distraction.
"Behind the women came a guard of twenty men armed with long guns and
pistols, and dressed in the costume which the Greeks have assumed since
they have again become a nation. You may imagine there was something
startling and ominous," said Haidee, shaking her head and turning pale
at the mere remembrance of the scene, "in this long file of slaves and
women only half-aroused from sleep, or at least so they appeared to
me, who was myself scarcely awake. Here and there on the walls of
the staircase, were reflected gigantic shadows, which trembled in the
flickering light of the pine-torches till they seemed to reach to the
vaulted roof above.
"'Quick!' said a voice at the end of the gallery. This voice made every
one bow before it, resembling in its effect the wind passing over a
field of wheat, by its superior strength forcing every ear to yield
obeisance. As for me, it made me tremble. This voice was that of my
father. He came last, clothed in his splendid robes and holding in his
hand the carbine which your emperor presented him. He was leaning on
the shoulder of his favorite Selim, and he drove us all before him, as
a shepherd would his straggling flock. My father," said Haidee, raising
her head, "was that illustrious man known in Europe under the name of
Ali Tepelini, pasha of Yanina, and before whom Turkey trembled."
Albert, without knowing why, started on hearing these words pronounced
with such a haughty and dignified accent; it appeared to him as if there
was something supernaturally gloomy and terrible in the expression which
gleamed from the brilliant eyes of Haidee at this moment; she appeared
like a Pythoness evoking a spectre, as she recalled to his mind the
remembrance of the fearful death of this man, to the news of which all
Europe had listened with horror. "Soon," said Haidee, "we halted on our
march, and found ourselves on the borders of a lake. My mother pressed
me to her throbbing heart, and at the distance of a few paces I saw my
father, who was glancing anxiously around. Four marble steps led down to
the water's edge, and below them was a boat floating on the tide.
"From where we stood I could see in the middle of the lake a large blank
mass; it was the kiosk to which we were going. This kiosk appeared to me
to be at a considerable distance, perhaps on account of the darkness
of the night, which prevented any object from being more than partially
discerned. We stepped into the boat. I remember well that the oars
made no noise whatever in striking the water, and when I leaned over to
ascertain the cause I saw that they were muffled with the sashes of our
Palikares. [*] Besides the rowers, the boat contained only the women, my
father, mother, Selim, and myself. The Palikares had remained on the
shore of the lake, ready to cover our retreat; they were kneeling on the
lowest of the marble steps, and in that manner intended making a rampart
of the three others, in case of pursuit. Our bark flew before the wind.
'Why does the boat go so fast?' asked I of my mother.
* Greek militiamen in the war for independence.--Ed.
"'Silence, child! Hush, we are flying!' I did not understand. Why
should my father fly?--he, the all-powerful--he, before whom others were
accustomed to fly--he, who had taken for his device, 'They hate me; then
they fear me!' It was, indeed, a flight which my father was trying
to effect. I have been told since that the garrison of the castle of
Yanina, fatigued with long service"--
Here Haidee cast a significant glance at Monte Cristo, whose eyes
had been riveted on her countenance during the whole course of her
narrative. The young girl then continued, speaking slowly, like a person
who is either inventing or suppressing some feature of the history which
he is relating. "You were saying, signora," said Albert, who was paying
the most implicit attention to the recital, "that the garrison of
Yanina, fatigued with long service"--
"Had treated with the Serasker [*] Koorshid, who had been sent by the
sultan to gain possession of the person of my father; it was then that
Ali Tepelini--after having sent to the sultan a French officer in whom
he reposed great confidence--resolved to retire to the asylum which he
had long before prepared for himself, and which he called kataphygion,
or the refuge."
"And this officer," asked Albert, "do you remember his name, signora?"
Monte Cristo exchanged a rapid glance with the young girl, which was
quite unperceived by Albert. "No," said she, "I do not remember it just
at this moment; but if it should occur to me presently, I will tell
you." Albert was on the point of pronouncing his father's name, when
Monte Cristo gently held up his finger in token of reproach; the young
man recollected his promise, and was silent.
* A Turkish pasha in command of the troops of a province.--
Ed.
"It was towards this kiosk that we were rowing. A ground-floor,
ornamented with arabesques, bathing its terraces in the water, and
another floor, looking on the lake, was all which was visible to the
eye. But beneath the ground-floor, stretching out into the island, was
a large subterranean cavern, to which my mother, myself, and the women
were conducted. In this place were together 60,000. pouches and 200
barrels; the pouches contained 25,000,000 of money in gold, and the
barrels were filled with 30,000. pounds of gunpowder.
"Near the barrels stood Selim, my father's favorite, whom I mentioned to
you just now. He stood watch day and night with a lance provided with
a lighted slowmatch in his hand, and he had orders to blow up
everything--kiosk, guards, women, gold, and Ali Tepelini himself--at
the first signal given by my father. I remember well that the slaves,
convinced of the precarious tenure on which they held their lives,
passed whole days and nights in praying, crying, and groaning. As for
me, I can never forget the pale complexion and black eyes of the young
soldier, and whenever the angel of death summons me to another world,
I am quite sure I shall recognize Selim. I cannot tell you how long we
remained in this state; at that period I did not even know what time
meant. Sometimes, but very rarely, my father summoned me and my mother
to the terrace of the palace; these were hours of recreation for me, as
I never saw anything in the dismal cavern but the gloomy countenances of
the slaves and Selim's fiery lance. My father was endeavoring to pierce
with his eager looks the remotest verge of the horizon, examining
attentively every black speck which appeared on the lake, while my
mother, reclining by his side, rested her head on his shoulder, and I
played at his feet, admiring everything I saw with that unsophisticated
innocence of childhood which throws a charm round objects insignificant
in themselves, but which in its eyes are invested with the greatest
importance. The heights of Pindus towered above us; the castle of Yanina
rose white and angular from the blue waters of the lake, and the immense
masses of black vegetation which, viewed in the distance, gave the idea
of lichens clinging to the rocks, were in reality gigantic fir-trees and
myrtles.
"One morning my father sent for us; my mother had been crying all the
night, and was very wretched; we found the pasha calm, but paler than
usual. 'Take courage, Vasiliki,' said he; 'to-day arrives the firman of
the master, and my fate will be decided. If my pardon be complete, we
shall return triumphant to Yanina; if the news be inauspicious, we must
fly this night.'--'But supposing our enemy should not allow us to do
so?' said my mother. 'Oh, make yourself easy on that head,' said Ali,
smiling; 'Selim and his flaming lance will settle that matter. They
would be glad to see me dead, but they would not like themselves to die
with me.'
"My mother only answered by sighs to consolations which she knew did not
come from my father's heart. She prepared the iced water which he was in
the habit of constantly drinking,--for since his sojourn at the kiosk
he had been parched by the most violent fever,--after which she anointed
his white beard with perfumed oil, and lighted his chibouque, which he
sometimes smoked for hours together, quietly watching the wreaths of
vapor that ascended in spiral clouds and gradually melted away in the
surrounding atmosphere. Presently he made such a sudden movement that I
was paralyzed with fear. Then, without taking his eyes from the object
which had first attracted his attention, he asked for his telescope.
My mother gave it him, and as she did so, looked whiter than the
marble against which she leaned. I saw my father's hand tremble. 'A
boat!--two!--three!' murmured my, father;--'four!' He then arose,
seizing his arms and priming his pistols. 'Vasiliki,' said he to my
mother, trembling perceptibly, 'the instant approaches which will decide
everything. In the space of half an hour we shall know the emperor's
answer. Go into the cavern with Haidee.'--'I will not quit you,' said
Vasiliki; 'if you die, my lord, I will die with you.'--'Go to Selim!'
cried my father. 'Adieu, my lord,' murmured my mother, determining
quietly to await the approach of death. 'Take away Vasiliki!' said my
father to his Palikares.
"As for me, I had been forgotten in the general confusion; I ran toward
Ali Tepelini; he saw me hold out my arms to him, and he stooped down and
pressed my forehead with his lips. Oh, how distinctly I remember that
kiss!--it was the last he ever gave me, and I feel as if it were still
warm on my forehead. On descending, we saw through the lattice-work
several boats which were gradually becoming more distinct to our view.
At first they appeared like black specks, and now they looked like birds
skimming the surface of the waves. During this time, in the kiosk at my
father's feet, were seated twenty Palikares, concealed from view by an
angle of the wall and watching with eager eyes the arrival of the boats.
They were armed with their long guns inlaid with mother-of-pearl and
silver, and cartridges in great numbers were lying scattered on the
floor. My father looked at his watch, and paced up and down with a
countenance expressive of the greatest anguish. This was the scene which
presented itself to my view as I quitted my father after that last kiss.
My mother and I traversed the gloomy passage leading to the cavern.
Selim was still at his post, and smiled sadly on us as we entered. We
fetched our cushions from the other end of the cavern, and sat down by
Selim. In great dangers the devoted ones cling to each other; and, young
as I was, I quite understood that some imminent danger was hanging over
our heads."
Albert had often heard--not from his father, for he never spoke on the
subject, but from strangers--the description of the last moments of the
vizier of Yanina; he had read different accounts of his death, but the
story seemed to acquire fresh meaning from the voice and expression of
the young girl, and her sympathetic accent and the melancholy expression
of her countenance at once charmed and horrified him. As to Haidee,
these terrible reminiscences seemed to have overpowered her for a
moment, for she ceased speaking, her head leaning on her hand like a
beautiful flower bowing beneath the violence of the storm; and her eyes
gazing on vacancy indicated that she was mentally contemplating the
green summit of the Pindus and the blue waters of the lake of Yanina,
which, like a magic mirror, seemed to reflect the sombre picture
which she sketched. Monte Cristo looked at her with an indescribable
expression of interest and pity.
"Go on," said the count in the Romaic language.
Haidee looked up abruptly, as if the sonorous tones of Monte Cristo's
voice had awakened her from a dream; and she resumed her narrative.
"It was about four o'clock in the afternoon, and although the day was
brilliant out-of-doors, we were enveloped in the gloomy darkness of the
cavern. One single, solitary light was burning there, and it appeared
like a star set in a heaven of blackness; it was Selim's flaming lance.
My mother was a Christian, and she prayed. Selim repeated from time to
time the sacred words: 'God is great!' However, my mother had still
some hope. As she was coming down, she thought she recognized the French
officer who had been sent to Constantinople, and in whom my father
placed so much confidence; for he knew that all the soldiers of the
French emperor were naturally noble and generous. She advanced some
steps towards the staircase, and listened. 'They are approaching,' said
she; 'perhaps they bring us peace and liberty!'--'What do you fear,
Vasiliki?' said Selim, in a voice at once so gentle and yet so proud.
'If they do not bring us peace, we will give them war; if they do not
bring life, we will give them death.' And he renewed the flame of his
lance with a gesture which made one think of Dionysus of Crete. [*] But
I, being only a little child, was terrified by this undaunted courage,
which appeared to me both ferocious and senseless, and I recoiled with
horror from the idea of the frightful death amidst fire and flames which
probably awaited us.
* The god of fruitfulness in Grecian mythology. In Crete he
was supposed to be slain in winter with the decay of
vegetation and to revive in the spring. Haidee's learned
reference is to the behavior of an actor in the Dionysian
festivals.--Ed.
"My mother experienced the same sensations, for I felt her tremble.
'Mamma, mamma,' said I, 'are we really to be killed?' And at the
sound of my voice the slaves redoubled their cries and prayers and
lamentations. 'My child,' said Vasiliki, 'may God preserve you from ever
