
It being now far advanced in the evening, the pasha, wearied out with the cares and excitements of the day, retired to rest in the Turkish fashion, half-dressed, and upon a kind of sofa.
His cork legs, of course, were carefully taken off first.
In this Jack and Harry a.s.sisted him.
Moley Pasha went to sleep and to dream of bowstrings, scimitars, and various painful forms of execution.
The next morning, however, he arose more hopeful, and fully resolved to show himself a vigorous and successful ruler.
In his sumptuous seat in the divan, or hall of audience, Mole began to feel like a monarch on his throne, and signed his decrees with all the triumphant flourish of a Napoleon.
It was in the height of this power and glory that there arose a sudden consternation in court.
Murmurs arose, shouts, mingled with the tramp of many steeds, were heard outside.
"What"s the matter?" asked the pasha. "Who dares to make a disturbance and disturb the pasha? Officer, command silence."