CHAPTER LXXV.
THE GREAT MOLEY MOLE PASHA.
Such an important event as the arrival of a new governor naturallycaused a great deal of excitement among the worthy inhabitants of theremote town.
They came out in crowds to greet him, headed by all the inferiorfunctionaries, and a military guard of honour conducted him to the oldcastle, which had been fitted up as a sumptuous official residence.
Two things puzzled his new subjects; the fact of his arrival being twodays before the appointed time, and the circumstance of the new pasha,who was apparently a Turk, returning their greetings through aninterpreter.
However, none had any doubt of the reality of his appointment, and theproduction of the sultan's firman at once made the old cadi, ormagistrate, who had been temporarily put in command, give way to hissuperior.
Briefly let us explain these circumstances.
It was another hoax, and a most daring and gigantic one, on the part ofJack and his friends, upon their long-suffering tutor.
Having ascertained that the town of Alla-hissar was actually waitingfor its new governor, the real pasha, who was to arrive fromConstantinople in two days' time, Jack and the others hit upon the ideaof making the situation the basis of a grand practical joke.
The _firman_ was of course a forged document, written by the oldinterpreter, who was in the plot, and the Turkish officer who hadpresented it to Mole was no other than our friend the diver.
The waiter, the orphan, and the two nigger boys had also effectuallydisguised themselves, and became members of Mole's escort.
A skilful combination enabled them to carry out the details of theirplan with such success as to deceive not only Mole himself, but thesimple pastoral folks of Alla-hissar itself.
Moley Pasha, as he now styled himself, was in all his glory.
"This is a proud day," he observed to Jack, as he gazed round on thehandsome residence provided for him. "Little did I imagine that oldIsaac would ever live to come out in all the glories of an Orientalmagnate. Jack, we must let your dear father know of this."
"We will, sir; but now let us congratulate you," answered our hero."The more especially as you've promoted us to such high positions."
Moley, the pasha, now retired to his private apartments to rest untilthe hour arrived for his first council.
During this time, he was coached up by the old interpreter, and by hisaid, Moley Pasha found himself able to receive the reports andcongratulations of subordinates in the government, and to try severalcases brought before him.
After three hours of arduous public duties, the pasha and his friendsretired to his private apartments, which were fitted up with everyOriental luxury.
"By Jove!--I mean by the Prophet!" exclaimed the new potentate, "I amgetting on like a house on fire; but I am still mortal, and needrefreshment, not having had anything to speak of to-day, beyond a cupof coffee with a dash of brandy in it."
Dinner being served up (in the Turkish style) the pasha grew still moreenthusiastic.
"Yes, this is a delightful life," he said; "it only wants the presenceof lovely woman to render it perfect. Now, if Mrs. Mole Number One orNumber Two or Three were here----"
"Oh, I forgot," suddenly broke in Jack, looking very serious. "Thatreminds me, there was one most important subject I had to speak to youabout. The late pasha had thirteen wives."
"How awful," exclaimed Mole. "But what is that to do with me?"
"A good deal; they are now left, by his sudden death, desolate widows,and it is expected that you, as his sucessor, should take them underyour protection. They go with the premises, like the stock and fixturesof a business."
"Heaven above! you don't mean that?" exclaimed Moley Pasha, becomingmuch agitated, and pausing ere he quaffed a goblet of champagne, whichhe drank under the name of sparkling French sherbet.
"It's quite true, though, isn't it, Abdullah?" turning to the dragoman.
"It's true as the Koran, itself," returned Jack. "Every pasha ofAlla-hissar must have thirteen wives."
"Good heaven! what'll Mrs. Mole say?" exclaimed Mole, in greatagitation; "hang it, you know, this will never do--Isaac Mole withthirteen wives. I always thought I was very much married already, quiteas much as I want to be."
"Unless your excellency agrees," continued the interpreter, "I won'tanswer for the consequences."
"I have had three wives already, and now you wish me to take thirteen.I'd sooner resign my government at once," exclaimed Mole.
"Impossible!" returned the dragoman; "it is death to resist thesultan's firman."
"Powers above! what a situation am I in!" exclaimed Mole, in increasingdismay. "I find it's not all roses after all, being a pasha; butthorns, stinging nettles, and torturing brambles. But about thesethirteen widows, Abdullah? Who and where are they, and what are theylike?"
"They are at present in a house not far off from here," was the reply;"five of them, it seems, have been the widows of the pasha before last,and they are rather old; six belonged only to Youssouf Pasha, and aremiddle-aged."
Mr. Mole responded with a deep groan.
"The other two," proceeded Abdullah, "are fair Circassians in the verysummer of youth and beauty."
Moley Pasha uttered a profound sigh.
"Ah, that's much better."
"I expect they will be here soon, at least some of them," saidAbdullah, the interpreter.
The subject then dropped for a time, and the great Moley alsodropped--asleep, from the combined effects of the pipe, the coffee, andthe wine.
He was suddenly awakened by Abdullah shouting in his ear--
"May it please your excellency, they've come."
"Who--who?" gasped Mole, in fearful terror; for he had just beendreaming of the rack and the bowstring.
"The noble Ladies Alme and Hannifar, widows of the late lamentedYoussouf-Pasha," was the reply.
"Gracious mercy!" exclaimed the persecuted Mole; "they've come to claimme, perhaps to bear me off by main force."
"Ho, there, guards; stand round; not without a struggle will Isaac Molesurrender his liberty as a single man, that is as a married man, butnot--Heaven, my brain is growing utterly confused in this terribleposition. Where's that boy Jack?"
"Their excellencies Yakoob and Haroun Pasha are both gone out," was theresponse.
"Then, Abdullah, I command you to stand up in my defence. Come here."
The old interpreter approached with a low bow.
"Write on two pieces of card the words--'Admire Moley Pasha, but touchnot him.'"
"In Turkish?"
"Turkish and English, too."
"Pasha, to hear is to obey."
At this moment a young negro attendant announced--
"The Ladies Alme and Hannifar are impatient to be admitted to yoursublime presence."
"Let them wait; it will do them good," cried Mole, desperately. "Haveyou written it, Abdullah?"
"One moment, your highness," was the reply. "There," he added,finishing up with an elaborate flourish; "all will understand that. Andnow what am I to do with them?"
"Fasten one notice on my back, and the other on my chest," answeredMole, "so that the ladies may understand and keep at a respectfuldistance. That's right. Be still, my trembling heart. Now you can admitthem."
The negro drew aside the curtains of the chamber, and two female formsof majestic height and proportions, in gorgeous Oriental costumes, butclosely veiled, entered.
They made a very graceful salute to the pasha, and were walkingstraight up to him, when he sprang backwards, and leaping upon a highsofa, turned his back to them, not in contempt, but in order that theymight read the Turkish inscription thereon inscribed.
Then he turned and pointed to it on his breast in English.
Far, however, from being struck with awe and covered with confusion,the ladies were highly amused and laughed consumedly.
"What are they smiling at?" asked Mole, somewhat indignantly.
"Only at the felicitous ingenuity
of your highness's idea," answeredthe interpreter, pointing to the placard.
"Well, I hope they understand, and will abide by it," said Mole,venturing to step off the sofa.
But the moment he did so, the foremost, who, he understood was the LadyAlme, and was certainly of an impulsive disposition, sprang forward asif to embrace Mole.
"Save me!" he cried. "To the rescue, guards, attendants, Jack, Harry.Where can they have got to? Help, help! Mrs. Mole, come to the rescueof your poor Mole."
The old interpreter, with some dexterity, flung himself between them,just in the nick of time to avert from Mole the fair Circassian'seffusive greeting.
"'Tis our Eastern custom," explained the dragoman. "Her ladyship isonly expressing her delight at beholding her new lord and master."
"Tell them I am nothing of the kind, and I have got a wife in England,"answered the pasha.
Abdullah did so, whereupon the ladies set up a series of piercingshrieks and lamentations.
"What in the world's the matter with them?" asked Mole, greatlydismayed.
"They are desolated at the thought of having incurred your sublimity'sdispleasure."
"Tell them that they had no business to come unless I sent for them,"said Mole.
"They say, O magnificent pasha, that, hearing of your arrival, theyhave come thither in the name of themselves, and the other elevenladies of his late highness's harem, to know when it will be yourprincely pleasure to bid them cast aside the sombre weeds of widowhood,and----"
"There, cut it short, dragoman; do you mean that they really expect meto marry the whole lot of them?"
"Precisely so, your eminence; even now the most reverend imaum of thetown is ready to perform the ceremonial."
"He'll have to wait a long time if he waits for that," cried Mole;"thirteen wives, indeed, and these you say are the youngest of the lot.I suppose they have no objection to allow me to behold the moonshine oftheir resplendent features. That's the way to put it, I believe, oldman."
Abdullah answered--
"It is against Turkish etiquette to unveil before the solemn ceremonyhas been performed; nevertheless, their ladyships consent to remove oneof their veils, through which you may behold their features."
Alme and Hannifar accordingly threw back their outer black veils, andappeared with the white ones underneath.
Mole scrutinized them as well as he could, but he took very good carenot to go too near.
"And so, Abdullah, you tell me that these two are the youngest of thewhole lot?"
"Indeed, they are, your eminence; famous beauties of pure Circassiandescent; each originally cost five thousand piastres, and they surpassthe remainder even as the mighty sun doth the twinkling stars."
"Then all I can say is," returned Mole, "that I shudder to think whatthe eleven others must be like. Just tell the ladies Alme and Hannifarthat, as far as I can see, from here, I don't think much of them."
"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 ofyour excellency."
"Thirteen wives," mused Mole, scarcely heeding the last reply. "It ispreposterous--though nothing it seems, compared to some of the Turkishgrandees. 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!--theidea of thirteen wedding rings being used at once, and by one man."
"Don't let that be any objection," said Abdullah; "for the ladies tellme they have come provided with exactly the number of rings requisitefor the purpose."
Sure enough, Alme detached from her fair neck an elastic band, whereonwere strung thirteen bright gold rings.
Mole was fairly staggered by this determined preparation on the part ofthe irresistible enslavers.
"They mean to have me," he gasped. "I see how it is; they come herewith the intention of dragging me to the late pasha's mansion, andmarrying me by main force."
"It looks like it," answered the interpreter, "for I find that theyhave 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 acombined charge at him, with a wild shriek and a sudden outburst inTurkish, which might have been either a chorus of endearments or ofreproaches.
Alme got behind him and flung her arms around his neck with such vigourthat he was nearly strangled, Hannifar attacking him in the same wayfrom the front.
In the pressure of this combined assault he was powerless; struggle ashe 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 beinghauled hither and thither by the ladies who seemed fighting for thesole possession of him.
At length, by a gigantic effort, he freed himself and raised a cry ofalarm that might have aroused the dead, but in that effort, he stumbledand fell on his back over a pile of sofa cushions.
Roused by his cries, the military and body guard of the pashalik rushedin, and the whole house was in an uproar.
When Mole had been again uplifted to his feet, and was gasping forthconfused explanations, he perceived that the Ladies Alme and Hannifarhad mysteriously levanted.
Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks Page 17