The Pirate City Part 15

"You are jesting, lad," said Francisco.

"Indeed, I am not," returned Lucien, relating the circ.u.mstances of the whole matter to his astonished and somewhat horrified auditors.

"And now," he continued, "I must let you know your destination. Don't be disappointed. You must remember that we are slaves, and have just been delivered from the Bagnio. The Dey seems to have taken a fancy for me--"

"I don't wonder," interrupted Mariano enthusiastically, seizing and squeezing his brother's hand.

"And," continued Lucien, "he has permitted me to select situations for you. I have arranged that you, father, shall be my a.s.sistant in the secretary's office, and that you, Mariano, shall be shopman to Bacri the Jew."

Lucien looked awkwardly at his father and brother as he spoke, feeling uncertain, no doubt, as to the manner in which they would receive this information. He was therefore rather relieved than otherwise by a smile on the face of Mariano.

"Why, Lucien," he said, "I always thought you a great original, and this last display of your powers confirms me in my opinion. Not that I deem it strange your having appointed father your clerk--for, in the circ.u.mstances, it would have been charity to have appointed him even to the office of shoe-black--anything being better than the Bagnio,--but what wild fancy induced you to make _me_ shop-boy to a Jew?"

"That," replied Lucien, "you shall find out in good time--only, pray, remember that I am not the Dey's Grand Vizier, and have not many places to offer."

"Well, well, be it so," returned the other; "I am well content with what your wisdom provides."

"And so am I," said Francisco, cheerfully. "I suppose you will feed us better than we have been fed of late?"

"That will I, father, but there is no pay attached to your offices, for slaves, you know, get no wages."

"They get splendid habiliments, it would seem," observed Francisco, regarding his son with twinkling eyes. "But come, Lucien, I am all impatience to begin the work of under-secretary of state! You bear in remembrance, I trust, that I can read and write nothing save my mother tongue?"

"Yes; Italian will suffice, father; such of the duties as you fail to perform I can easily fulfil.--Now, Mariano," he said, taking his brother aside, and speaking in a low earnest tone, "see that you act wisely in the situation I have selected for you. The Jew is a kind, good man, despite what is said about his worship of Mammon. I would that all in this city were like him, for in that case we should have no slavery.

During the short period I have held my office, my eyes have been opened to much that I may not mention. There, the very walls of this palace have ears! I have said enough. You remember Angela?"

"Remember her!" exclaimed Mariano, with a deep flush and a look of intense surprise, "how can you ask me, Lucien?"

"Well, you will hear of her from Bacri. Good bye--go!"

He rang a bell as he spoke, and ordered the slave who answered the summons to lead Mariano to the abode of Bacri; at the same time he took his father's hand and conducted him to his office or bureau.

Amazed at all that had happened, particularly at his summary dismissal by his brother, the youth followed his conductor in silence, and in a short time reached the iron-bolted door of the chief of the Jews.

"This is Bacri's house," said his guide in Italian, and, having discharged this duty, he turned on his heel, and abruptly left him.

Pausing a moment to think, and finding that the more he thought the less he seemed to be capable of thinking to any purpose, Mariano applied his knuckles to the door.

For a youth of his character it was a timid knock, and produced no result.

Mariano was one who--in peculiar circ.u.mstances, like those in which at that time he found himself--might once in a way act with timidity, but he was not the man to act so twice. Finding that the first knock was useless, he hit the door a blow that caused the old house to resound.

In a few seconds it was opened slightly, and the face of a beautiful girl in Jewish costume appeared.

If Mariano had been suddenly petrified he could not have stood more rigidly motionless; amazement sat enthroned on his countenance.

"Angela!"

"Signor Mariano!"

The words in each case were followed by a deep flush, and Angela retreated.

Of course Mariano advanced.

"Excuse--forgive me, signorina," he exclaimed, taking her hand respectfully. "I did not know--of course I could not--how was it possible that--the fact is, I came to see a Jew, and--and--"

"I've found a jewel," he _might_ have said, but that didn't seem to occur to him!

"Bacri--that's his name!" continued Mariano. "Is Bacri within? I came to see him, but--"

"Yes--Signor Bacri is at home," said Angela, much confused by the youth's confusion, as well as by the sudden and unexpected nature of the meeting. "But your father--and brother Lucien--Oh, I hope they are well; that they have not been treated cruelly; that they are not in that dreadful Bagnio, of which I have heard so much," said Angela, at last finding the use of her tongue.

They were interrupted at this point by the appearance of Bacri himself, who welcomed the youth to his house, said that he had been told by Lucien to expect him, and introduced him to his wife and the other members of his family.

Thereafter the Jew took his new shopman into his private apartment, and made many strange revelations to him in regard to the affairs of the piratical city, as well as about the details of his new appointment, in regard to which we shall say nothing here; but it may be well to add that Mariano finally retired for the night well satisfied with the wisdom of his elder brother.

For some time after this, things went well with those actors in our tale in whose welfare we are chiefly interested.

Francisco proved himself to be an able clerk--when a.s.sisted by his superior!--and Mariano became a most willing and useful shopman--with the prospect before him of returning each night to bask in the sunshine of Angela's countenance!

At the consul's residence Paulina was as happy as was possible in her sad circ.u.mstances, for she became very fond of Mrs Langley, and was a perfect treasure in the house,--not only taking a large part of the management thereof, but keeping watchful guard over the dangerous Zubby, so that that Zaharan specimen of humanity inflicted a perceptibly smaller percentage of b.u.mps on the head of Master Jim than in former times. Paulina's baby, too, began to indicate signs of intelligence by crowing, knocking over whatever it came within reach of, and endeavouring to dig the eyes out of every one who permitted familiarities, especially the eyes of Master Jim, who, it is but fair to add, soon displayed superior capacity in the same line, so that the parents agreed mutually that they would soon be sweet playmates to each other, and that they were the most delicious babes that ever were or could be born. Ted Flaggan also remained a happy inmate of the consul's abode, awaiting the arrival of a British vessel which might enable him to depart, but not at all anxious for that consummation, and, in the meantime, making himself generally useful.

Down at the Marina, too, the state of things was a little, though not much, improved. Another guardian of the slaves had been appointed,--the former one having been strangled on account of some wickedness reported by enemies to have been done by him, and of which he was afterwards found to be entirely innocent.

His successor was a man of better nature, who, although he kept the slaves hard at their toil, and did not abate the lash or bastinado, nevertheless supplied them with occasional comforts, such as an extra roll of bread when extra work had to be done, or even a gla.s.s of spirits when, as was often the case, they were called up at nights, in drenching rain and cold, to protect the shipping in the harbour, and prevent wreck, when sudden gales arose.

Thus the aspect of things in the pirate city, bad though it was, became a little brighter, and continued so for some time, until an event occurred which flung a darker cloud than usual over the ever changing scene.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE PLOT THICKENS, AND MARIANO'S FORBEARANCE AND COURAGE ARE TESTED.

When the commander-in-chief of cavalry condescended to pay a visit to a Jew, it was a sign that events of considerable importance were hovering in the air. The approach, therefore, of Sidi Hamet to the residence of Bacri one night, under cover of the darkness, was regarded by the Jew with feelings of misgiving, which caused his face to become suddenly very grave, as he looked through the little iron-bound hole, or window, which commanded a view of his court.

The Aga carried no light, although the laws ordained that all who moved about after night-fall should do so; but Bacri knew him as well by his outline and gait as if he had seen his face in the sunshine.

Descending the stair at once, the Jew opened the door and let him in.

"Thou art surprised, Bacri?" said Hamet, swaggering into the skiffa, where Angela chanced to be at work at the time.--"Ha! thou hast a pretty daughter," he added, with a gaze of insolent admiration.

"The girl is pa.s.sing fair," replied the Jew, opening the door of his study, and purposely avoiding the correction of the Aga's mistake.

"Please to enter here."

Hamet obeyed; remarking as he pa.s.sed that the girl were worthy of being the wife of a Dey, if she had not been a Jewess.

"Bacri," he said, sitting down, while the master of the house stood respectfully before him, "thou knowest the object of my visit--eh?

Come, it is not the first time thou hast had to do with such as I. The plot thickens, Bacri, and thou must play thy part, willing or not willing. Say, how much is it to be?"