CHAPTER IX.

IN WHICH AMEER ALI PROVES HIMSELF AN EXCELLENT HAND AT MAKING A BARGAIN, AND THAT HIS AMOUR HAS A CHANCE OF SUCCESS.

I SAID my blood boiled; could it be that one so lovely, one who had kept company with the nobles and men of wealth of Hyderabad, had seen aught to admire in me, who was unused to courtly scenes, and was even yet a boy, deficient in manner and address? Could it be that from my dress and appearance she thought me rich, one who would squander my substance upon her? These thoughts were passing through my mind, and we had nearly reached our encampment without my having interchanged a word with my companions. The silence was broken by Bhudrinath.

"How is this, Meer Sahib ?" said he; "what has tied your tongue? have you nothing to talk about after our night's entertainment, no remarks to make on the beautiful kunchinee? By Alla! though it is a Mahomedan oath, I would almost be content to give up the heaven of Indra, and turn Moosulman, were I sure of being attended in the paradise of Mahomed by a set of houris just such as she. And to think of her belonging to that old wretch the nuwab, and to be buried in this hole of a Mahratta village, when she might have half the nobles of Hyderabad at her feet were she there! By Alla! I say again, it were worth the while to try and entice her away from the old sensualist, and it would be something to talk about, not to mention her company on the road, and the rare addition she would make to our evening amusements.'

"Why," I replied carelessly, "the girl is, as you say, of surpassing beauty, and no doubt feels herself uncomfortable in this abode of swine; yet to get her away would be no easy task, and what should we do with her when we got her ?"

"I shall try and see if her coming with us is any such marvellous difficulty," he rejoined; "and you know if afterwards there is any pursuit, she and the rest of her people are easily provided for."

"Now you speak like a cold-blooded Thug," I retorted angrily (for deny it as much as I would to myself, I could not but feel that the dancing-girl had more than interested me), "and I would sooner quit you all, and get back to Hindostan the best way I could, than that a hair of her head should be injured."

"I did but jest, Meer Sahib; you know I am not one who wars with women, except when they come before me in the fair and lawful exercise of my vocation. No, if we get the girl, it must be by fair means; and strait-laced as your father is on many points, he is too fond of a good song and good music to deny us having her in company; so do not mind what I said, and do not go to sleep upon your anger to your poor friend, if indeed you have any."

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"I am not angry," said I, though I certainly felt my blood rise when you alluded to her. We will consider about the rest in the morning, and if we can but persuade my father that the girl comes of her own accord, I do not anticipate any objection; but we must be sure that she will go first, and to this end I have a kind of clue which may guide me.'

"How? did she say aught to you?" he eagerly inquired.

you

"No," said I; "how could she in that crowd? But you know I understand Persian, thanks to the old moollah my teacher, and do not; and from the words of the last plaintive song she sang, and her mode of expressing them, I have a shrewd guess that she is tired of confinement and of her mate. You know the old proverb, 'Kubootur bu kubootur, bāz bu bāz'-Pigeons mate with pigeons, and hawks with hawks."

"Well," said Bhudrinath, "according to that, she is more likely to look to you than to me; and you know I am a Brahmin; therefore I leave her and the matter to your management; I am ready to assist when I can be of use. Inshalla! as you people say, we shall make a corner-stone of the old fellow's beard and laugh him to scorn."

"Ameen!" said I, "we will try at all events, and you shall hear from me in the course of to-morrow more upon this subject." We then Separated for the night; and I was glad Peer Khan and the rest of the men had been so far behind us, as not to have been able to overhear any part of our conversation. I confess that, as I lay down to sleep, I earnestly desired the success of our scheme, though as yet it could hardly be called one; and though I had in some degree struggled with it, I had not been proof against the fascination of the dancing-girl; nor indeed was it to be wondered at after the words of the old woman.

Soon after the morning prayer, the leaders of the band were assembled to see the opening of the bags of him who had died the evening before. My father presided in the assembly, and one by one they were brought from the pile of merchandise. We had indeed got a prize; and it was not to be wondered at that the care of them had cost the man they belonged to so much anxiety. In each of them, among a quantity of old clothes, rags, and old copper vessels, were concealed small boxes filled with precious stones, pearls, small diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, and in two of the boxes were sets of ornaments made up, and set with jewels; and two in particular, a bazu bund, or ornament for the arm, and a sir-pésh, or ornament for the turban, were particularly splendid.

My father, who had a good deal of experience in these matters, pronounced the whole to be worth at least fifteen thousand rupees, and offered the band the alternative of distributing the whole in as

equal portions as he could, or of waiting till our arrival at Hyderabad, where they could easily be sold for ready money. The latter, after some deliberation, was determined on, as had been the case with the former booty.

I proposed, as I knew that we might perhaps run short of money on the road, especially if we met with no more rich travellers, to offer one of the two ornaments for sale to the nuwab, and as I had made his acquaintance to take it to him myself. The proposal was agreed to, and I was not without hope that by some lucky chance I might fall in with the old woman who had spoken to me the night before, and might be able to arrange a meeting with her, which should guide us in our future plans; so accordingly about noon I called Bhudrinath to accompany me, and we proceeded to the palace, as it was called by the villagers.

By the way we met with our friend the kotwal; but I cut him short with "Another time, Kotwaljee," for it seemed as though we were to have a long story,-" another time, my friend, we will pay you a visit; but at present the matter we have in hand is urgent, and it being past noon we are afraid of being denied admittance, and so you must excuse us.'

"Of course," said he, "I will not detain you, and I shall not fail to present myself at your camp this evening to receive your further commands."

"That means," said Bhudrinath as we moved on, "that he expects a present. These worthies have been my study for many years.'

"Ay," said I, we must pay him well, and he will be the first to cry up our praises should anything happen; but do you anticipate anything?"

"Not I," said he. "I wish we could always do our work as securely, and get as well paid for it; but here we are at the nuwab's gate."

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An attendant at our request took in our names to the nuwab, and after a short delay we were again ushered into his presence, and received with the same civility as we had been the night before. After some desultory conversation, I opened the object of our visit. Khodawund," said I, "my father pleads an attack of fever and cold for not attending to present his nuzzur at your feet, and he trusts you will pardon his seeming neglect. In his behalf I have brought a rare piece of jewellery for your inspection, which he hopes may please you; and by its purchase you will not only materially assist him, but it will become the property of one worthy to possess and wear it."

Thus saying, I produced the ornament for the turban, and laid it before him. He was evidently much struck with its beauty and the

fine water of the precious stones, and after turning it in every position he could to catch the exact light for it, laid it down with a kind of sigh.

"It is indeed beautiful, and worthy of the turban of Bundugan Ali himself; but," said he, "I am too poor to buy it; its value must be very great.'

"No doubt," said I, "my grandfather must have paid handsomely for it; but times have altered with us, and we have been glad to sell our family property for whatever it would fetch. In this instance, far be it from your slave's intention to put a price upon an ornament without peer in its fashion; yet methinks it would so well become the forehead of my lord that he ought not to let slip such an opportunity of possessing it, to be enabled to show it one day at the court of his prince."

"Thou sayest truly; and if I may, I will but show it in the mahal, and see how the persons of my household like it. Inshalla! they will approve of it, and then we will see if we can come to terms about it."

Certainly," said I; "the time has been when it would have been nothing for our house to have presented a tray of such to one of my lord's power and rank; but we are reduced, as I said, and are no longer fit possessors of what we dare not wear.

The nuwab took the jewel, and went into his zenana. He was absent a long time, but we could see by his face on his return that it had been approved of.

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"And

They have looked at it in a thousand ways, and have discovered that there is good fortune to come with it; not that I need any, but you know what a parcel of old women are," said he. now I will ask what may be the price. You know we nobles of Hyderabad are not overburdened with money, and you must be moderate in your demand."

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Why," said I, "I am flattered by the opinion of those who have seen it, and can only say that my grandfather (may his memory live for ever!) paid so large a sum for the jewel that I am afraid to mention it. My lord must observe particularly its exquisite water. He, I say, collected the stones one by one during a long period of his life, and they cost him alone six thousand rupees; the gold around them is somewhat more; but my father will esteem himself fortunate if five thousand rupees be given for it."

"It is too much," said the nuwab with a sigh; "where have I five thousand rupees to lay out in such a bauble as this? My friends, I have been gratified by the sight of it, but to purchase it is out of the question: the money I have not. Yet stay; allow me to have it valued by a jeweller, and we may perhaps come to terms."

"By all means," said I; "I have told my lord no lie in stating

the price of it. But let the jeweller see it; he may fix a smaller sum; and such is our urgent necessity for a little ready money that perhaps we may be induced to take something less."

The jeweller was accordingly sent for, and arrived after a short time. He was shown the jewel; and from the expression of admiration on his countenance, I could see we had not overvalued it. He took it to the light, and putting on his spectacles, examined it in every possible way. At last he returned, and taking the spectacles from his nose, asked the price we had fixed on it. I told him.

"At the time this was made up," said he, "no doubt it was worth the sum you mention, for the stones are of rare water; nevertheless, we all know that men cannot afford to expend money as they used to do, and all things considered, perhaps at present four thousand rupees would not be too much, and indeed a fair price."

"It is too little; we must be content to sell other articles to supply our necessities. So Nuwab Sahib," said I, "with our profound thanks for your condescension, we ask leave for our departure;" and I took up the jewel and arose.

'Stay," said he; "I offer you three hundred rupees more: four thousand three hundred, surely that is sufficient.”

"Make it five hundred," I replied, "and it is yours." And after much haggling on both sides, the price was fixed at four thousand four hundred and fifty. Of this, two thousand five hundred were paid by the nuwab's treasurer in money, and for the rest, at my request, a bill was made out by a sahoukar of the village on Hyderabad. And after again offering our thanks to the nuwab, we took leave of him for ever.

"Not a bad morning's work," said I to my companion as we walked homewards, attended by some of the nuwab's soldiers, escorting the men who carried the bags of money; the sight of the coin will gladden my old father's heart; and it will be something to divide among the men, who are really in want of money, and will keep them comfortably till we reach the city, even though we should fall in with no more rich prizes."

"Indeed, you may congratulate yourself on your address and good manners; for without them you could not have carried the matter off in the way you have done," said he. "Now if I, though I am a far older Thug, had tried it, I should have most likely failed for want of a plausible story. The old fellow swallowed the account of your grandfather, as if it had been as true as that we are now here. By Krishna, thou art a rare boy!"

"These matters sharpen one's intellect; and though I could not deceive an unfortunate traveller as you can, you see I am of some use at a pinch, Bhudrinath.'

"All will come in time," said he; "I do not despair of you after