He had an eye for nothing but the tulips before him, which he could not protect or cherish sufficiently. He scarce noticed that Elhaj Beshir, the Kizlar-Aga, was standing before him with a long MS. parchment stretched out in his hand.
"Master," cried the Kizlar-Aga, "deign to read the answer which the Ulemas are sending to Halil Patrona, and if it be according to thy will give it the confirmation of thy signature."
"What do they require?" asked the Sultan softly, withdrawing, as he spoke, a tiny knife from his girdle, with the point of which he began picking away at the earth all round the tulips in order to make it looser and softer.
"The rebels demand a full assurance that they will not be persecuted in the future for what they have done in the past."
"Next they demand that the Kiaja Aga be handed over to them."
The Sultan cut off one of the tulips with his knife and handed it to the Kizlar-Aga.
"There, take it!" said he.
The Aga was astonished, but presently he understood and took the tulip.
"Then they want the Kapudan Pasha."