depths of grief, that instead of suspecting, she was actually tempted to
pity him, and this seeming sympathy soothed her distress, aided by
the caresses of her second son, Aden Bey. Ali, thoughtful of his own
interests, took care to send one of his own officers to Trikala, to
administer justice in the place of his deceased nephew, and the Porte,
seeing that all attempts against him only caused misfortune, consented
to his resuming the government of Thessaly.

This climax roused the suspicions of many persons. But the public voice,
already discussing the causes of the death of Elmas, was stifled by the
thunder of the cannon, which, from the ramparts of Janina, announced to
Epirus the birth of another son to Ali, Salik Bey, whose mother was a
Georgian slave.

Fortune, seemingly always ready both to crown Ali's crimes with success
and to fulfil his wishes, had yet in reserve a more precious gift than
any of the others, that of a good and beautiful wife who should replace,
and even efface the memory of the beloved Emineh.

The Porte, while sending to Ali the firman which restored to him the
government of Thessaly, ordered him to seek out and destroy a society of
coiners who dwelt within his jurisdiction. Ali, delighted to prove his
zeal by a service which cost nothing but bloodshed, at once set his
spies to work, and having discovered the abode of the gang, set out
for the place attended by a strong escort. It was a village called
Plikivitza.

Having arrived in the evening, he spent the night in taking measures to
prevent escape, and at break of day attacked the village suddenly with
his whole force. The coiners were seized in the act. Ali immediately