cruel treatinent to compel their obedience to our wishes. what could have induced you to attempt thwarting my plans?'

But

'Did not you mortify me by sending an order, instead of making a personal application to me; and did not you deprive me of the favour I should have reaped from the Nuwab's hands by producing the fair lady, who was mine by a fair and honest bargain, made ere you had set eyes upon her, or ere you heard of her being in existence ?'

'Surely this was excusable.

You were already in power,

whilst I was striving to regain my lost honours.'

'I differ from you there, my lord; a bargain once made should

stand good.'

'Then blame the Arab Captain, not me.'

'You were the cause; you were the tempter.'

'Well, say no more; but let us to the point, Cotwall. How can we save our feet from the bastinado, or escape punishment altogether?'

'By getting the astronomers punished in our stead.'

'Ay, that is the very thing; but how is that to be done?' 'Exasperate the Nuwab against them, ere they appear before him; hint that such pretensions to learning should be checked; and, in short, propose the bastinado, as the only remedy for ignorance and insolence.'

Excellent plan, Cotwall; I will do as you advise; and the moment the order is out of the Nuwab's mouth have your policemen ready to seize the fellows, before they have time to say a word; and once out of court, I will provide against their ever coming into it again.'

'At any rate, they shall not walk to it; for, by the holy Prophet! their feet shall be beaten to a jelly. Let your people be equally on the alert.'

'Doubt it not, Cotwall.'

'Then is our business finished. May Heaven preserve you,

Deewan!'

'Angels guard you, Cotwall!'

Thus parted two men who entertained towards each other the most implacable hatred and ill-will; men who had never before agreed on any subject whatever, and now were reduced by necessity, and the similarity of their situations only, to be for once of the same opinion.

The morning came, and the astronomers were dragged before the angry Nuwab, whose ear the Deewan failed not to have previously obtained. At the lower end of the hall stood the Cotwall and his myrmidons, fronting several of the guards of the Durbar, under the orders of the minister.

'Let the leaders of the rabble, who call themselves astronomers, be brought forth!' cried the Nuwab; and immediately the Brahmin and the miserable Agib stood before the Musnud. 'What have you to say in your defence, you miserable blockheads?' he asked. 'How can you reconcile the marked difference of your answers to the questions yesterday put to you?'

Ibn-al-Agib, ever striving for precedence, first made answer, saying, 'Indeed, your highness, the answer I made was deduced from my books, in the study of which I have devoted my whole life.' ' And this you swear?'

'I swear by the Prophet!"

'And I swear by the Prophet you are a consummate blockhead not to have made better use of your time; and will teach you to be more learned ere you venture to pursue your trade. Away with him, and let him have one hundred stripes on the soles of his feet.'

The Cotwall's harpies darted on their victim like tigers on their prey, and bore him away without a chance of his being able to utter a single word. The Nuwab then turned to the Brahmin, whilst Moye-ed-din stood the picture of anxiety and alarm; for neither he nor the Cotwall had calculated on the sentence being passed, first upon one, and then upon the other; he therefore feared the Brahmin, knowing the fate of his fellow-astronomer, would doubtless not hesitate to implicate him. He conjectured right. The Gúrú not only heard the order for punishment pronounced upon poor Agib, but he heard the effect thereof, the screams and agonising yell of the unfortunate man resounding through the hall. When, therefore, the Brahmin was called upon he thus replied:

'May it please your highness, I was summoned to the palace of your minister, previous to the assembling of the astronomers, and the Deewan in person ordered me to decide as I have done. I at first refused, and begged and prayed not to be expected thus to stain my character and profession; but the Deewan threatened ruin and double taxation, expulsion and starvation, if I refused to act as he should direct. My lord, I dared not do otherwise,'

'And did my minister dictate to you the answers you gave?' 'No, my lord.'

'What, then, were your instructions ?'

Moye-ed-din here arose, saying, 'I trust your highness will allow me to explain in private what were my wishes, and rest assured they tended to the advancement of your interest alone.'

'So be it, Moye-ed-din,' said the Nuwab; 'and I hope I shall' this time see reason to be satisfied with your conduct. Let the Brahmin, however, first commit to writing the instructions he received from you; and if they tally with your explanation I may be inclined to credit your assertions.'

The Brahmin wrote the very words of the Deewan, and was then desired to depart. Moye-ed-din gave the required explanation, which the Nuwab perceiving agreed with the Brahmin's written paper, expressed himself satisfied, and granted the Deewan permission to retire. At the gates of the palace he was met by the Cotwall, and mutual congratulations passed on their

lucky escape.

'Agib,' said the Cotwall, 'has had it soundly, I assure you; and no one ever so richly deserved it.'

'Indeed he was a sad scoundrel,' observed Moye-ed-din ; ' and the Brahmin is just as bad, and would have ruined me if he could.'

'What ingratitude!' exclaimed the Cotwall. 'I hope now,. my lord, we shall be better friends than heretofore.'

'That depends upon the understanding we may come to, Cotwall; but this is no place to talk on such matters, so adieu; and let us both beware how we again tamper with astronomers.'

These able officers of state here separated, and we must now leave them to the fulfilment of their understanding with each other, and proceed to relate other events of importance.

CHAPTER IX.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

ABOUT three months after the transactions just related, the Deewan was sitting in his dressing-room, awaiting the appearance of Buxoo the barber, somewhat astonished at his want of punctuality, when at last in he came sobbing, and wiping his blood-stained face with the tail of his coat.

'Why, how now, Buxoo!' cried the Deewan. 'What is the matter? You have been fighting, I perceive. Come, let me know the whole history.'

'Oh! my lord,' sobbed the barber, 'never was a civil man so cruelly treated. I must have justice, my lord; and hope for your protection and support.'

'Well, well, I grant it you, on condition you will be quick in your tale.'

'Why, my lord, as I was coming past the palace of the Nuwab I perceived a strange-looking fellow, a Persian I think he was, staring and gaping up at the upper apartments of the Zenana. Oh! thought I, this man little knows, were the Captain of the Rajpoot-Guard to see him, what a scrape he would get into; and considering he was a stranger, I went up to him with one of my best bows, saying, "Sir, sir! you must not stand here; upon which, seizing his sword, he struck me over the face with