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t　be　more　complete；　these　unhappy　beings　were　compelled　to　wash　in　the　Inachus　blankets；　sheets；　and　clothes　steeped　in　bubonic　infection；　while　the　collectors　were　hunting　everywhere　for　imaginary　hidden　treasure。　　Hollow　trees　were　sounded；　walls　pulled　down；　the　most　unlikely　corners　examined；　and　a　skeleton　which　was　discovered　still　girt　with　a　belt　containing　Venetian　sequins　was　gathered　up　with　the　utmost　care。　　The　archons　of　the　town　were　arrested　and　tortured　in　the　hope　of　discovering　buried　treasure；　the　clue　to　which　had　disappeared　along　with　the　owners。　　One　of　these　magistrates；　　accused　of　having　hidden　some　valuable　objects；　was　plunged　up　to　his　　shoulders　in　a　boiler　full　of　melted　lead　and　boiling　oil。　　Old　men；　women；　children；　rich　and　poor　alike；　were　interrogated；　beaten；　and　compelled　to　abandon　the　last　remains　of　their　property　in　order　to　save　their　lives。

Having　thus　decimated　the　few　inhabitants　remaining　to　the　town；　it　became　necessary　to　repeople　it。　　With　this　object　in　view；　Ali's　emissaries　overran　the　villages　of　Thessaly；　driving　before　them　all。　the　people　they　met　in　flocks；　and　compelling　them　to　settle　in　Arta。　These　unfortunate　colonists　were　also　obliged　to　find　money　to　pay　the　pacha　for　the　houses　they　were　forced　to　occupy。

This　business　being　settled；　Ali　turned　to　another　which　had　long　been　on　his　mind。　　We　have　seen　how　Ismail　Pacho　Bey　escaped　the　assassins　sent　to　murder　him。　　A　ship；　despatched　secretly　from　Prevesa；　arrived　at　the　place　of　his　retreat。　　The　captain；　posing　as　a　merchant；　invited　Ismail　to　come　on　board　and　inspect　his　goods。　But　the　latter；　guessing　a　trap；　fled　promptly；　and　for　some　time　all　trace　of　him　was　lost。　　Ali；　in　revenge；　turned　his　wife　out　of　the　palace　at　Janina　which　she　still　occupied；　and　placed　her　in　a　cottage；　where　she　was　obliged　to　earn　a　living　by　spinning。　　But　he　did　not　stop　there；　and　learning　after　some　time　that　Pacho　Bey　had　sought　refuge　with　the　Nazir　of　Drama；　who　had　taken　him　into　favour；　he　resolved　to　strike　a　last　blow；　more　sure　and　more　terrible　than　the　others。　　Again　Ismail's　lucky　star　saved　him　from　the　plots　of　his　enemy。　　During　a　hunting　party　he　encountered　a　kapidgi…bachi；　or　messenger　from　the　sultan；　who　asked　him　where　he　could　find　the　Nazir；　to　whom　he　was　charged　with　an　important　communication。　　As　kapidgi…bachis　are　frequently　bearers　of　evil　tidings；　which　it　is　well　to　ascertain　at　once；　and　as　the　Nazir　was　at　some　distance；　Pacho　Bey　assumed　the　latter's　part；　and　the　sultan's　confidential　messenger　informed　him　that　he　was　the　bearer　of　a　firman　granted　at　the　request　of　Ali　Pacha　of　Janina；

〃Ali　of　Tepelenir。　　He　is　my　friend。　　How　can　I　serve　him？〃

〃By　executing　the　present　order；　sent　you　by　the　Divan；　desiring　you　to　behead　a　traitor；　named　Pacho　Bey；　who　crept　into　your　service　a　short　time　ago。

〃Willingly　I　but　he　is　not　an　easy　man　to　seize　being　brave；　vigorous；　clever；　and　cunning。　　Craft　will　be　necessary　in　this　case。　He　may　appear　at　any　moment；　and　it　is　advisable　that　he　should　not　see　you。　　Let　no　one　suspect　who　you　are；　but　go　to　Drama；　which　is　only　two　hours　distant；　and　await　me　there。　　I　shall　return　this　evening；　and　you　can　consider　your　errand　as　accomplished。〃

The　kapidgi…bachi　made　a　sign　of　comprehension；　and　directed　his　course　towards　Drama；　while　Ismail；　fearing　that　the　Nazir；　who　had　only　known　him　a　short　time；　would　sacrifice　him　with　the　usual　Turkish　indifference；　fled　in　the　opposite　direction。　　At　the　end　of　an　hour　he　encountered　a　Bulgarian　monk；　with　whom　he　exchanged　clothesa　disguise　which　enabled　him　to　traverse　Upper　Macedonia　in　safety。　　Arriving　at　the　great　Servian　convent　in　the　mountains　whence　the　Axius　takes　its　rise；　he　obtained　admission　under　an　assumed　name。　　But　feeling　sure　of　the　discretion　of　the　monks；　after　a　few　days　he　explained　his　situation　to　them。

Ali；　learning　the　ill…success　of　his　latest　stratagem；　accused　the　Nazir　of　conniving　at　Paeho　Bey's　escape。　　But　the　latter　easily　justified　himself　with　the　Divan　by　giving　precise　information　of　what　had　really　occurred。　　This　was　what　Ali　wanted；　who　profited　thereby　in　having　the　fugitive's　track　followed　up；　and　soon　got　wind　of　his　retreat。　　As　Pacho　Bey's　innocence　had　been　proved　in　the　explanations　given　to　the　Porte；　the　death　firman　obtained　against　him　became　useless；　and　Ali　affected　to　abandon　him　to　his　fate；　in　order　the　better　to　conceal　the　new　plot　he　was　conceiving　against　him。

Athanasius　Vaya；　chief　assassin　of　the　Kardikiotes；　to　whom　Ali　imparted　his　present　plan　for　the　destruction　of　Ismail；　begged　for　the　honour　of　putting　it　into　execution；　swearing　that　this　time　Ismail　should　not　escape。　　The　master　and　the　instrument　disguised　their　scheme　under　the　appearance　of　a　quarrel；　which　astonished　the　whole　town。　　At　the　end　of　a　terrible　scene　which　took　place　in　public；　Ali　drove　the　confidant　of　his　crimes　from　the　palace；　overwhelming　him　with　insults；　and　declaring　that　were　Athanasius　not　the　son　of　his　children's　foster…mother；　he　would　have　sent　him　to　the　gibbet。　　He　enforced　his　words　by　the　application　of　a　stick；　and　Vaya；　apparently　overwhelmed　by　terror　and　affliction；　went　round　to　all　the　nobles　of　the　town；　vainly　entreating　them　to　intercede　for　him。　　The　only　favour　which　Mouktar　Pacha　could　obtain　for　him　was　a　sentence　of　exile　allowing　him　to　retreat　to　Macedonia。

Athanasius　departed　from　Janina　with　all　the　demonstrations　of　utter　despair；　and　continued　his　route　with　the　haste　of　one　who　fears　pursuit。　　Arrived　in　Macedonia；　he　assumed　the　habit　of　a　monk；　and　undertook　a　pilgrimage　to　Mount　Athos；　saying　that　both　the　disguise　and　the　journey　were　necessary　to　his　safety。　　On　the　way　he　encountered　one　of　the　itinerant　friars　of　the　great　Servian　convent；　to　whom　he　described　his　disgrace　in　energetic　terms；　begging　him　to　obtain　his　admission　among　the　lay　brethren　of　his　monastery。

Delighted　at　the　prospect　of　bringing　back　to　the　fold　of　the　Church　a　man　so　notorious　for　his　crimes；　the　friar　hastened　to　inform　his　superior；　who　in　his　turn　lost　no　time　in　announcing　to　Pacho　Bey　that　his　compatriot　and　companion　in　misfortune　was　to　be　received　among　the　lay　brethren；　and　in　relating　the　history　of　Athanasius　as　he　himself　had　heard　it。　　Pacho　Bey；　however；　was　not　easily　deceived；　and　at　once　guessing　that　Vaya's　real　object　was　his　own　assassination；　told　his　doubts　to　the　superior；　who　had　already　received　him　as　a　friend。　　The　latter　retarded　the　reception　of　Vaya　so　as　to　give　Pacho　time　to　escape　and　take　the　road　to　Constantinople。　Once　arrived　there；　he　determined　to　brave　the　storm　and　encounter　Ali　openly。

Endowed　by　nature　with　a　noble　presence　and　with　masculine　firmness；　Pacho　Bey　possessed　also　the　valuable　gift　of　speaking　all　the　various　tongues　of　the　Ottoman　Empire。　　He　could　not　fail　to　distinguish　himself　in　the　capital　and　to　find　an　opening　for　his　great　talents。　　But　his　inclination　drove　him　at　first　to　seek　his　fellow…exiles　from　Epirus；　who　were　either　his　old　companions　in　arms；　friends；　of　relations；　for　he　was　allied　to　all　the　principal　families；　and　was　even；　through　his　wife；　nearly　connected　with　his　enemy；　Ali　Pacha　himself。

He　had　learnt　what　this　unfortunate　lady　had　already　endured　on　his　account；　and　feared　that　she　would　suffer　yet　more　if　he　took　active　measures　against　the　pacha。　　While　he　yet　hesitated　between　affection　and　revenge；　he　heard　that　she　had　died　of　grief　and　misery。　　Now　that　despair　had　put　an　end　to　uncertainty；　he　set　his　hand　to　the　work。

At　this　precise　moment　Heaven　sent　him　a　friend　to　console　and　aid　him　in　his　vengeance；　a　Christian　from　OEtolia；　Paleopoulo　by　name。　This　man　was　on　the　point　of　establishing　himself　in　Russian　Bessarabia；　when　he　met　Pacho　Bey　and　joined　with　him　in　the　singular　coalition　which　was　to　change　the　fate　of　the　Tepelenian　dynasty。

Paleopoulo　reminded　his　companion　in　misfortune　of　a　memorial　presented　to　the　Divan　in　1812；　which　had　brought　upon　Ali　a　disgrace　from　which　he　only　escaped　in　consequence　of　the　overwhelming　political　events　which　just　then　absorbed　the　attention　of　the　Ottoman　Government。　　The　Grand　Seigneur　had　sworn　by　the　tombs　of　his　ancestors　to　attend　to　the　matter　as　soon　as　he　was　able；　and　it　was　only　requisite　to　remind　him　of　his　vow。　　Pacho　Hey　and　his　friend　drew　up　a　new　memorial；　and　knowing　the　sultan's　avarice；　took　care　to　dwell　on　the　immense　wealth　possessed　by　Ali；　on　his　scandalous　exactions；　and　on　the　enormous　sums　diverted　from　the　Imperial　Treasury。　　By　overhauling　the　accounts　of　his　administration；　millions　might　be　recovered。　　To　these　financial　considerations　Pacho　Bey　added　some　practical　ones。　　Speaking　as　a　man　sure　of　his　facts　and　well　acquainted　with　the　ground；　he　pledged　his　head　that　with　twenty　thousand　men　he　would；　in　spite　of　Ali's　troops　and　strongholds；　arrive　before　Janina　without　firing　a　musket。

However　good　these　plans　appeared；　they　were　by　no　means　to　the　taste　of　the　sultan's　ministers；　who　were　each　and　all　in　receipt　of　large　pensions　from　the　man　at　whom　they　struck。　　Besides；　as　in　Turkey　it　is　customary　for　the　great　fortunes　of　Government　officials　to　be　absorbed　on　their　death　by　the　Imperial　Treasury；　it　of　course　appeared　easier　to　await　the　natural　inheritance　of　Ali's　treasures　than　to　attempt　to　seize　them　by　a　war　which　would　certainly　absorb　part　of　them。　　Therefore；　while　Pacho　Bey's　zeal　was　commended；　he　obtained　only　dilatory　answers；　followed　at　length　by　a　formal　refusal。

Meanwhile；　the　old　OEtolian；　Paleopoulo；　died；　having　prophesied　the　approaching　Greek　insurrection　among　his　friends；　and　pledged　Pacho　Bey　to　persevere　in　his　plans　of　vengeance；　assuring　him　that　before　long　Ali　would　certainly　fall　a　victim　to　them。　　Thus　left　alone；　Pacho；　before　taking　any　active　steps　in　his　work　of　vengeance；　affected　to　give　himself　up　to　the　strictest　observances　of　the　Mohammedan　religion。　　Ali；　who　had　established　a　most　minute　surveillance　over　his　actions；　finding　that　his　time　was　spent　with　ulemas　and　dervishes；　imagined　that　he　had　ceased　to　be　dangerous；　and　took　no　further　trouble　about　him。




CHAPTER　VIII

A