Mohammed Ali and His House

h's presence with anxious looks. She lay on the divan, her countenance entirely concealed, to hide her

is here who wishes

yss

e, raising her head slightly, and looking at t

e of them, "it is the cad

seh sprang

the police dares to enter my

the instance of his h

ened the door, and the cadi, the chief of police, appeared on the threshold; behind him s

efysseh, with dignity. "You come in t

his highness's name. The viceroy commands that Mourad Bey's

t right?" ask

e order." He drew from his pocket a document, to which large seals were appended, and

's order. I will obey. Order the

d a high dignitary of the viceroy's court, could not but obey her, and stepped out

leave a guard in y

er us all, and it seems there is no law here in Cairo but

the mockery in her wor

r leave your house

armed; my conscience does not accuse me. My carriage is ready-let us go. I trust, however, that the viceroy does not require

request; yet, there must not be more o

e weeping women who had assembled about her, commanded them to follow her. "You others need fear nothing," said she with perfect composure. "The cadi leaves his guards here to protect you, against wh

rriage, closing the door after her. The carriage drove off rapidly, accompanied by

ile the carriage rolled through the streets, her t

been excited to ungovernable wrath, and he would have been punished and imprisoned as a rebel.

e intruding carriage and horsemen that Sitta Nefysseh, aroused from her meditations, leaned forward and drew the window curtains aside. The people, who in their wrath ha

Sitta Nefysseh, Mourad Bey's widow!" resounded in the street. The cry was repeated u

vain that the officers threatened them with drawn swords. They only pressed on in denser masses, increased by the people who came Rocking from their houses to see Mourad Bey's widow, who sat tranquilly in the carriage with her two

advance. Behind her came the two women, followed by the officers. Thus the processio

wait here a momen

stood proudly erect in the midst of the saloon. The two weeping women stepped nearer to their mis

no tears. These men must not have the satisf

tood at the threshold, hold

h to enter, Si

y women will

ou alone are to enter. The wome

bouque, looked up at her through the clouds of smoke that enveloped him as she entered the room. She looked at him composedly, and remained standing at the door

tta Nefysseh, wid

ouse in an insulting manner, and I am now surprised to find that his h

entirely different purpose," replied Cousrouf. "Seat

he, composedly, as she seated herself on the ottoman with the dignity of a princess. Cousrouf remaining standing, Sitta Nefyss

y, and took the

ith her as a friend. You do not desire it, however-you wish to see in me the prince o

passionately. "I call it being dra

seh; let us converse calmly. I

asked she, i

e opinion, are you not, that every mistress is

nts, he should discharge them. Yes, it seems to me

u to this audience. Do you know wh

eil concealed her features, and that Cousrouf could

with forced composure.

o bribe my soldiers, and incit

your face! My words are true. My kachef has never done such things; he is incapable of inc

Cousrouf. "Youssouf attempted to corrupt one of my own soldiers, an Armenian, urging him to go over to

is not true, I s

plainly written in his own handwriting! Herein your kachef Youssouf promises my soldier, Sadok Aga, to give him his whole pay, and even double

ing," said Nefysseh, extending her hand to

r request. He folded the paper,

e them to desert to Bardissi's camp. This is clearly treason. As you yourself admit that a mistress is responsib

I desired to punish him, but because I esteem him, because I know he was created for something better than to be only the servant of a woman. I discharged him b

at is to say, Sitta Nefysseh, Mourad Bey's widow rai

e few years since his death. He had grown weary of the effeminate life he was leading, and begged to be discharged from my service. I did as he requested. I am not his mother, not his sister, and not his relative. He is a freeman, and puts his freedom to the best use. But I tell you that he is not guilty of the charge you make against him-he never wrote that paper.

h, your audacity is g

highness. Man and woman we stand before each other, and you have pub

t the master is justly responsible for his servants' actions, and I repeat it: your kachef has endeav

th indignation. "Look at me! In me, you have put the woman, put Mourad Bey's widow to shame. You have caused m

d Cousrouf, in

through the street by the police, it is equivalent to branding them as lost to all shame; that they are delivered o

e street is not disgraceful, as in the case of the women you speak of. In your own carriage you were escorted by the cadi and his servants, and your good name and honor, which I respect in common with all the wor

ou but that. If you take my life, you will be accused of murder, and, believe, this accusati

part to beg me to pardon Youssouf, to withdraw the accusation, and

ad money, I would rather cast it into the Nile, than to give it to the enemies of my husband!-Now I have spoken and relieved my heart. Now do with me as you think proper, Cousrouf. This I will, however, repeat, my kachef Youssouf did not write the characters on that paper. He is not capable of corr

ath, when I, as I am in duty bound, do justice t

, and called one of his servants. In answer

eyni, who lives in the old citadel; tell him to gu

is prisoner; that is the true meaning of the viceroy's words. Farewell, Cousrouf-I am go

eeping and sobbing. She commanded them to follow her, and walked on as composedly as if she were the p

e," said the cadi, who had followed her. "We shall only have to

r me, from seeing me in my degradation, or rather the degradation of

against you," replied the cadi, gruffly. "I obey the

f her arm and led her across the court to the little gate in the wall. The women followed her. Their tears no lo

y to fire destructive volleys among them? What can they do but sullenly retire under such circumstances? This they now did. About the citadel quiet now reigned, but the streets below were still thronged with dense crowds, from out whose mids

ing of the following day, dense masses of people surged to the house where Hesseyni, the chief s

and embarrassing case, and, before the people forced an en

eir costly ermine collars, the entire body of sheiks repaired on foot to the palace. With grave and solemn bea

rtment, advancing to meet t

always glad to hear the wishes of the people

r house has been shamefully ill-used, Cousrouf Pacha! Your police have treated it like the house of an enemy. Nothing has remained in its place; every thing is overturned and thrown about. They were looking for

crimes. Her kachef attempted to corrupt one of my soldiers, offering him

, highness ?" a

a Nefysseh from the fury of my soldiers that I called her here. I repeat it, Sitta Nefysseh, Mourad Bey's widow, has endeavored to corrupt, and has offered my soldiers double pay. She is n

hich you accuse her, she is indeed very culpable, highness; but she can not atone for it with money. Her guilt must, however, be prov

t she is guilty, that I have proof of her guilt, and I declare that this

ccordance with the law and with your permission, highness, let two of the sheiks go to Sitta Nefysseh and ask her if

uffice for me. She must have as much proof of her innocence as I have of her g

ew from the viceroy's apartment and r

is and sheiks with profound de

cence, and know that Sitta Nefysseh is guilty of n

k. "The viceroy, however, accuses you of having attempted to c

innocent of the crime of which I am accused. I have not attempted to corrupt the soldiers of Cousrouf Pacha, nor have I authorized my kachef to do so. Believe me, I speak the t

s soon as you pay his soldiers-what he

oney from me. He wants money, and therefore makes this shameful charge. Go, I beg you, to the viceroy, and tell him Mourad's widow is poor, and has nothing with which to appease his rapacity. Let him tak

Egypt, with the millions that lie buried in its deserts, you would be justified in secreting them from the tyranny and fraud that seek

itadel, and told the v

ot possess the treasure you speak of, and therefore she can not comply with your deman

with an evil purpose, seeking my destruction. He hates me in his heart! I was a fool to allow myself to be persuaded to stretch out my hand after this woman's wealth. But I will be avenged on Moh

espectful silence. In haughty terms he declined to admit tha

hed! " cried Cousrouf, in

lf up and gazed fir

ly religion, and the representatives of the people. Here, we have therefore nothing more to say or to do. Nothing is left us but to depart and repair to the mosque of El-Aza

is: if you excite the people to revolt, my cannon shall thun

, but turned and l