"Nay, thou hast not the slightest cause to be amazed thereat. The Padishah has but to nod, and pashas and princes become slaves, beggars, or corpses. He nods again, and beggars and slaves rise up into their places. Thou art highly favoured, for thou hast found grace before him. Use it discreetly then, but beware of abusing it!"
"But, most gracious sir, does it occur to you how I'm to become a prince?"
"Leave that to me. I'll make thee one."
"But Transylvania has got another prince, John Kemeny."
"Leave that to me also. I'll dispose of him."
Apafi shrugged his shoulders. He felt that he had never been in such a mess in all his life.
"My wife was quite right in her presentiment that a great misfortune was about to befall me," thought he to himself.
The Pasha began again.
"Summon therefore a Diet at once, so that the installation may take place as speedily as possible."
"I summon a Diet! I should like to know who would appear to my summons. Why, sir, I am the least amongst the gentry of the land; people will laugh in my face, and say that I am mad."