o hath most gold hath most justice? and that, if such
a man as you were to appear before the tribunal of the mufti, with every
word, line, leaf, and surai of the Koran in your favour, and one as rich
and powerful as your wife's brother were to appear on the other side
against you, as long as he had gold in his favour, you might appeal
to your sacred book until you and it were tired of walking round each
other, for justice you would never obtain.'

'O, Ali! O, Mohammed!' exclaimed I, 'if the world is indeed as
iniquitous as this, then Hajji Baba, truly, has made a bad bargain, and
I wish he were again in possession of his pipesticks: but I cannot, and
will not, lose all and everything in this easy manner,--I will go and
proclaim my misfortunes from the housetop, rather.'

Upon which, in utter despair, I began to cry and moan, and pulled out
some of my beard by the roots.

Osman Aga endeavoured to comfort me,--made me look back upon my past
life, and brought to my recollection our mutual adventures while
prisoners among the Turcomans.

'God is all-powerful and all-merciful,' said he. 'Our destinies are
written in the book, and therefore what is there left, but to submit?'

'But I am a Persian,' exclaimed I (a new thought having crossed my
mind), 'as well as a Mussulman; why, therefore, should I submit to
injustice from a Turk? We are, after all, a nation, and have had our
Jinghizs, our Timours, and our Nadirs, who made our name respected
throughout the world, and who burnt the fathers of the Turks wherever
they could find them. I will seek our ambassador, and, if he be a man,
he will insist upon justice being done me. Yes, yes! the ambassador
shall get back my wife; (oh, lucky thought!) and then we shall see who
will take her from me again.'

So elated was I by this idea, that I did not stop to hear what Osman
might have to say on the subject, but immediately sallied forth, full of
fresh spirits and vigour, to seek out the representative of our King
of Kings, who, at the best of all fortunate hours, had very recently
arrived on a mission to the Sublime Porte.

[Illustration: Hajji relates his story to Mirza Firouz. 39.jpg]

CHAPTER LXXIII

In endeavouring to gain satisfaction from his enemies he acquires a
friend--Some account of Mirza Firouz.

Upon inquiry I found that the ambassador had been provided with a
residence at Scutari, and thither I immediately bent my course, happy to
have the time which I