Feriz Beg understood the allusion, and went at once to the Pasha in the best of humours.
"Listen to what the omnipotent Sultan writes," said the Pasha, producing a parchment sealed with green wax, adorned below with the official signature of the Sultan, the so-called Tugra, which was not unlike a bird's-nest made of spiders'-webs.
Feriz Beg pressed the parchment to his forehead and his lips, and the further he read into it the more his face filled with surprise and joy.
"Valiant Ajas Pasha my Faithful Servant!—I wish thee always all joy and honour. Inasmuch as I learn from thee that the faithless servants of the Prince, in time of peace and amity, have slain four-and-twenty Spahis, and that their masters not only have not punished this misdeed but even presumed to deceive me with lying reports thereof, thereby revealing their ill-will towards me, now therefore I charge and authorise thee in case the counsellors of the Prince do not surrender the murderers in response to my ultimatum, which even now is on its way to them, or in case they make any objection whatsoever, or even if they simply pass over the matter in silence; in any such case I charge and authorise thee instantly to invade Transylvania with all the armies at thy disposal, and by the nearest route. Kucsuk Pasha also will immediately be ready at hand with his bands at Vöröstorony, and the Tartar King hath also our command to lend thee assistance. This done, I will either drive the Prince into exile or take him prisoner, when I will at once strike off the chains of Master Paul Béldi—who, because of his stubbornness, now sits in irons at Jedekula—and whether he will or not, I will place him incontinently on the throne of the Prince, etc., etc."
"Dost thou believe now that we shall get the murderers?" asked Ajas Pasha triumphantly.
"Never!" said Feriz Beg, laughing aloud and beside himself with joy.
"What dost thou say?" growled the astonished Ajas; "but suppose we go for them ourselves?"
"Well!" said Feriz, perceiving that he had nearly betrayed himself, "in that case—yes." But he said to himself "Not then or ever; and Paul Béldi will be released, and Paul Béldi will become Prince, and his wife will be Princess Consort, and Aranka will be a Princess too, and we shall see each other again."
At that moment an aga entered the room and announced with a look of satisfaction:
"Master Ladislaus Székely has now sent the murderers."