Thus for a long time he stood upon the throne with hand outstretched and
parted lips, and his stony eyes fixed steadily upon the imam, and those
who saw it were convulsed by a feeling of horror, and Ispirizade felt
his limbs turn to stone and the light of day grow dim before his eyes
in the presence of that dreadful figure which regarded him and pointed
at him. It was, as it were, a dumb curse--a dumb, overpowering spell,
which left it to God and His destroying angels to give expression to his
wishes, and read in his heart and accomplish that which he himself was
incapable of pronouncing.
The whole trembling assembly collapsed before the Sultan's throne,
crawled to his feet and, moistening them with their tears, exclaimed:
"Pardon, O master! pardon!"
An hour before they had unanimously resolved that Achmed must be made to
abdicate, and now they unanimously begged for pardon. But the deed had
already been done.
The hand of the Padishah that had been raised to curse sank slowly down
again, his eyes half closed, his lips were pressed tightly together, he
thrust his hands into the girdle of his mantle, looked down for a long
time upon the Ulemas, and then quietly descended the steps of the
throne. On reaching the pavement he remained standing by the side of the
throne, and cried in a hollow tremulous voice:
"I have ceased to reign, let a better than I take my place. I demand but
one thing, let those who are at this moment the lords of the dominion of
Osman swear that they will do no harm to my children.
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