The Sultan almost collapsed with horror.
"Hasten, hasten! lest they fall into their hands alive."
"Oh, sir," implored Sulali, "let me first go down with the Imam of the Aja Sophia to see whether the street really is filled with rebels or not!"
The Sultan signified that they might go.
Sulali, Hassan, and Ispirizade thereupon hastened through the gate of the Seraglio down to the open space before the kiosk, but not a living soul did they find there. Not satisfied with merely looking about them, they wished to persuade themselves that the insurgents were approaching the Seraglio from some other direction by a circuitous way.
Meanwhile the Sultan was counting the moments and growing impatient at the prolonged absence of his messengers.
"They have had time enough to cover the distance to the kiosk and back twice over," remarked the Kizlar-Aga. "No doubt they have fallen into the hands of the rebels who are holding them fast so that they may not be able to bring any tidings back."
The Sultan was in despair.
"Hasten, hasten then!" said he to the Kizlar-Aga, and with that he fled away into his inner apartments.
Ten minutes later Sulali and the Iman returned, and announced that there was not a soul to be seen anywhere and no sign of anyone threatening the Seraglio.