E-text prepared by Barbara Tozier, Janet B., Bill Tozier, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/) HALIL THE PEDLAR A Tale of Old Stambul by MAURUS JOKAI Author of "The Green Book," "Black Diamonds," "The Poor Plutocrats," etc. Authorised Edition, Translated by R. Nisbet Bain [Illustration] SANS PEUR ET SANS REPROCHE Third Edition London Jarrold & Sons, 10 & 11, Warwick Lane, E.C. [All Rights Reserved] 1901 Copyright London: Jarrold & Sons New York: McClure, Phillips, & Co. Translated from the Hungarian, "A feher rozsa," by R. Nisbet Bain. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE INTRODUCTION 7 I. THE PEDLAR 11 II. GUEL-BEJAZE--THE WHITE ROSE 36 III. SULTAN ACHMED 49 IV. THE SLAVE OF THE SLAVE-GIRL 69 V. THE CAMP 99 VI. THE BURSTING FORTH OF THE STORM 123 VII. TULIP-BULBS AND HUMAN HEADS 134 VIII. A TOPSY-TURVY WORLD 153 IX. THE SETTING AND THE RISING SUN 179 X. THE FEAST OF HALWET 203 XI. GLIMPSES INTO THE FUTURE 216 XII. HUMAN HOPES 240 XIII. THE EMPTY PLACE 270 INTRODUCTION. On September 28th, 1730, a rebellion burst forth in Stambul against Sultan Achmed III., whose cowardly hesitation to take the field against the advancing hosts of the victorious Persians had revolted both the army and the people. The rebellion began in the camp of the Janissaries, and the ringleader was one Halil Patrona, a poor Albanian sailor-man, who after plying for a time the trade of a petty huckster had been compelled, by crime or accident, to seek a refuge among the mercenary soldiery of the Empire. The rebellion was unexpectedly, amazingly successful. The Sultan, after vainly sacrificing his chief councillors to the fury of the mob, was himself dethroned by Halil, and Mahmud I. appointed Sultan in his stead. For the next six weeks the ex-costermonger held the destiny of the Ottoman Empire in his hands till, on November 25th, he and his chief associates were treacherously assassinated in full Divan by the secret command, and actually in the presence of, the very monarch whom he had drawn from obscurity to set upon the throne.