initial commit of ebook 44583HEADmain

1 files changed, 7314 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/old/44583.txt b/old/44583.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87c8bea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/44583.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,7314 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Noble Queen (Volume II of III), by
+Philip Meadows Taylor
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license
+
+
+Title: A Noble Queen (Volume II of III)
+       A Romance of Indian History
+
+Author: Philip Meadows Taylor
+
+Release Date: January 4, 2014 [EBook #44583]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A NOBLE QUEEN (VOLUME II OF III) ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+  A NOBLE QUEEN:
+  _A ROMANCE OF INDIAN HISTORY_.
+
+  BY
+  MEADOWS TAYLOR,
+  C.S.I., M.R.A.S., M.R.I.A., &c.
+  AUTHOR OF 'SEETA,' 'TARA,' AND OTHER TALES.
+
+
+  'O, never was there queen
+  So mightily betray'd!'
+
+  _Antony and Cleopatra_, act i. sc. iii.
+
+
+  IN THREE VOLUMES.
+  VOL. II.
+
+
+  LONDON:
+  C. KEGAN PAUL & CO., 1 PATERNOSTER SQUARE.
+  1878.
+
+
+
+
+(_The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved._)
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME.
+
+
+  _BOOK II.--continued._
+
+  CHAPTER                                             PAGE
+
+   VII.   FRIENDS IN COUNCIL                             1
+  VIII.   THE NIGHT COUNCIL                             15
+    IX.   A DAY IN THE PALACE                           39
+
+  _BOOK III._
+
+     I.   A RAPID MARCH                                 61
+    II.   A SUCCESSFUL SURPRISE                         81
+   III.   ZUFFOORA-BEE COOKS THE GOVERNOR'S BREAKFAST   97
+    IV.   A NEW HOME                                   118
+     V.   AMONG FRIENDS                                137
+    VI.   A DARING ATTACK                              156
+   VII.   THE FIRST ALMS                               175
+  VIII.   CASTING OUT DEVILS                           192
+    IX.   THE SYUD TAKES TWO DEGREES IN HIS TURREEQUT  211
+     X.   BY THE WAY                                   233
+    XI.   SAINTLY HONOURS                              242
+   XII.   DANGER                                       256
+  XIII.   DELIVERANCE                                  271
+
+
+
+
+A NOBLE QUEEN.
+
+
+BOOK II.--_continued_.
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+FRIENDS IN COUNCIL.
+
+
+At the loud cries of the Mirdhas and silver-stick bearers of "Burkhast,
+Durbar Burkhast!" "The durbar is dissolved!" the various masses of
+troops filed out of the square before the Hall of Audience in the same
+gorgeous array as they had entered. Indeed, the effect was even more
+gorgeous, for before the assembly the sun had been slightly veiled with
+thin clouds, and had only occasionally shone out with full brightness;
+but now the clouds had cleared away, and the sun's rays descended on
+the glittering masses with a power which materially enhanced their
+splendour. One by one the nobles left the hall, making their humble
+obeisances to the Throne, and, joined by their retinues, passed onwards
+through the citadel to the gate, and thence to their respective abodes
+within and without the citadel. The prospect of immediate service in
+the field, too, enhanced the spirit of the many different bodies of
+men, and their party or national war cries arose from time to time,
+mingled with shouts of "Victory to Abbas Khan!" which, entirely
+spontaneous as they were, filled his heart with joy. The Queen again
+reminding him that he was to return at the usual hour of council,
+attended by the Portuguese priest, left the hall before it was emptied;
+and when most of the nobles had gone on, he mounted his horse, and rode
+home at a quiet pace.
+
+In truth, his wound was painful, for his shield was somewhat heavy;
+and the rapidity and strength of the blows showered on him by the
+Abyssinian had required his utmost skill and vigilance to parry. He
+had no doubt, therefore, that the Padre's bandages had been strained,
+as, indeed, they proved to have been on examination. In the heat of
+the encounter, all pain had been forgotten; and it was now great
+and increasing, and he longed for relief. But his mind was full of
+joyous gratitude, not only for preservation in the ordeal, but for the
+establishment of his innocence of cowardice or of treachery; and the
+papers found on the Abyssinian might even prove more, since it was
+evident, from the addresses on them, that they had belonged to Elias
+Khan, and before the night had passed all would be clear.
+
+Thus Abbas Khan rode on through the streets of the fort which led to
+his uncle's house, slowly and deliberately, receiving the salutations
+of the crowds which filled them with grateful acknowledgments. As the
+troops broke up from the durbar, great numbers of them had betaken
+themselves to these streets; and the real joy with which they now
+greeted the young nobleman, always a favourite, was more real and more
+genuine, perhaps, than that evinced before the ordeal. Abbas Khan was
+the popular hero of the day: women stretched out their arms from the
+housetops and blessed him, and wished him a hundred years of life and
+joy; stalwart veterans would not be kept off; and some kissed his feet,
+others put portions of his garment to their lips, and with a blessing
+turned away. It was almost too much to bear.
+
+At his gate he was met by the whole household, and the usual
+ceremonies of welcome were performed ere he crossed the threshold.
+Lighted lamps were waved over him, incense was burnt in the name
+of the protecting saints, and vows of offerings at their shrines
+promised by the venerable Moolla, who was present on behalf of his
+aunt. As he dismounted from his horse, he caressed it fondly. As if
+he had understood his warning, Sooltan had been steady and perfectly
+manageable through the combat, and nothing but his perfect temper, and
+the ease and certainty with which he had followed every turn of his
+master's wrist or pressure of his knee or heel, could have ensured
+victory. As he ascended the steps of the hall of audience all that
+were present rose and greeted him; many came forward to embrace
+him, and several poets of the city presented addresses in verse, of
+a very florid and laudatory description, comparing him to Roostum
+and the champions described in the "Shah Nama" with painstaking
+fidelity, which, whatever the merits of the composition might be, were
+sufficiently tedious. When these were finished, and suitable rewards
+ordered, Abbas Khan, fairly wearied out, excused himself to the rest
+of the company, and went at once to his aunt, who had already sent
+several messages to him to come as quickly as he could; and truly it
+was grateful to him to find himself once more encircled by the arms of
+one so revered by him and so dear.
+
+"Oh! thou art safe, thou art safe, my son!" she cried, as she clung
+sobbing to his neck. "I feared for thee; I wept for thee; I prayed for
+thee to the Lord and His saints, and I was heard; and as soon as the
+news was brought to me that thou hadst won the combat, I sent Fatehas
+to all the mosques and shrines; and to-morrow, Inshalla! I will feed a
+thousand poor people in the name of the Imams. And thou art not hurt,
+my son?"
+
+"Not hurt, mother; but the old wound needs looking to by the Padre
+Sahib: it is sore and stiff. It is he alone that can give me rest and
+ease. He is waiting within, and I must go to him; for there are other
+matters on which he must be consulted. I will come to thee at the
+evening prayers, after which, when I have eaten, I must return to the
+Queen for the evening council."
+
+"So soon," she said, "so soon to leave me; and I had hoped to sit and
+talk with thee a whole evening! Well, thou must do thy duty to our
+Royal mistress; and why should I regret that thou doest it? God forbid.
+And she was gracious unto thee, Meeah?"
+
+"Mother, she wept; she could hardly speak as I went up to her; but I
+saw that she believed in me, and she was happy. Happy, mother; and
+your son was proud, too, when she rose and declared I was to lead the
+division that goes to the King's aid. Ah! that was too much honour; may
+I be worthy of it!"
+
+"I have no fear, Meeah," replied the old lady. "Go where she sends
+thee, and win honour and fame as thine uncle has done; but go now and
+get relief."
+
+Abbas Khan found the priest in his own apartment, who, after very
+sincere congratulations, helped him to divest himself of the mail shirt
+he wore, when he fell to an examination of the wound.
+
+"No doubt, my lord, it is sore and smarting from the weight and strain
+of the armour; but it is sound, and there hath been no more bleeding. I
+will change all these dressings now, and put on lighter ones, and in a
+few days there will be no more danger of relapse."
+
+The new, cool dressings were a delicious relief, and left his arm at
+full liberty for action of any kind. Until he reached the King's camp,
+he should have no occasion to use it in any but the most ordinary
+actions.
+
+"And now, Padre Sahib," continued Abbas Khan, when the operation was
+finished, "make yourself ready to come with me to the Palace to-night.
+The Queen-Regent desires to see you on a matter of much importance, and
+I am ordered to bring you with me."
+
+"Do you know why?" asked d'Almeida. "Nothing in regard to the mission
+at Moodgul could have given offence to Her Majesty? I wish we had had
+longer notice; Maria might have made some sweetmeats, for an offering,
+or some of her work. Yet I remember, she hath an exquisite lace veil,
+and it could not be presented to one more worthy."
+
+"The matter is this," replied Abbas Khan. "On the body of the
+Abyssinian was found a case of letters. Some of them are in Persian
+and Mahrathi, others in your language; at least the writing is in the
+Frangi character. No one that she can trust can read it, and assuredly
+no one among the Portuguese artisans and gunners could translate the
+papers. Do you remember anything which might give a clue to these
+letters?"
+
+"I do," he replied. "Was your adversary a very tall, very powerful man,
+with hard, black features?"
+
+"He was, Padre; why do you ask?"
+
+"Because, some months ago, soon after Dom Diego came, a man such as I
+describe, mounted on a big chestnut horse, and with several attendants,
+arrived at Moodgul. They came to me first, but the letter they brought
+was addressed to my colleague, and I directed them to him. The man was
+so remarkable that, as he rode away, I called Maria to look at him.
+There was a renegade Portuguese with that man, who spoke to me in our
+language, and interpreted what I said to him."
+
+"Ah! that is valuable, my friend; but you do not know of what passed
+between him and Dom Diego?"
+
+"Nothing whatever, my lord. Once only the good Nawab, my friend,
+hinted that some intrigue was in progress between my superior and
+Eyn-ool-Moolk, but warned me against having any concern in it. But what
+could Dom Diego do, even if he has engaged in intrigue?"
+
+"Ah! my friend, you are too simple," returned the young Khan, laughing;
+"he could get money; he could promise your nation's troops."
+
+"Those he will never get," interrupted the priest. "Our Government has
+declined from the first to mix itself up in the affairs of kingdoms
+whom our nation esteems to be heretical. I have heard there have been
+many offers by the Emperor Akbar, and others before him, but the policy
+of our Government is consistent and friendly to all."
+
+"And yet you are a nation of valiant soldiers. It is strange to see
+such without ambition."
+
+"Which might lead to our ruin, my lord. No; wise minds have determined
+and guided our course hitherto, and we only defend ourselves when we
+are attacked."
+
+"As we know to our cost, Senor Padre; and as they of Ahmednugger found
+to theirs in the siege of Ghoul," returned Abbas Khan, laughing. "But
+enough now; be ready when I send for you. And your sister is well, and
+hath all she needs?"
+
+"All, my lord, and is grateful. She is busy preparing for her school;
+and our poor folks are thankful for even the few ministrations we have
+afforded them."
+
+"Only be careful, Senor, lest you excite bigotry among mine. Alas!
+there is bitterness between Moslim and Nazarene; but you have only to
+be careful."
+
+"Yet at Moodgul no one molests us, my lord."
+
+"There are many who would do so if they dared, my friend; but you
+are under protection there by order of the State, and here it may be
+different. I only say be cautious, and you are as safe here as there."
+
+The priest bowed and retired. What his young friend had said to him
+he did not tell to his sister; but some of the castles they had been
+building had already been shaken, and caution was at least necessary,
+lest they should crumble down altogether.
+
+As the Padre left him, Abbas Khan threw a light sheet over himself, and
+slept profoundly. The Lady Fatima stole in several times to see him,
+and at last seated herself near him; and, with a light fan, drove away
+the flies which would have settled on his face. How proud she was of
+her boy. "The Lady Queen is as proud," she said to herself, "I know;
+but she could not do this like me. Am I not the happier? for I can
+watch him while every mood of his mind leaves its expression on his
+features. See, now, there is a frown, and the fingers seem to clutch
+something; it is his sword, and he dreams of the combat. And there! now
+all is changed, and there is love on the moist lips and in the smiles.
+Why dreams he of her? Ah, well! may she be worthy."
+
+So the young man slept, and so his good aunt tended him as she had
+done when he was a child. And the time flew rapidly, and the muezzin
+from the minaret of the garden mosque began to chant invitation to the
+evening prayer, "Allah-hu-Akbar! Allah-hu-Akbar!" and then Abbas Khan
+woke, and found his aunt sitting beside him, watching.
+
+"My sleep was sweet," he said, "because thou watchedst over me, mother.
+Ah, so sweet! may God reward thee. But I must go to the prayer now."
+
+"There are many who wish to speak with thee, my son," she said; "and
+one is very urgent, Runga Naik, a Beydur."
+
+"Bid him wait; he is, indeed, most needful. I will not be long away,
+mother, or I will send for him."
+
+Entering the garden by the private door, Abbas Khan performed his
+ablutions at the little fountain, whose cool, sparkling water refreshed
+him. The garden was refreshing also; and, as he knelt down, a soft
+feeling of grateful adoration stole over him. Many of his friends were
+assembled there, and their salutations, with the warm grasp of the hand
+which accompanied them, were more grateful to him than he had ever
+remembered before.
+
+"I will attend ye speedily, friends," he said to them, "but I have some
+private affairs to see to first here, and ye must excuse me;" and,
+calling to an attendant, he bade him bring in Runga Naik, and seating
+himself on the rim of the fountain, awaited his coming alone. Presently
+he saw the Beydur chief enter, peering about as though he were in a
+thick forest, but, directly he saw his young master, he bounded forward
+with a cry of joy, and threw himself at his feet.
+
+"I was not in time, Meeah," he said, as soon as his emotion had
+subsided, "to see thee slay that villain. Would I had been! But I could
+not travel faster with the prisoners; and it was only at the last stage
+that I heard thou hadst reached this the day before, when the Lady
+Queen was hunting. What had delayed thee?"
+
+"Only the wound again, friend," said the Khan, laughing. "One day--it
+was our second march--my horse, it was one of Osman Beg's, stumbled and
+fell with me, the stitches of my wound burst open, and the Padre Sahib
+insisted I should not travel till I was well. Notwithstanding his
+skill, I could not move for more than a month; but I had good lodging
+at Talikota."
+
+"So near to my town; and why did you not send for me, Meeah?"
+
+"I did send; but thou wert gone, they said, to Belgaum, and thou hadst
+not returned when I resumed my journey."
+
+"Then you have heard nothing, my lord, of the old Dervish and his
+child? Are they with thee?"
+
+"No!" replied Abbas Khan, starting at the question. "Not with me. I
+have never even heard of them. By your soul, tell me what you know."
+
+"I had been absent from home, tracing our men who had deserted us at
+Korla, and had three hundred of my best men with me. You were then
+in Juldroog, and I heard afterwards you and the Moodgul Padre had
+departed. There was one of our Beydur festivals to come on after
+that, and I returned home for it, when I was suddenly sent for by the
+Dervish, and I delivered Zora from the palace of Osman Beg, where she
+was confined under the charge of two procuresses from Moodgul. Yes,
+Burma Naik and Bheema and I did it; and to this day I regret that I did
+not slay thy profligate cousin as he slept."
+
+"But, but!" cried Abbas Khan, horrible thoughts rising in his mind,
+"she was safe, she had not been dishonoured?"
+
+"Thanks be to the Gods, she was safe, Meeah. There had been an attempt
+at a marriage that afternoon; but the stout old Moolla refused to
+perform it, and the ceremony was deferred till the morrow. I saw there
+was time for me to do what was needed, and we three brought her away,
+through the panthers' cave. Who dared to follow us?"
+
+"And then?" cried the Khan, breathlessly and anxiously.
+
+"Only this," continued the simple fellow; "I had a boat ready, and the
+old man's property was placed in it as evening fell; and when we three
+brought the girl away safely, we crossed the river, and I took them to
+Kukeyra, where I have a house, and where I bestowed them safely, with
+six hundred of my people there to guard them."
+
+"And they are there now, Runga?"
+
+"No," he replied, "they are not there; and that is what troubles me.
+One of the Kukeyra men met me here to-day, and told me that the old
+man had grown restless; and though Zora had entreated him to remain,
+yet he had left Kukeyra and gone to our Rajah at Wakin Keyra, who was
+protecting him; and that Osman Beg had sent spies across to trace them,
+and even attempted to follow with his retainers: but who can cross the
+river mother if the Beydurs say nay?"
+
+"Now may God be praised, Runga, for this protection of them! Oh, think,
+if that child had come to harm! And it was a foul plot and outrage of
+Osman Beg's, for which he shall answer to me as surely as the sun
+shines or as the Abyssinian died. But art thou sure it was a forcible
+abduction of the child?"
+
+"There is no doubt of that. Jooma and another carried Zora from the
+bastion, as she sat looking at Chaya Bhugwuti; and only that the good
+old Moolla refused, Zora would have been married by Nika, and would
+have now been in thy cousin's zenana. Yes, that is true, Meeah; I heard
+it from Zora, and others have told me since."
+
+"He shall answer this before the King and his mother," said Abbas Khan,
+fiercely. "Ever treacherous! who can trust him?"
+
+"He has other things to answer for besides this, Meeah," was the reply.
+"Look! here are more papers, more letters;" and he took a packet
+from his waistband; "and I have secured all Elias Khan's Duftur, and
+his scribe. There are plenty of Osman Beg's letters in it--and other
+people's too, for the matter of that--quite enough to give him a seat
+under the Goruk Imlee trees, and to find the executioner making him a
+last salaam."
+
+"Then he should be summoned at once, Runga."
+
+"If you were not to go to your uncle and the King he might be; but as
+it is, he had better remain. He thinks he is quite safe; and, indeed,
+he is safe, for it is impossible for him to stir; but here he would
+intrigue while you are away. He might even learn news of the old
+Dervish, and carry off Zora in spite of us; but now I will send word to
+my people, and to the twelve thousand, that her honour is your honour
+and mine; and they know what that means. I, Meeah, go to the war with
+thee, for the men here who belong to the Rajah are mad to go with us,
+and I will not deny them."
+
+"Oh, true friend and brother!" exclaimed the young Khan, with a choking
+sensation in his throat, and tears welling up in his eyes; "what can
+I render to thee for all this aid, and thy good counsel? Yes, come
+with me, Runga; we have fought before together, but none know thee but
+me. Now all shall know thee, and thou shalt be honoured and rewarded.
+First, let us do our duty to the King, and then," he continued, rising,
+"I call the holy saints to witness, our duty will be done to others.
+Hast thou eaten food, Runga?"
+
+"No," he said, "not since yesterday; but I have bathed, and am hungry.
+Tell them to give me something from thy kitchen, Meeah; and suffer me
+to eat here, where I can offend no one, and put my dinner on fresh
+plantain leaves. Ah! that will be a luxury, indeed!"
+
+The servants brought to him portions of the savoury food which was
+ready in the kitchen, and deposited it on a huge plantain leaf which
+he had gathered. They saw him eat as it seemed to them voraciously,
+but in truth little food had passed his lips for two days; and when he
+had finished, they saw him wrap himself in the sheet which had before
+served him as upper covering and waistband, and lying down on the bare
+earth fall into a deep sleep.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+THE NIGHT COUNCIL.
+
+
+As on the previous evening, Abbas Khan arrived at the entrance
+to the council chamber at the usual hour, accompanied by Francis
+d'Almeida. They had come in palanquins, for convenience sake; and,
+on this occasion, Abbas Khan had dispensed with his inner mail coat
+and soldier-like costume, and wore the ordinary Court dress of his
+rank--simple white muslin, with a Cashmere shawl; and carried only
+a light Court sword in his hand. He felt that there was no danger
+now. The priest wore his best cassock and the gown of his order; and,
+rejecting the advice of Maria, went in his bare feet, and sandals which
+he could easily put off. His dress formed a strange contrast with
+the flowing robes of his companion; and the heavy slouched hat made
+it even more remarkable in comparison with the turbans of the Palace
+attendants. Yet his frank, handsome face, bright fresh colour, silky
+moustachios and beard, which, as a missionary, he had allowed to grow,
+denoted at once elevated birth and extreme intelligence. Abbas Khan had
+given him some general instruction as to his demeanour in approaching
+the throne, and the worthy priest appeared by no means flurried or
+anxious as to the result. As he knelt down on one knee, doffed his hat
+gracefully, and bowed his head as he would have done to his own King,
+the Royal lady was satisfied that the priest had seen Courts, and was
+well born and bred; and her surprise was not a little enhanced by the
+excellent Persian in which he replied to her inquiries after the health
+of his sister and himself.
+
+"And you speak Canarese also, I hear?" she said; "and thy sister too?"
+
+"It is the tongue of our people at Moodgul and of our Church there,
+which the beneficence of your Royal ancestor, Ibrahim, established," he
+replied; "and it is more familiar to our lips than Persian, which we
+have seldom need to use. In Canarese, my sister is as good a scholar as
+I am, and we are now translating the New Testament, or Unjeel."
+
+"May I be your sacrifice," cried the chief priest, who was in his
+accustomed place; "but the Nazarenes have no correct version of the
+Unjeel. Did not the Prophet (may his memory be blessed) denounce them?
+In chapter----"
+
+"Nay, reverend sir," interposed the Queen, "we are not met for a
+religious discussion, but for State affairs; and I pray you to be
+silent. Here, in the court of the refuge of the poor, my son, all men
+are equal in His and my sight, whatever may be their faith. We leave
+that to God, before whom we are all equal. Be seated, sir," continued
+the Queen; "we have pressing business to do ere we can enter upon what
+thou canst aid us in."
+
+It seemed as if there were no place vacant, except one close to the
+chief priest, who evidently did not relish the idea of being touched by
+an unbeliever; and he fidgeted in his seat, crowded as much as possible
+into his neighbour's, held up his scarf to his mouth, and in every way
+expressed his objection to any proximity to the Padre, who in his turn
+was much embarrassed. But the Brahmin Minister of Finance, whose heart
+had warmed towards the Padre in hearing his own language spoken so
+fluently and so well, offered him his own seat, and took that assigned
+to Francis d'Almeida. Thus peace was for the present secure, but when
+it might be broken by the chief priest's intolerance it was impossible
+to declare.
+
+It was a busy scene. Orders for the pay of the troops about to
+march had to be signed by the Queen and by the heads of departments
+present, to be paid from the treasury next morning; orders also to
+district authorities on the road to provide supplies and forage at
+each stage, and to have the roads made practicable for the artillery.
+Public carriage cattle out at graze had been recalled; but more were
+necessary, and Hyat Khan's requisitions were heavy on the city. These,
+with the usual revenue and district papers to be signed and made
+up, correspondence to be written, and drafts of letters to be read,
+occupied a long time, and was watched by the Padre with the utmost
+interest; while his neighbour the Brahmin kept up with him a lively
+conversation in Canarese. He had heard of the Padre's learning from
+other Brahmins, who came periodically for their dues to the Royal city;
+and his manner was kind and considerate. At last, as his business was
+concluded, and his assistant was tying up his bundle of papers, he
+whispered to the Padre--
+
+"I must depart, sir. Sit quietly where you are, and do not stir, unless
+the Queen-Mother calls you or sends for you. Above all, beware of the
+chief priest; for he would make no scruple of quarrelling with you,
+even before the Queen. He barely tolerates our presence, being, as he
+calls us, Kaffirs, and is certainly less tolerant of you, a Nazarene.
+It would not be wise to cross him."
+
+"Yet if he should revile my Church?"
+
+"I say still, answer him not," returned the other, "nor speak at all,
+except the Queen herself bid thee. He is most intolerant, perhaps
+dangerous."
+
+"I thank you sincerely for your warning, and I will be very discreet,
+you may be sure," was Francis d'Almeida's reply; but he was not the
+less determined to bear testimony in the cause of his faith, should
+it be needful. Was he not a missionary of Christ, and a soldier of
+the Church militant? So he sat quietly, much amused and interested
+in the scene passing before him, in the multiplicity of business,
+and the ease and regularity with which it was conducted. Abbas Khan
+was busy with the details of the force he was to command, giving
+instructions to the various leaders of companies and divisions, and
+was for the present absorbed in his work, now and then exchanging a
+word with the Queen-Mother, and explaining to her what was being done.
+Here also he learned more of the political state of the country than
+he had ever known before, or was likely to learn elsewhere. Boorhan
+Nizam Shah, King of Ahmednugger, who had supported the conspiracy of
+Eyn-ool-Moolk, had been defeated by King Ibrahim of Beejapoor and
+Humeed Khan. Subsequently his own son Ismail had rebelled, but was
+defeated by his father, who, after the battle of Hoomayoonpoor, being
+seriously ill, returned to Ahmednugger as his successor, and died
+soon afterwards, having nominated as his successor his son Ibrahim,
+a fractious and violent youth of sixteen. The Beejapoor army, after
+repulsing the attack by King Boorhan, had taken up positions at
+Sholapoor and Juldroog, otherwise called Shahdroog, during the rainy
+season, and the King was with these troops; but the express received
+by the Queen Dowager contained the important news that King Ibrahim of
+Ahmednugger was making immense preparations for an immediate invasion
+of the Beejapoor territory; and though this might possibly be averted
+by negotiations, yet, considering the violence of the young King of
+Ahmednugger's character, such a result as was desired did not seem
+probable by any means, and troops must be hurried on without delay. The
+Padre saw that Abbas Khan had been the best selection possible for the
+purpose, on account of his present popularity, ability, and activity;
+but the prospect of being left with his sister alone in the great city
+was anything but agreeable. He had, however, acquired such entire
+confidence in his young friend, that he was sure he would not be left
+to the issues of chance, nor unprotected.
+
+At last the long sitting was concluded, and the Queen, rising, excused
+herself for a while, and went into an inner chamber for refreshment,
+while the courtiers chatted freely among themselves; and d'Almeida now
+allowed his eyes to wander over the sides and fretted ceiling of the
+beautiful room, to admire its rich Gothic architecture and the elegance
+of its proportions and decorations; but there was an absence of light
+to show all to advantage, and he thought he might perhaps, through
+Abbas Khan, be allowed to see it by day. How he wondered, too, at the
+immense blocks of buildings which formed the palace, for all was new to
+him; and except the Palace of the Seven Storeys, and the roofs of some
+of the edifices which he could see from the roof of the mansion where
+he and his sister resided, he knew nothing, all else being hidden by
+the high walls and towers of the citadel.
+
+When the Queen re-entered and took her seat, all present rising to
+receive her, Hyat Khan, the Kotwal, produced a list of those persons
+who had been tracked and apprehended by Runga Naik Beydur, who, he
+said, was without, and could give a clear account of them. He was,
+certainly, only a Beydur, but might be allowed to stand before the dais.
+
+"God forbid! God forbid!" cried the chief priest, putting his hands to
+his ears, who was evidently brimming over with suppressed fury. "I have
+been sitting in this durbar for two reigns of illustrious and pious
+Kings, and I never heard of a Beydur being admitted to the presence.
+Pah! thooh! an uncircumcised dog--not even a Hindoo--who lives on pig,
+and whose breath would taint the air of a whole city. God forbid! God
+forbid!"
+
+"And yet he is a good and faithful soldier of the State, and an honest,
+God-fearing man," said Abbas Khan, stoutly. "I, for one, do not feel as
+if I should be polluted by his presence. What say ye, noble friends?"
+and he looked around. "As for our Queen-Mother, ye have already heard
+her sentiments; and do we dare to dispute them? One thing is certain,
+we shall know nothing of these prisoners unless he explains why they
+were apprehended."
+
+"True!" said the chief Kazee; "and to hear evidence is necessary to
+attain justice. I care not for pig----"
+
+If there had been any chance of a skirmish between the two learned
+authorities, as some hoped who had witnessed such scenes, they were
+disappointed; for the Kotwal, at a sign from the Queen, ordered
+Runga to be admitted, and as he entered was shown where to make his
+obeisance. And he finally stood after his own fashion on one leg,
+pressing the sole of the other foot against the calf, and with his
+hands joined in supplication.
+
+"You can speak to him, Abbas Khan," said the head Kazee. "Ask him to
+tell the Queen who these men are?"
+
+"I represent," humbly returned the Khan, "that I am his commander, and
+am interested, beside, in what may transpire. Can the interpretation of
+the Padre Sahib be accepted? else some Brahmin might be sent for."
+
+"The Padre's evidence I could not take," returned the Kazee, "it is not
+admissible by law; but his interpretation we can accept, my Queen and
+my lords, if he swear on the Unjeel. Hast thou the book, O Padre?"
+
+"It is here, my lord," returned d'Almeida, taking a small copy from
+his pocket, and removing the clean white handkerchief in which it was
+wrapped.
+
+"Place the holy book on thy head, or as thou wilt, and declare that
+thou wilt interpret truly," was the Kazee's reply.
+
+"Holy book, indeed!" indignantly snorted the chief priest. "Holy book!
+sacred to Satan! Well, times are changed; a Nazarene priest and a
+pig-eating Beydur before the Queen, in the Royal palace. What next, I
+wonder!"
+
+Francis d'Almeida was burning to reply, but he remembered the words of
+his Brahmin friend, and was silent. "I am ready now," he said, simply,
+"and I will speak truly."
+
+"Let there be entire silence," cried one of the Court ushers by order
+of the Queen, and Runga Naik began his history. We know most of it
+already; but the latter portion, relating his rescue of Zora, his
+tracking of the rebel members of Elias Khan's band, the escape of the
+Abyssinian after a close pursuit, gave a new interest to the narrative.
+Runga himself, though dazed at first by the beauty of the room and the
+presence of the Queen, of whom he had heard so much, was now assured;
+and the story was told with a simple modesty and confidence which, to
+every hearer present, conveyed an assurance of truth and reality. Elias
+Khan had endeavoured to tempt him into disloyalty; he had promised him
+money and an estate if he would cut off all the Royal outposts on the
+north bank of the Krishna. "But I did not do that, mother," he cried
+to the Queen in his homely speech, and stretching forth his hands; "my
+people have been faithful to Beejapoor since it was a kingdom, and was
+I to turn traitor for villains like Eyn-ool-Moolk and Elias? Meeah,
+there, and I were old friends, and he was my superior. I went to him as
+fast as I could, and three hundred of my people were to follow on foot,
+but they were too late; for the day after I reached him was that of the
+fight in which he slew Elias, and was well nigh slain himself. I have
+heard it whispered he was a coward, but who dare say that now? I could
+not bear it, and hunted down most of the men who deserted him, but some
+have escaped. Let the Kotwal Sahib tell what they have said to him."
+
+"I humbly represent to the throne," said the Kotwal, "that one and all
+have confessed to having been seduced by messengers from Elias Khan,
+and humbly beg their lives. They have shed no blood."
+
+"Abbas Khan," said the Queen, in reply, "if it please thee, I give
+their lives into thy hands; do with them as it is good unto thee;
+unless, indeed, the Kazee demands them for trial."
+
+"They have committed no murder, noble lady, that they should come
+before me," returned the Kazee. "If they have offended, it is against
+the State, and the State has power over all traitors."
+
+"Then I accept them as our Queen-Mother's gift," said the young Khan,
+rising and making three obeisances at the foot of the throne; "Hyat
+Khan will help me to arrange about them. I have no fear of them, and
+they have been with me in many a fair fight. But we delay, lady; wilt
+thou not order the papers to be examined which were found this morning?"
+
+"They are here, my lords," said the Queen, "and first we should hear
+those in the Frangi character, and the Padre Sahib can translate them
+for us. Approach, sir," she continued to Francis d'Almeida, "sit at the
+foot of the throne."
+
+"Touba! Touba!" muttered the Peer Sahib, as the chief priest was
+usually designated. "For shame! for shame! an infidel sitting on a step
+of the throne! Inshalla!----"
+
+"I advise your reverence to be silent," whispered the Kotwal; "it is
+necessary he should do so, and any interruption will not be allowed by
+the Queen. You know what she can do if she pleases; and I say let her
+alone."
+
+The Peer Sahib made no reply; but it was clearly visible to all, that
+what had been said to him had increased his previous ill-humour.
+
+By this time the leather case had been opened by one of the Queens
+secretaries, and the contents counted. The letters with the
+superscription in Portuguese were then separated from the rest, which
+were placed at the Queen's feet. "You will be pleased to read them and
+translate them afterwards to Her Majesty. If possible in Persian; if
+not, in Canarese, which she understands."
+
+"I will translate them into Persian," was the priest's reply, "for that
+is known to all;" and he took up one of the letters and began to read
+it. It was of no consequence, however, being from the authorities of
+Goa to Elias Khan in reference to several points in regard to transit
+duties, of which the secretary made a memorandum on the back. After
+several others of trivial import, came one with an elaborate refusal
+of the Government of Goa to assist the designs of Eyn-ool-Moolk and
+Elias Khan on behalf of Prince Ismail, which it gave the Padre much
+satisfaction to expound. He had heard of the refusal of his Government
+to countenance the rebellion, but here was ample confirmation under
+the signature of the Governor, Don Mathias de Albuqurque, and his
+councillors; and threats of denouncing the conspirators to the King of
+Beejapoor in case the correspondence was renewed.
+
+Prince Ismail's party, then, appear to have begun an intrigue with Dom
+Diego, superior of the Moodgul Mission, imploring his advocacy with
+the Viceroy, and offering not only increased powers to the Mission,
+but large perquisites to himself; and these terms being recapitulated
+from the original Persian letter, Dom Diego's own requests followed,
+which the Padre read with astonishment, mingled with terror; for he had
+demanded not only the large province of Dharwar as his own perquisite,
+but four lakhs of hoons to maintain it and the European troops he
+should need. He undertook to obtain presently two thousand Europeans
+from Goa, and two thousand more from Portugal as soon as possible,
+and with this force and those of the Prince he undertook to deliver
+Beejapoor, with all its treasures, into the possession of Eyn-ool-Moolk
+and the Prince. It was a cunningly devised scheme, and inside the
+letter was found a copy of the Persian reply from Elias Khan on behalf
+of his master, Eyn-ool-Moolk, agreeing to the whole, and urging Dom
+Diego not to delay, and sending him a thousand hoons as earnest money
+by the hands of Yakoob Khan, Abyssinian. Again the correspondence was
+continued up to the time when the rebels were attacked by Humeed Khan,
+and the death of Eyn-ool-Moolk; and when the translator had finished,
+there was a general murmur of approbation and congratulation to the
+Queen Dowager on the danger which the State had escaped, and of thanks
+for the important services rendered by so able an explanation of the
+letters; and the Queen herself was profuse in her acknowledgments,
+given with the charming yet dignified manner of which she was so
+admirable a mistress.
+
+Little used to such profuse compliments from so exalted a person, the
+simple Padre was at first overwhelmed with emotion; but he gradually
+took courage, and, rising to his feet, excused himself for ignorance of
+Court customs in not having at first presented the only offering he and
+his sister had to make, of which he now begged the Queen's acceptance;
+and, drawing the small packet of lace from his breast, unfolded the
+veil and laid it at her feet. It was at once evident that she was much
+gratified as well as surprised at the delicacy and elegance of the
+beautiful fabric, and examined the pattern with curious interest. Nor
+could she quite credit the Padre's assertion that it was his sister
+Maria's own work with her needle only. Having examined it, she passed
+it round to those present, but the Peer Sahib would not touch it, and
+folded his hands in his robe, as though he might be contaminated.
+
+"We can offer little in return for this priceless work," said the
+Queen, when she received the veil; "nevertheless, if you will accept
+this"--and she took from a cushion near her a costly Cashmere
+shawl--"on behalf of your sister, we shall be gratified." And as she
+spoke she handed it to one of the Court ushers, who, with the usual
+dexterous flourish, threw it over the shoulders of the Padre, where it
+formed a curious contrast with his plain black robe. But he could not
+refuse the gift without offence, and again making an obeisance to the
+Queen, allowed it to remain.
+
+Meanwhile the secretaries had been separating the Persian
+correspondence, and arranging it by names and dates, and the Queen now
+desired it to be read. All that related to those who no longer existed
+were put aside, but that of Osman Beg contained painful revelations. He
+had offered to give up his fort to the rebel troops; he had furnished
+them with information in regard to movements of troops from Beejapoor
+to the westward, and had advised Elias Khan to attack his cousin's
+party, which guarded the main fords of the river, and cut it off before
+the floods came, and when the road to the capital would be opened. But
+we need not, perhaps, follow a detail which may have been anticipated,
+while there was little doubt that the letters he had received from the
+leader of the rebel faction were, possibly, still in his possession.
+What should be done then? As was usual with her, the Queen left this
+point to the determination of the Council, reserving her opinion for
+the present, and an animated discussion followed. The treachery of his
+cousin in regard to the State, in advising his destruction to Elias
+Khan, the treacherous abduction of Zora, had sunk deep into Abbas
+Khan's heart, and declining to be a party in the discussion, he took
+his seat near the Padre, who, by this time, had taken his original
+place; but he separated the Padre from the irate Peer Sahib, which was,
+perhaps, fortunate.
+
+The question most important to be decided was, what to do with Osman
+Beg? Was he to be recalled at once, or sent to some distant fortress,
+or to Moodgul, for detention? or was he to be brought to the capital,
+and imprisoned till the King's pleasure was known? There was no
+question that he should be arrested without delay, and his successor,
+Meer Kasim Ali, an officer who could be entirely depended upon, was at
+once named by several in the council as the fittest person, and Hyat
+Khan, the Kotwal, vouched for his leaving the city before dawn. He knew
+Juldroog perfectly, and was acquainted with the garrison. There was no
+doubt of his surprising Osman Beg, and placing him under detention,
+pending further orders; and he was at once sent for, and arrived as
+the reading of the correspondence was concluded, and was ushered into
+the presence--a fine soldier-like young man, somewhat older than Abbas
+Khan, but with equally bold and frank features. He was immediately made
+acquainted with the duty assigned to him, and a grateful smile passed
+over his features as he felt that his success would involve promotion
+to the grade held by Osman Beg, and he received the Royal commission,
+putting it to his forehead and eyes, and making a profound reverence.
+
+"And now," said the Queen, "we give our opinion and instructions at
+once. We would not have Osman Beg, whose father is honoured among us,
+and honoured by the King, imprisoned in a fortress, or sent to Dilawer
+Ali Khan, at Moodgul, where intrigue may take place. We would have him
+kept in Juldroog, under watchful care, till the King's return, when, in
+full durbar, he may plead what he can in extenuation. You will, also,
+Meer Sahib, inquire, and report to me, as soon as possible, under what
+circumstances the venerable Syud, long known as the Dervish, and his
+granddaughter left Juldroog, and where they are at present. Should
+their place of residence be known, you are to despatch them to the
+presence without delay."
+
+"And," added the Kazee, "with the Royal permission, we ask you to
+ascertain from the Kazee and Moollas of the fort whether any ceremony
+of marriage, Nika or otherwise, passed between Osman Beg and Zora-bee,
+the granddaughter of the Syud Dervish, and who performed it."
+
+"The Royal orders are on my head and eyes," returned the young man,
+"and I am honoured by them. Nothing shall be left undone."
+
+"And your escort?" asked the Queen.
+
+"I have twenty good soldiers of my own, lady," he replied; "and when
+one not in favour is to be displaced, a hint is sufficient."
+
+"I would also ask you," continued the Queen, "to ascertain whether one
+Dom Diego, the head priest at Moodgul, is still there."
+
+"I think I can answer that question, noble Queen," said the Padre,
+joining his hands. "When Abbas Khan was ill from his wound, at the
+village near Talikota, I heard that Dom Diego had left Moodgul for
+Goa, being succeeded by two humble priests who had taken charge of the
+mission; and this was confirmed by some of my flock who came to the
+fair at Talikota, who told me they were satisfied with the new comers
+until I could return to them."
+
+"And you are a physician, too, sir," cried the Queen, "as well as
+a master of languages. Oh, that thou wouldst see the real Queen,
+Taj-ool-Nissa, who languishes sorely, and can obtain no relief, though
+we have sent even to Beeder for learned men. Will you see her, Padre
+Sahib? it is not late even now, and she is still awake."
+
+"Before I entered the Church," replied the Padre, "I studied both
+medicine and surgery in my own country and in Spain, from the Moorish
+physicians, who are most wise. There I learned somewhat of Arabic also,
+which, perhaps, led me to the East; and though I joined the Church as
+a humble servant of God, I was not without hope, like many of its
+missionaries, I might use my medical skill in its service. Yea, noble
+Queen, I am ready to use any humble skill I possess in behalf of the
+Royal Queen, your daughter."
+
+"There is no time like the present," returned the Queen; "our nobles
+will excuse me while I conduct you to her. Rise, sir, and follow me."
+
+The Peer Sahib could contain himself no longer--
+
+"Astagh-fur-oolla! God forbid! Touba! Touba! Shame! Shame! that I, a
+humble priest of Alla and his Prophet, whose name be honoured, should
+see this. Touba! Touba! that an infidel should have honour in the
+palace of Beejapoor. He a servant of God! He, an eater of pig and
+bibber of wine! He, an agent of Satan, a disseminator of the abominable
+doctrines which Mahomed Moostafa, Prophet of God, hath cursed! He who
+worships images, who----"
+
+It was in vain that Abbas Khan, the Kazee, and others present, strove
+to stop this tirade, which, as the priest raised his voice, rose into a
+shriek.
+
+"Be silent!" he cried; "hear the words of the Prophet," and he made
+a long quotation from the Koran, which we may spare our readers. "I
+forbid this! I denounce the lying Feringi! I doom him to hell! I----"
+
+The Queen stood erect on the pile of cushions which had formed her
+throne, her slight figure appearing to dilate with excitement and
+indignation as she stretched forth her arm and pointed her finger at
+the insolent divine--
+
+"Peace!" she cried, "Peer Sahib. This is the first time in my long life
+that the piety or the hospitality of this great house was called in
+question. Peace! know thy place before the throne, and be silent."
+
+But the Peer heeded not. "It is sorcery! It is sorcery!" he cried. "Was
+not she, that woman, accused of sorcery in the time of Kishwar Khan?
+Did he not denounce her when he sent her a prisoner to Sattara?"
+
+"This is too much insolence for your Majesty to hear. Pass in, we pray
+thee, and leave us to silence him," said the venerable and blind Ekhlas
+Khan, who sat nearest to the throne.
+
+"Nay," returned the Queen, "I never fled from man yet, noble Khan, and
+I await the Peer's homage and apology;" and she reseated herself with
+dignity.
+
+"If I allowed a harsh word to escape me in the heat of argument," said
+the Peer, rising and crossing his arms on his breast, "I humbly beg
+pardon; but as for that----"
+
+"You have said enough," cried Abbas Khan; "be content The Mother is not
+to be trifled with, as you know. See, she speaks."
+
+"I forgive you," she said to the Peer, "because thou art a holy man;
+but beware, for thy tongue is apt to transgress the bounds of respect.
+And now, my lords, I rise again and take this respectable man of God
+with me. I will not long detain ye." Nor did she. The young Queen's
+apartments were close to the council chamber, and she was raised and
+carried to the archway door, where a screen had been let down, and a
+thin pale hand was put forth. D'Almeida feared the worst: there was a
+low cough; the pulse was weak and thready, and the girl complained of
+want of sleep and thirst. He could not then judge of her case, but he
+could alleviate present symptoms.
+
+"Can your Majesty send anyone with me who can be trusted to bring the
+medicine? I shall seal it up with my own seal, and it will not be found
+disagreeable."
+
+"Certainly," replied the Queen; "I can send one of my own eunuchs, who
+is known to Abbas Khan. But you have a messenger whom I desire to see,
+that is thy sister Maria. Can she come to this poor sufferer and cheer
+her? I will send a palanquin and an escort to-morrow, at noon."
+
+"She shall wait on you with pleasure. Anywhere that she can be of use,
+Maria will go, as a point of duty to God and to her order. Yes, I will
+send her to-morrow."
+
+"And she speaks Persian?" asked the young Queen, clapping her hands.
+
+"A little," was the reply; "but Canarese better."
+
+"Then we can all speak together, and she shall be my friend. And she is
+beautiful?"
+
+"I think her most beautiful, lady; but she is my sister, and it ill
+befits me to speak. You will see and judge for yourselves."
+
+"We may now rejoin our companions," said the Queen Regent. "And you
+love Abbas Khan?" she continued, inquiringly.
+
+"I do," replied the priest, "as I would a son."
+
+"And have seen no fault in him?"
+
+"None. He is true and gentle, as a brave soldier ought to be. We were
+by chance cast together when his wound broke out again, and I could not
+leave him till he was fit to travel. He would have died alone."
+
+"And thy sister," asked the Queen, "do they know each other?"
+
+"Not at all, except by hearsay; and she hath never seen or spoken to
+him. In the village where Abbas Khan was ill for a month or more we had
+a different lodging; and, if abroad, she was always closely veiled.
+Since we have been here we lodge with a painter, for whom Maria makes
+designs."
+
+"Now may God bless thee for this assurance! I had feared that Maria's
+beauty might--might----"
+
+"Nay, lady, she is bound to God by her vow, and he is too honourable
+to think of her; but I may tell you, who are as his mother, that from
+snatches of his dreams when he raved and occasional remarks, his heart
+hath gone out to the child who watched him in his first attack at
+Juldroog, Zora."
+
+"Ah!" cried the Queen, smiling, "it may be so. I saw him start when I
+used her name; but keep thy secret, Padre Sahib, as I will keep it, and
+we will see to this when he is gone."
+
+"I will be silent," he returned. "Had it not been that my sister hath
+the same opinion, and that thou, noble lady, art as his mother, I had
+not told thee; but Maria can explain all, better than I can, and I will
+bid her make no concealment."
+
+The assembly rose as the Queen entered the council hall, and, as she
+seated herself, again took their places. Francis d'Almeida, being
+conducted by a eunuch along a side corridor, entered by a curtained
+archway lower down, and took his seat as he had done before. Abbas
+Khan was completing his business with the Minister of Finance and
+various other officers, and the affairs of the sitting seemed well nigh
+concluded.
+
+"Let all the officers of the army about to march appear at early durbar
+to-morrow," said the Queen. "Inshalla! there need be no delay."
+
+"All is ready, may it please you," returned Abbas Khan. "My intention
+was to make a short march to-morrow afternoon, and afterwards to hurry
+on as fast as possible to the Royal camp, which lies somewhere between
+Sholapoor and Puraindah."
+
+"We shall send to thy shrine at early morning, O Peer Sahib, offerings
+to be distributed to the poor, and ask thy prayers for a victory over
+the State's enemies. Alas! that they should be our near relatives."
+
+"My prayers and blessing will not avail much, I fear, lady, against
+what I have witnessed to-night," returned the Peer Sahib, haughtily and
+ungraciously. "Those that ask for them should obey the commands of Alla
+and his Prophet; nevertheless, I will submit my poor supplications to
+the Searcher of hearts."
+
+It was well, perhaps, that the Royal lady affected not to hear what had
+been said, for she merely made an inclination of acknowledgment; and
+directing the usual complimentary dismissal gifts to be brought, rose
+after they had been distributed, and left the throne.
+
+"Have you been mad to-night, Peer Sahib? Was your afternoon dose of
+opium too strong for thee?" asked Hyat Khan, who feared no priest, and
+in particular despised the Peer. "It is well she did not order thee to
+my humble dwelling."
+
+"Silence!" cried the Peer, furiously. "Begone! and let me pass;" and
+gathering up the skirts of his robe, lest they should be polluted by
+the touch of anyone, he struggled out of the hall, leaning on his long
+staff.
+
+"His jealousy has been aroused by you, Padre Sahib, and he is spiteful;
+take my advice and do not cross him again. I will send a guard of my
+people to thy lodging, they can both watch and protect."
+
+As d'Almeida made his acknowledgments, Runga Naik, who had been busy
+writing in a corner, in a large, sprawling hand, approached the new
+Governor of Juldroog, and gave the letter to him.
+
+"Take my advice," he said, "do not attempt to cross by the western
+ferry above the fall; turn off the main road at Talikota; make for
+Korikul, which belongs to me; ask for one Burma Naik, or, if he be
+away, for Kesama, my wife; give either of them this letter, and they
+will give thee men and boats to cross the town ferry to the fort: this
+will save thee more than a day's march. Thou wilt be landed privately,
+close to the village; and the rest is in thine own hand, with three
+hundred of my people to help thee."
+
+"If thou wouldst only go thyself, Runga," said Abbas Khan.
+
+"No, no, Meeah!" was the reply, the tears springing to his eyes; "where
+thou goest I follow. If the Meer Sahib follows my advice, he will
+secure Osman Beg ere he rises from his bed the day after to-morrow.
+The people there will rejoice to be delivered from his insolence
+and tyranny. By Krishna! do not send me, I should slay him; and his
+life--well, it is in the Lord's hands, worthless as it is. No, not with
+thee, Meeah; I must go to my people; I shall meet thee at the early
+durbar."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+A DAY IN THE PALACE.
+
+
+It was late in the night before Francis d'Almeida reached his abode,
+but he found his sister awaiting his arrival; and his account of the
+events of the evening, after he had made up and despatched by the
+Queen's messenger a sealed bottle of medicine for the young Queen, was
+in the highest degree interesting to her. Francis had not intended to
+tell her of the rudeness of the Mussulman priest, but she told him that
+a guard of twelve men had arrived some time before, which had alarmed
+the whole household as well as herself. Nor when she had ascertained
+that they had been sent for their protection, could she imagine what
+danger threatened them; or if there were no danger, were they to be
+prisoners in spite of Abbas Khan's assurances? A few words from her
+brother soon, however, explained all; and he made light of the Peer
+Sahib's rudeness, which he told his sister was only what they must
+expect to endure as Christian missionaries.
+
+"We have been spoilt too much," he continued, "by the good old Nawab
+of Moodgul and by our friend Abbas Khan; and in a city like this, full
+of fanatics and different religious bodies of Mussulmans, we may
+hardly expect to escape notice. But we have a good friend in the great
+Kotwal, and under the Queen Regent's protection we should have no fear.
+You will see her and her daughter-in-law to-morrow, at their special
+request, and we shall accompany Abbas Khan to the Palace at an early
+hour. I think you may be of use to that poor sufferer, the young Queen,
+whom they believe to be under a malignant evil spell; but who is either
+weakened by fever, or by some insidious complaint, which I humbly trust
+may not be decline, and yet I fear it. I want you to watch, since I may
+not see her face; and the eagerness with which she bade me assure her
+that you would come proves to me you will be heartily welcomed. Rise
+early, therefore, as I shall, and prepare yourself. Take some drawings
+and work with you, and I can promise you a happy and interesting day.
+You will not see much of the great Queen Regent, perhaps; but after she
+has given audience to the officers about to march to-day, she may have
+leisure."
+
+Maria had no apprehension. Accustomed as she was to visit the harem of
+the Nawab of Moodgul, and to friendly and intimate association with his
+wife and children, she felt no embarrassment in visiting another Indian
+lady, even though she might be a Queen. Accordingly rising at daylight,
+she set aside what she needed to take with her; and her brother having
+prepared the medicines he purposed to administer, they partook of an
+early breakfast, and were ready when the palanquins sent from the
+Palace arrived for them.
+
+More than ordinarily lovely did his sister appear to Francis d'Almeida
+that morning. She had selected the finest of her lawn coifs and
+kerchiefs to wear, and their exquisite whiteness enhanced the rosy
+colour of her complexion, and harmonised with the purity of her fair
+neck and arms; while her soft brown hair, in natural ringlets, escaped
+from the coif and hung about her shoulders. To anyone who had never
+seen a pure European lady, she must, in spite of the sombre robe which
+concealed her graceful figure, have appeared a vision of beauty.
+
+Old Donna Silvia, the wife of the painter, took her in her arms as
+she prepared to enter the palanquin, and kissed her affectionately
+and warmly, and bade her fear naught; and throwing the Queen Regent's
+beautiful Cashmere shawl around her head and shoulders, she entered the
+palanquin, closed the doors, and proceeded onwards with her old servant
+shuffling by her side.
+
+At the gate of Abbas Khan's mansion they joined in his cavalcade,
+which, as well from his own retinue as the number of officers by whom
+he was accompanied, was of an imposing character. Maria would have
+liked to open the doors of her palanquin and look out at the richly
+dressed crowd of officers, many of them in glittering mail--at the
+magnificent caparisons of their horses, bounding and prancing as they
+went, and of the huge elephants which accompanied them, the incessant
+clash of whose bells was almost deafening; but modesty forbade it, and
+she contented herself with such glimpses as she could obtain through
+the small jalousies of the doors which let in light and air. She could
+catch passing glances of Abbas Khan, whose noble figure and spirited
+charger were remarkable over all by whom he was surrounded, and
+inwardly prayed for a blessing on him, and protection in the new scenes
+of war into which he was about to plunge. She had not forgotten poor
+Zora, nor her apparently hopeless love. She could discover no trace of
+her in the huge city; and far away as she must be, must inevitably,
+she thought, be forgotten in the excitement of the young Khan's life.
+She had not heard then from her brother the story of Zora's violent
+abduction by Osman Beg, and her strange release by Runga Naik and his
+companions.
+
+In this order the cavalcade passed on through the gloomy gate of the
+citadel, till their palanquins were put down at the private door of
+the female apartments of the Palace. Then, with cries of "Gosha!
+Gosha!"--privacy--by the eunuchs, a high screen of cloth was raised,
+and the door of Maria's litter was opened by her brother; and entering
+the deep archway, she observed the tall figure of Abbas Khan at
+the entrance of a wide corridor, beckoning them to advance. At the
+curtained archway in front she saw him hold a brief colloquy with one
+of the men who guarded it; and the curtain was raised to admit them,
+as they entered what the Padre now recognised as the council room of
+the previous evening.
+
+Involuntarily Maria started, as, looking up, she cast her eyes around,
+and followed the clusters of pillars which led up to the groined and
+fretted roof, covered with exquisite arabesque designs in pure white
+stucco, the principal lines and rosettes of which were of burnished
+gilding. Never could she have imagined so beautiful an apartment from
+the plain and almost mean entrance; and her brother, who had only seen
+it at night, when partially lighted, was equally charmed and surprised.
+
+"How very beautiful!" she said, in a whisper. "Can all the interior of
+the Palace be like this? How exquisitely graceful is the tracery which
+covers the panels of the walls, and, mingling with the light clustered
+shafts of the corners and centre, leads the eye up to that richly
+ornamented ceiling. Would we could linger here, and that I had time to
+sketch portions of the designs."
+
+"The Alhambra, which I once saw," returned her brother, "is perhaps
+more wonderful, and even more elegant; but this has been designed,
+probably, by some Spanish Moor with equal skill; and I hope you will
+have many opportunities of making drawings from it; but we must not
+tarry now, for the Queen-Mother awaits us;" and, leaving the council
+chamber, they entered the corridor by which the Queen had proceeded
+the evening before, until Abbas Khan paused before the entrance to
+the private apartments, while one of the eunuchs gave notice to the
+Queen-Mother of their arrival, and returning immediately bid them
+enter. It was an antechamber to the room in which the Royal lady was
+awaiting them; and directly they approached her, she rose and greeted
+them with evident kindness and interest, bidding them welcome. When
+Abbas Khan had made his usual reverence to her, he said--
+
+"I may leave my friends with you, mother, there is no need of me as
+interpreter; and it is time I should take my place in the durbar, for
+it is filling fast. I will return when your Majesty has dismissed it,
+if I am permitted to do so."
+
+"Certainly, my son," she said; "but will not she take off her veil?
+We are longing to see the face of one in whom we have so strong an
+interest."
+
+"Not before me, mother," returned the Khan, smiling; "but I depart, and
+commit them to your care;" and he left the room.
+
+With a modest confusion, Maria now removed the shawl which she had
+thrown over her head, and also the embroidered veil by which her
+features were concealed, the finely crimped coif of her order, and the
+pure lawn handkerchief, being all that remained; but her soft curly
+hair had escaped in some degree, and fell over her neck and bosom in
+rich tresses, which, now the light touched them, shone like threads of
+gold.
+
+"Power of God!" cried the Queen, "was there ever such beauty seen?
+Rise, child; let me embrace thee! Wilt thou be to me as a daughter?"
+
+They both rose, and the Queen, stretching forth her arms, enfolded
+Maria in a warm embrace, kissing her on the forehead and cheeks. "Sit
+down beside me, and do not tremble. If I be a Queen to all, I can be
+a mother and a friend to thee. How is it, Padre Sahib, that she is so
+lovely? Is this rosy colour real, or is it the custom of ladies of your
+country to paint their faces as we hear the Chinese beauties do? Nay,"
+she continued, laughing heartily, "I see there is no need to doubt, for
+your fair sister's rising colour betrays her, and she blushes."
+
+"She is like our mother," he returned, "who was perhaps more beautiful.
+But she is not used to compliments, which confuse her. Besides, she is
+vowed to the service of God since her husband's death, and can take no
+pride in self-adornment."
+
+"And your mother lives?"
+
+"We trust so," returned the priest; "but she hath other children near
+her, who follow worldly callings. We two have devoted ourselves to the
+service of the Lord, and are to her as though we were dead."
+
+"And your sister would not marry again, for she might have done so
+under your law?" asked the Queen.
+
+"She might have done so to her worldly advantage," returned the Padre,
+"for several, both nobles and wealthy, sought her at Goa; but she
+preferred the service of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and took her vows
+of poverty and relinquishment of the world upon her, joining me in
+my humble labours at Moodgul, where we were so happy, till Dom Diego
+insulted her, and Dilawer Khan sent us to your protection."
+
+"Ye are brave people," returned the Queen, with a sigh, as it appeared,
+of admiration. "And ye desire nothing, and will accept nothing. Is it
+not so? Ah! where shall I find such devotion among the priests of our
+faith? The higher they are in rank and presumed holiness, the more they
+desire--estates, gifts, houses, elephants, money. Have you none like
+these in your Church?"
+
+"We have, indeed, lady. We have priests who live like princes, and
+who rank as princes; who amass wealth and are greedy of honours. But
+we poor friars, and Sisters of Charity, have no part with these great
+dignitaries, and are content and happy with what God sends us, though
+it be humble food and poor raiment, for are not our souls cheered and
+warmed by Him; and care we know not."
+
+"And we honour ye the more for this; and had it been seemly to do so,
+we had rebuked the insolent priest who was disrespectful last night.
+When my lord the King returneth he shall know of this, and respect
+thee, O Padre, as I have already learned to do, in truth. But come,
+Maria, I must lead thee to my little Queen Taj-ool-Nissa, and leave ye
+together, while I take my place in the great assembly."
+
+"I was about to ask, lady, whether she felt relief from the medicine I
+sent last night?"
+
+"Ah! I had forgotten, Padre Sahib; and I fear it is Maria's fault;
+or is it that our poor natures too soon forget the highest benefits?
+She will tell Maria more than she has told me, I dare say; but her
+cough was better this morning, and she rested quietly, and had no evil
+dreams, and has eaten well. But come, we must lead thee to her, Maria;
+she is sitting in the balcony above the throne, where I must take my
+seat presently, and thou wilt see all that passes. Come!" and taking
+Maria by the hand, she led her through another antechamber into the
+young Queen's presence, bidding her make the same reverential salute to
+her that she had done too herself.
+
+Taj-ool-Nissa was a slight girl, about seventeen years old; not so fair
+as the Queen Regent, but with an air of good breeding and distinction
+that could not be mistaken. Her seat of rich yellow satin cushions
+accorded well with her full petticoat and tunic of heavy cloth of gold,
+and the filmy brocade scarf of light blue muslin, which, confined
+at the waist, passed over her head. Several strings of large pearls
+and Venetian sequins hung round her neck, and her wrists and ankles
+were ablaze with bracelets and anklets of diamonds. Her features were
+decidedly pretty, though the expression seemed vacant. Naturally so,
+it was possible, or under the influence of weakness, which was indeed
+very visible. The contrast between the girl and the Regent Queen was
+most striking; the one loaded with ornaments, yet not remarkable; the
+other wearing only pure white muslin, yet with a noble, intellectual
+expression which could not be mistaken.
+
+For an instant, while the two ladies embraced each other, Taj-ool-Nissa
+did not see Maria except as a black figure taller than either of them;
+but when the Queen Regent took her by the hand and presented her, the
+expression of wonder and admiration in the young Queen's face was even
+more decided than the elder lady's had been.
+
+Maria's expressive, soft blue eyes, her colour, the perfect whiteness
+of her skin, her delicate hands and silky hair, were so different from
+anything she had ever before seen, that her astonishment was even
+ludicrous, for the Queen-Mother laughed heartily, and chid her for
+apparent rudeness to a stranger; but this continued only for a moment,
+for Maria found herself drawn gently to the young Queen's heart, and
+held there.
+
+"I have no one to be a companion to me," she said, the tears rising to
+her eyes. "Our beloved mother has too many cares and too much labour to
+sit with a weak, ailing girl like me, and you would be as a sister to
+me, Maria. And I hear you know so much, and can teach me so much, that
+my heart looks to you as it would to a dear sister. Will you be one to
+me, and never leave me? See how well I am to-day, owing to your good
+brother's medicine; and I slept so pleasantly and did not cough. Oh,
+Maria! if he will only make me strong and well ere my lord returns, he
+will be rewarded by him gratefully."
+
+"My brother will use all his skill, lady," returned Maria; "but it is
+only God who can restore you to health, and we will pray for you, if
+Christians may."
+
+"Ye are both devoted to the Lord," she replied with feeling. "Oh! pray
+for me, and He will hear; but be seated near me that I may feel and
+caress you, and we can look out from the balcony into the great hall
+while the durbar is held; for all you will see, warriors and chiefs,
+are going to the aid of my lord and King. May God bring him to me
+safely!"
+
+"My brother has sent some medicine for you," said Maria; "and if you
+will call for the person who is to have charge of it, I will give her
+directions."
+
+"It is too precious, Tajoo," which was the familiar appellation of the
+young Queen, "to have any keeper but me," said Queen Chand, "and I will
+ask your brother, Maria, what to do with it when I return. Till then,
+sit here and see what we do, and he can feel Tajoo's pulse, if he will,
+meanwhile."
+
+As she passed out they heard her speaking to Francis and a eunuch, who
+a moment afterwards summoned them both to the door. Although he could
+not see Taj-ool-Nissa, Maria's description of her was sufficient, and
+her own assurance that she already felt better was very encouraging.
+
+"She has narrowly escaped the decline which precedes consumption, for
+they have been keeping her too low; but as she gains appetite she will
+eat freely, and will do well if the Palace doctors and old women will
+let her alone."
+
+"What did your brother say?" asked Taj-ool-Nissa, eagerly. And when
+Maria had explained it to her, she said, "He need not fear; I will do
+faithfully all he directs, and my beloved mother will give the medicine
+to me, and I will take it only from her hands. But tell him that I have
+always been delicate. I was so at Golconda, of which my dear father
+is the King; and he hoped I should be well here, which is a healthier
+place. And for a time I was better, and have even been out hunting with
+my lord and our mother; but lately I have fallen back again, and I have
+mourned in my heart that I should see my dear lord no more. Oh, Maria!
+he is so noble and so kind to me; he hath none else to love but me!"
+
+And as she spoke, her large liquid eyes filled, and she laid her head
+on Maria's shoulder and sobbed gently, smiling through her tears. That
+place seemed to be a refuge to her already. "Hundreds of the ladies
+of the city come to visit me, and some pity me, Maria; but there is
+no one to whom my heart goes forth but thee. But, hark! the nobut is
+beating, and we must take our seats in the balcony." Then, drawing a
+warm Cashmere shawl about her head and body, she took her usual place.
+
+They looked out over the wide, lofty hall of audience, which has been
+described before. To Maria's perception it was a wondrous sight, both
+in regard to the hall itself and its magnificent proportions, and
+also as to the level space beyond, now a rich green sward filled with
+troops, whose armour and weapons glinted and flashed far more brightly
+in the unclouded sunlight than they had done on the day of the ordeal.
+The interior of the hall, though in shadow, was brighter by far than on
+that occasion; for the sunlight through the noble entrance archway--it
+is ninety-two feet in span--reached a considerable distance into the
+hall at that comparatively early hour.
+
+All the commanders and officers of the army about to march, attended
+by their standard-bearers, had already taken their seats in rank down
+the hall, which, as there were no pillars, arches, or other obstruction
+to the sight, seemed almost to expand as the crowds of chiefs poured
+into it. Then the deep kettledrums of the nobut began to beat; and as
+the Queen Regent entered and took her seat upon the throne, all stood
+up and bowed themselves before her with profound reverence. Abbas
+Khan, who stood near the steps of the throne, as it were, leading the
+movement.
+
+"Is it not gorgeous, Maria!" exclaimed her companion, clapping
+her hands in joy. "Does not your heart swell at the sight? And
+they are all my lord's, and will go and fight for him. Hark to the
+shouts, 'Futteh-i-Nubba!' ('Victory to the Prophet!') 'Deen! Deen!'
+'Futteh-i-Shah Ibrahim!' Oh, Maria! I feel as though I could go and
+fight with them for my dear, my noble lord; and, oh, our mother would
+go if she were at liberty, for when her husband was at war she was a
+warrior too, and never left his side. But, ah! I have been weak, and my
+king would not let me go. And I tell you truly, Maria, my father has as
+many soldiers as my lord, but he has no hall like this. Our durbar is
+a small place in comparison, but the troops assemble below the black
+terrace, and we used to look at them from the terrace of the palace.
+When the durbar is over I will take you to the rooms I like best, for
+they are higher than these; and if you open the windows you can see the
+whole city at your feet. All mine! all mine, Maria! because it is my
+lord's."
+
+Thus she prattled on in high spirits, though Maria feared for the
+excitement, while the business of the durbar proceeded. One by one, as
+the names of the commanders were called, and the amount of their forces
+cried out, they presented the hilts of their swords to the Queen Regent
+and received her blessing; and many of them, rejoining their men,
+marched them forth to the place of assembly. But some remained, and
+Abbas Khan was the last to offer his homage and take leave to depart.
+As he came up to the steps of the throne the Queen motioned him to
+come to her, and with her own hands tied round his right arm a small
+light green muslin scarf bordered with silver tissue, in which a coin
+had been folded in the name of the Imam Zamin, as she whispered, "Go,
+my son; honour and advancement are in thine own hands, and I know thou
+wilt not fail me or the King. Go; may Alla keep thee and restore thee
+to me as safely as I dismiss thee."
+
+Then, as the Queen rose, the kettledrum sounded again, and Abbas Khan,
+stretching out his arm over his head, cried with a loud, manly voice,
+"Victory to our Queen-Mother!" which was taken up by those who filled
+the hall, and by the thousands without; and in a short time the hall
+and plain beyond were empty, except for a solitary court usher, or
+other attendant, who, flitting about singly, gave to the vast edifice
+an appearance almost of desertion.
+
+As Abbas Khan passed the private entrance he sent word to the Padre to
+come to speak with him, and waited in the street for him. "How is the
+little Queen?" he asked. "Tell me truly for my lord the King."
+
+"She is very delicate," was the reply; "but I do not fear. If my
+directions are fulfilled, she will ultimately recover; and, though she
+may never be strong, she will pass an easy, happy life. But if she be
+neglected, I fear the worst. My lord, I will see to her as much as
+possible myself; and for part of every day Maria will be with her and
+direct her."
+
+"And now farewell, my friend," said Abbas Khan, "for I have yet
+business at home, and we must assemble at Allapoor before sunset.
+Be careful of yourselves, and may Alla keep you. Do not cross the
+ill-natured old Peer Sahib; yet do not avoid him, or show any fear of
+him, nor, indeed, of anyone, for our noble Queen-Mother is your true
+friend and protector. Do not stay long to-day, for she is excited and
+wearied, but go every day to her, and take Maria with you; she can do
+more for Taj-ool-Nissa's happiness and the King's than she imagines. If
+you are at your house soon, come to me once more before I leave; but as
+the third watch begins to strike, I must put my foot in the stirrup and
+can wait for no one. Maria will often see my aunt at the Palace; let
+them be loving friends, as they should be, and may God have you in his
+keeping."
+
+"What can I say for your kindness, my lord?" returned the Padre. "Our
+humble prayers attend you. Be not too rash if there be war, for a good
+leader ought not to expose himself to undue danger. All else I will
+remember, and the poor little Queen shall be closely watched. Maria was
+once in a similar condition, and I feared for her; but you see how
+healthy she is now."
+
+It was no easy matter to get away from the Palace. Taj-ool-Nissa had
+taken Maria up to the set of her own private apartments she most
+liked to live in. They were under the terraced roof, and were both
+lofty and airy, commanding, as she had said, a view over the whole of
+the citadel, including the elegant Palace of the Seven Storeys, and
+the city, as far as the high ground beyond Torweh, a wide expanse,
+which was filled with noble palaces, terraced roofs, with streets,
+mosques, and minarets without number. To the north the huge mass of the
+mausoleum of Mahmood Adil Shah towered over all; and beyond the wall
+was the broad plain of Allapoor, dotted over with the white tents of
+the army.
+
+They were interrupted by the Queen Regent, who appeared weary and
+anxious, as she threw herself on a pile of soft cushions and pressed
+her temples with her hands. "Alas!" she cried, "alas! and woe that
+it falls to-night to despatch our army against my own kinsfolk of
+Ahmednugger. Pity me, both of ye, my children! May such necessities as
+mine be far from ye. But they are factious and desperate, and would
+invade us if they were not checked. Yet I pray they may return within
+their boundary before there be blood shed. So grant it, O Lord most
+mighty!"
+
+Then she was silent for a while, and seemed to pray; but in a few
+moments she looked up more brightly, and rose to a sitting posture. "I
+have been taking my instructions from your good brother, Maria, about
+Tajoo's medicine, and talking to him about his life, and about the
+Dervish of Juldroog, and Zora. He says you have, or had, a drawing of
+her made by yourself. Is it in your book? If it be, let me see it."
+
+Maria feared she had left it behind at her house, but found it in
+the portfolio; and as she glanced at it, thought she had never done
+anything more correctly. It was a faithful likeness of the girl, with
+her sweet lips parted as if to speak; an earnest, glowing face, to
+be loved at first sight. She put the drawing into the Queen's hands,
+and observed her start visibly. "What a dear, loving face it is!" she
+exclaimed.
+
+"Yes, it is all that," returned Maria; "and her heart is the same. I
+could show you a letter which reached me only yesterday, which she
+has written as she speaks, if your Majesty would like to see it;" and
+taking a small case from the pocket of her robe, she placed it in the
+Queen's hand. It was that we have already seen.
+
+"It is charming, indeed," she said; "and I think there is a clue in my
+mind as to the person remembered."
+
+"Ah!" cried Maria, "I had forgotten that. I ought not----"
+
+The Queen smiled as she interrupted the fair speaker. "Have no
+concealment from me, Maria; for he is my son, and I am her truest
+friend if she can be found."
+
+"Found!" exclaimed Maria; "why she is at Juldroog, surely?"
+
+"Alas, daughter! man's passion has been busy there also. Osman Beg
+offered her violence, but she was rescued by Runga Naik; and her
+grandfather and herself are wanderers. Yet she is safe, and we may be
+able to recover her. Osman Beg we have removed from his office, pending
+the King's arrival and pleasure."
+
+Then Maria remembered the scene of the cataract, and the dead panther
+lying beneath the bastion, and Zora's dread of the libertine Nawab; and
+was thankful for her rescue and escape. "He ought to be rewarded, that
+brave Runga, for he loves that child, and would give his life for her."
+
+"And he shall be rewarded, Maria; for he is, indeed, a noble fellow,
+simple and truthful."
+
+"Who is Zora?" asked Taj-ool-Nissa; and she looked at the drawing,
+which was wonderful in her eyes.
+
+"One who is very dear to Maria, and will, I hope, be dear to thee,
+Tajoo; but let Maria go now, for thou shouldst take thy medicine, and
+after it thou art ordered rest. I, too, am already weary, and would
+sleep awhile before the afternoon sitting."
+
+"And Maria will come to-morrow, mother?"
+
+"Certainly," said the Queen, answering for Maria, who felt as if excuse
+would be impossible.
+
+When Abbas Khan returned home he found his aunt cheerful and resigned
+to his unavoidable absence. The family astrologer had predicted a
+favourable journey, leading to honour; and it was Thursday when the
+Rujub-ool-Ghyb pointed to the north, the way he was to go. Other homely
+proceedings had removed all doubts. Yet the thought that to stay behind
+would have been a disgrace, and the charge of so large a body of troops
+would lead to high honour; above all, that her boy would be with his
+uncle and his foster-brother, the King, comforted her.
+
+On his own part, he could only commit the Padre and his sister to
+her care; and ask her if she heard of the arrival of the Dervish of
+Juldroog in the city at any of the shrines to send for him, and offer
+him her hospitality till he should return himself, as he trusted
+shortly, and perhaps his granddaughter might be with him.
+
+So the dear old lady embraced him, and tied a coin, dedicated to the
+Imam Zamin, in a green scarf upon his arm, with a fervent prayer. Her
+cheeks were wet with tears, but she had never seen him depart with so
+much confidence as now. Then as the Palace gongs sounded the third
+watch he mounted his horse and rode out of the courtyard; and the
+large nagaras or kettledrums of his household guards beating their
+hollow booming notes, they were taken up by those of the force, some of
+which through the north or Delhi gate were already in motion along the
+Allapoor road.
+
+He had barely departed, when the Padre and his sister reached home,
+and sent word to the old lady that they had to deliver a message from
+the Palace, and would come, if permitted, through the garden; and a
+kind answer being received in reply, they went to her. Maria had not,
+as yet, seen the Lady Fatima, and found her just the dear, kindly
+person she had imagined, and she was taken to her breast with unfeigned
+affection. On Maria mentioning that her brother was without, she
+desired a woman-servant to bring him in to her apartment. "I am too old
+not to be seen by a man of God," she said, laughing; and as Francis
+entered, she rose and saluted him.
+
+"Your sister and I have already dispensed with ceremony," she said,
+"and I beg you to dispense with it also Senor Padre. I am a plain,
+homely woman, and desire to know one who has rendered such inestimable
+service to my son. And his wound is well?"
+
+"Almost," he replied. "I have no fear about it; and he will be careful
+now, for it only requires rest."
+
+Then he delivered the Queen's message, that she would bring Maria
+with her the next day, which she gladly assented to do; and gradually
+leading them to speak of Juldroog and their hosts there, she said
+frankly, "Ah! I fear Meeah left his heart there. Can you describe Zora,
+whose name he murmured in his dreams?"
+
+"I can show you a poor likeness of her," replied Maria, taking the
+drawing from her portfolio. "This is true, but it is not equal to her
+beautiful, innocent face."
+
+"Ya, Alla! thou art merciful," said the old lady. "Such an one I had
+dreamed of for him; and I am thankful that such a face lies at his
+heart. May she be his in the end. And she loves him, Maria?"
+
+"Nay," she said, modestly, "I cannot say; but her letter, which I may
+show to his mother, is, I think, true. Listen, and I will read it. Oh!
+that the motherless child could obtain such a protector." Then they
+conversed long upon past events, and Francis and his sister returned
+late to their home, grateful but wearied by the events of the day. And
+till the King's return the intercourse between Donna Maria and the
+Royal inmates of the Palace continued to afford deep gratification
+to all; while, under the skilful care of the Padre, the young Queen
+regained health and strength such as she had not enjoyed for a long
+time previously. She had proved an apt scholar in ornamental work, had
+made progress in drawing, and in reading Persian under the instruction
+of the old teacher who had taught her husband the King. Her former
+lassitude, weariness, and petulance had disappeared, and, instead, her
+bright, simple, ingenuous nature promised to be the foundation of a
+happy and useful life.
+
+
+END OF BOOK II.
+
+
+
+
+BOOK III.
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+A RAPID MARCH.
+
+
+The new Governor of Juldroog was a bold, active young officer, by no
+means likely to delay in assuming charge of the first considerable
+office with which he had been entrusted. Taking with him ten picked men
+of his own retainers, on whom he could thoroughly depend, and relying
+on the effects of the Queen's commission upon the present garrison of
+the fort, he left Beejapoor not long after midnight; for, accustomed
+to move anywhere at the shortest notice, he had little else to do
+than order his men to be ready, to give a few simple directions in
+his house, and to warn his scribe and secretary, Jewun Rao, an active
+young Brahmin, skilled in writing both Persian and Mahratta. All this
+was soon accomplished, and before the day broke the little party, with
+their lightly-loaded baggage ponies, were some miles on their road
+southwards, travelling at a steady pace, as befitted persons who could
+not risk failure by too great haste. They avoided, too, the larger
+villages and small towns; and, as all knew the country perfectly, they
+had no difficulty in following the nearest routes without guides.
+
+The day was cool and overcast, with a fresh breeze blowing from the
+south-west, which rendered travelling pleasant; and as there had been
+no rain for some days, the roads and the country in general were quite
+dry, and easy to traverse. About noon the party halted under a grove
+of mango trees, by which a small stream ran, and preparations were
+made for a good meal, which, indeed, was needed, and welcome to every
+one, for half the journey was already accomplished; and after taking
+a little rest they again mounted and pushed on. Here and there, as
+they passed near villages, the bastions were manned by matchlock men;
+but the Royal flag, which the Governor used as his standard, was too
+well known to be disputed, and as the evening closed in, they found
+themselves on the borders of the Beydur territory, only a few miles
+from their final destination, Runga Naik's town of Korikul. Now a doubt
+arose as to whether it would be most advisable to halt where they were
+for the night, or to proceed; but, all things considered, and to give
+rest to their horses, they determined to stay where they were.
+
+The Patell, or head officer, who chanced to be a Mussulman, and the
+other authorities being summoned in the Queen's name, came, humbly
+offering forage and shelter and such food as the place afforded, while
+the Moolla conducted them to the humble mosque, and bade them welcome.
+The hospitality of an Indian village is generally very sincere when
+those who need it belong to the ruling Government of the country, and
+come in a peaceful cause; and the new Governor of Juldroog was no bully
+to extort what he could obtain by conciliatory request. Comparatively
+soon, therefore, a sheep was slain, and converted into savoury kabobs,
+with the accompaniment of an excellent pilao, to which our friends, we
+need hardly say, did ample justice, for their first meal of the day had
+only been a very light and unsubstantial one. After it was over the
+Patell was summoned, and questioned as to the nearest road to Korikul,
+which none of the party had seen.
+
+"Korikul!" exclaimed the Patell, in amazement; "that is not your way
+to Moodgul, if you are going there! Runga Naik's people are not used
+to the sight of soldiers of the Queen, and are likely to give you a
+rough reception, Meer Sahib. Of course I can give you a guide if you
+wish one, and my own son shall attend you, who is well known there; but
+still I advise you to avoid the place, and go by the high road, where
+there are good boats at the ferry, for the river is not fordable yet."
+
+"But we have business with Runga's people; and with this," and he drew
+the chieftain's letter from his breast, "we shall, I hope, have no
+trouble."
+
+"It is, indeed, Runga Naik's writing," said the Kurnum, or village
+scribe, "and sealed by his seal, and addressed to his wife, Kesama,
+and to Burma Naik, who is in charge of the place; but for all that it
+depends upon your business there, Sahib, what sort of a reception you
+get; and the Patell's son, whom they know, will be able to explain all
+you need. Or shall I come myself?"
+
+"If I can only get speech of them, I will explain my own business,"
+said the Governor; "and it is private, so that I have to tell it
+myself. Settle among yourselves who had best accompany me, and be ready
+before daylight; for as soon as the horses have had rest we ought to
+proceed, and there will be plenty of light from the moon."
+
+"Yes, you should leave this soon after the second watch of the night,"
+returned the Kurnum; "and while you sleep we will settle who is to go.
+There will be no trouble, Meer Sahib. You do not want any of them."
+
+"Not I," was the reply. "Runga and three hundred of his men march
+to-morrow with the army, and I am to tell this, and something else,
+which is, as I said, private. Now let me sleep, Rao Sahib, for I am
+somewhat stiff and tired."
+
+"It is time to get up, Meer Sahib," said the Kurnum, some hours later,
+shaking the shoulders of the sleeper. "I am ready myself, and the
+Patell, who will not trust his son, is ready also. He and his wife are
+seeing to a light meal which you had as well eat before you start, and
+your men and servants are taking theirs. So get up, sir; your horses
+are already saddled."
+
+"How I have slept, to be sure!" said the Meer Sahib, yawning; "and I
+could have lain there till daylight; but I shall be ready directly;"
+and a servant entering with a vessel, poured water over his hands and
+feet, while the whole ablution was quickly completed, and the slight
+breakfast was a savoury and unexpected pleasure. Then the stout old
+Patell came ready equipped for travel, apologising for his early
+disturbance of his guest. "But the road is long and very stony," he
+said, "and I go with you because I know Burma well, better than the
+Kurnum, for he hates Brahmins in general, and, if he happens to be in a
+bad humour, will open the gate to no one. If he thought you wanted him
+or any of his people to account for anything, your first welcome would
+be a shower of matchlock balls which would empty some of your saddles."
+
+"I am heartily obliged to you, my friend," replied the Meer Sahib. "By
+all means take the matter into your own hand. With any one but a Syud,
+as you are, I should be suspicious; but I can depend upon you. Now I
+am ready, Bismilla! let us proceed;" and with an echo of the cry from
+his men, the party set out at as quick a pace as the narrow path would
+allow.
+
+At first it led through fields; but when they ceased, a short thorny
+jungle began, while so narrow was the path that only one person
+could proceed at a time. This thorny tract was in fact the frontier
+of the Beydur district, and was kept as unbroken as possible to
+keep out enemies or marauders, as also parties of the clan who might
+be returning pursued from freebooting expeditions in the adjacent
+countries. Every path that led into the open country beyond was made
+or left as crooked as possible, constantly breaking into other smaller
+ones, which, unless the right one were known, led into wilder spots, or
+ceased altogether.
+
+They were tracks, too, that could easily be defended upon any
+emergency. Sometimes small breast-works, like low walls of rough
+stones, crossed the road, which could be held against a large number
+by a few men; and, again, similar breast-works occupied the crests
+or sides of low rocky hills, or isolated piles of granite rock. At
+night the tracks, the thorny bushes, and rude fortifications seemed
+more formidable than they really were at daylight; and the dim moon,
+partially overcast with clouds, made every object indistinct and
+mysterious after a strange fashion.
+
+The young leader saw at once that, without a very competent guide, he
+and his men might have wandered through these ever-varying tracks and
+jungles, which continued for several miles, without a hope of finding
+their way to their destination; and it was fortunate, indeed, that he
+had chanced to find a friendly village and a hospitable Patell of his
+own faith whom the Beydurs of Korikul could trust.
+
+"We could never have found our way, Sheykhjee," said the Governor,
+"without you or without torches, and I am grateful to you."
+
+"You would not have discovered it with them, Meer Sahib," returned his
+companion. "If torches had been seen gliding about in this jungle you
+would have found yourselves beset speedily and helplessly. There would
+have been no parleying with you; but, instead, you would have been in
+the power of my not over scrupulous friends. It is, indeed, a mercy
+that you did not attempt it. But see, the last small pass brought us
+out of the jungle and the rocks; and we are now in the open country,
+which, as you will see, is fertile and well cultivated; for the Naik
+of Wakin-Keyra is careful of his people. Now we can push on faster,
+Meer Sahib; and we shall be at the gates of Korikul by daylight, or
+soon after; shall we not, Ramana?" he asked of his horn-blower, who was
+walking beside his master's palfrey, holding on by the crupper.
+
+"Sooner, perhaps," said the man; "and you need not arrive before the
+gates are opened for the day."
+
+So they proceeded, answering challenges from village towns and bastions
+by a few notes on the Patell's horn, which seemed to be understood,
+for they were not molested. Gradually the chill wind which precedes
+dawn blew over the face of the country, and moaned through the trees
+they were just clearing. Packs of jackals began their last howlings
+before they went to rest, and others took up their cries, which
+seemed to extend far and wide. Lapwings and plovers had roused with
+the last watch of the night, and piped or wailed to each other as they
+took their early flights; or, roused by the travellers, flew up into
+the air, and, caught by the wind, flew screaming to leeward. The moon
+was fast sinking into a belt of dark grey clouds near the horizon,
+while the eastern sky showed a perceptibly brighter tint which spread
+gradually over that region, though, as yet, there was none of the
+colour of dawn. Then, on the banks of a small stream, the Patell called
+a halt, waist cloths were spread, and the early prayer said by all the
+Mussulmans of the party; and, after it, hookahs went round with many
+a jest and laugh of good companionship. As the cocks began to crow
+and the dogs to bark in a village not far off, they mounted again and
+pursued their way.
+
+As daylight increased, it would have been difficult, perhaps
+impossible, for the young leader of the party to have made his way
+through the country without his guide, for at every village men armed
+with long Beydur matchlocks manned the bastions and gate-towers of the
+villages, as well as the central place of refuge, which, in appearance
+and size closely resembling a Martello tower, commanded the village
+and adjacent approaches. Drums were beaten, the village horn-blowers
+blew quivering blasts upon their instruments, and men shrieked and
+yelled in that peculiar manner which, when Beydurs are excited, is not
+pleasant to hear; but a few notes from the guide's horn seemed to have
+the invariable effect of quieting the commotion, and in most instances
+parties of the village guards ran out to hold a brief colloquy with
+the old Patell and his companions, only to be assured of peaceable
+intentions and the Queen's service. The Governor saw that all the
+villages, neatly built of the laminar limestone of this part, and
+covered with thinner portions like slate, were evidently prosperous
+and thickly inhabited; and that their lands were well cultivated and
+bore heavy crops of grain and pulse, while the people were comfortably
+clad and cattle were abundant. If the Beydurs were vicious and robbers
+without their boundaries, as they had the reputation of being, they
+were, at least, quiet and industrious within; watchful and prepared to
+resist any irruption of marauders from without.
+
+The sun was just rising when the old Patell, who was leading, stopped
+and pointed out smoke, which appeared above a grove of tamarind trees
+at a little distance; and as they gained the summit of a slight rising
+ground, the town of Korikul lay just before them. In the centre was
+a castle, with walls about fifty feet high, and towers well built of
+stone, from the highest of which floated the standard of Runga Naik,
+being a large green field with a white border, and a figure of Hunooman
+(the Monkey God) and patron saints of the Beydurs displayed on it;
+while similar flags were flying from the gate towers and bastions. Some
+neat buildings in the upper part of the castle, cleanly whitewashed,
+were evidently the dwelling places of the family; and below was a large
+open courtyard, which led into other yards--all surrounded with stone
+walls, with bastions at intervals--and containing large stacks of grain
+and forage. The entrance to the outer gate of the castle was intricate,
+leading through a succession of narrow traverses between bastion
+loopholes for musketry. Before modern artillery such a place could not
+be held for an hour; but at the period of this chronicle the Castle
+of Korikul was a strong place, and could be defended by a thousand or
+more stout Beydurs, many of whom lived in the town and others in the
+villages around, who held lands for their services--all forming part of
+the numerous militia of the province, which was twelve thousand strong.
+
+The space around the outer walls of the castle, and between them and
+the inner wall--which was also of stone, and protected by circular
+bastions--was filled with narrow irregular streets, and stone houses
+roofed with slate, tiles, or thatch, as it pleased the owners. One
+street--broader than any other, and leading from the gate to the
+castle, or palace as it was called--was pointed out by the Patell
+as the Bazar, in which there were shops of cloth merchants, money
+dealers, braziers, and grain and flour dealers. Beyond the inner walls
+was a large populous suburb of weavers, each house having its yards
+for dressing yarn for the loom; while, mingled with them, were dyers'
+yards, where white yarn was dyed of various colours to suit the
+manufacturers. A small stream ran past the town, the bed of which was
+already crowded by bathers, washers of yarn, cattle drinking before
+they went to graze, or standing and lowing in the shallow pools.
+Altogether, with the fine tamarind and mango trees around, the low
+rugged hills covered with brushwood, stretching into the distance, the
+scene was cheerful, prosperous, and peaceful; and a softened beauty
+seemed to pervade all the landscape.
+
+Such was the thriving town of Korikul at the period we write of. But
+it is sadly different now. The outer walls and bastions as well as the
+inner ones, are broken down in many places, part of the castle has
+fallen in, and the whole is in a ruinous condition. The town is full
+of heaps of stones and earth which once formed substantial houses, and
+the Petta, or weavers' suburb, has almost disappeared. The chief, a
+descendant of Runga Naik, no longer resides in the ancient castle, but
+in one of the outlying buildings, which may have been that inhabited
+by Burma. He retains his ancestral lands, and the Beydur militia on
+the frontier are under his charge; but heavy oppressions and exactions
+drove most of the families of weavers from the town; their places have
+not been filled, and though some of the old stock remain, the amount of
+manufacture is not a tithe of what it used to be. As to the Beydurs,
+they have no forays now, no expeditions into more peaceful lands to
+boast of, or wealth of spoil. They are reduced to the condition of
+quiet husbandmen and farmers, retaining, however, their pride of race,
+kept up by recitations by their bards of the deeds of their ancestors.
+
+From the rough character of the country beyond the town, and, indeed,
+surrounding it on two sides, it was evident that the open cultivated
+tract did not extend further; and this, we may observe, resulted from
+the change from the trap and limestone formation to the rugged granite
+hills, and strange piles of rocks, which continued to the ravine of the
+cataract and to Juldroog, about eight miles beyond, to the south.
+
+As the strange party stood for a few minutes on the summit of the
+ridge, it was evident that they were observed by the watchmen in the
+castle towers, for drums were beaten, horns blown, and a general
+stampede of people and cattle ensued from the river bed and fields
+around. Then some matchlock shots were fired, and a ball from a heavy
+wall gun or field-piece which stood upon one of the castle bastions,
+which went whizzing over their heads at a high elevation.
+
+"That was not meant for us, Meer Sahib," said the Patell, laughing,
+"but only as a warning. These poor Beydurs have many enemies, and they
+need to look out carefully against surprises. Blow, Krishna," he said
+to the horn-blower beside him; "let us see if that satisfies them."
+
+This time the blast was much longer and more elaborate, and ended with
+a wonderful flourish, which did the performer much credit; and almost
+immediately was answered by exactly the same blast from the tower of
+the castle. "That is Krishnya's horn, and his master is with him. I see
+the old man," said the horn-blower "and it was a friendly blast."
+
+"Who, then, are the Mussulman soldiers with him, and what has he to do
+with the King's men?" said the head watchman. "Go and tell Burma Naik
+or the lady, while I go to the gate and inquire. It seems something
+uncommon."
+
+The lady Keysama had been long astir. She was an active, homely woman,
+with a decidedly uncertain temper, amenable to none but her husband,
+whom she feared as well as respected, and loved, in her own way, very
+faithfully. In her Runga Naik had absolute confidence, for fear was
+unknown to her; and had there been occasion at any time, she would
+have defended the castle while one stone remained on another. The lady
+was a practical and active housewife, too; and, on the churning day,
+when ghee was to be made, and Brahmins feasted, and the whole house
+must be absolutely pure, it was not likely that fresh plastering the
+floors with liquid mud would be neglected. This was a duty which the
+lazy hussies, who were her slaves, could not be trusted with; and
+accordingly the town trumpeter found her overlooking the work, with her
+sare tucked in above her knees, and a chubby child sitting astride on
+her hip, in the long front verandah of the entrance to the castle.
+
+"What hast thou been blowing thy horn so much for, Bheema, disturbing
+everybody? If thou wantest to blow, couldst thou not have gone into thy
+fields and scared away the birds?"
+
+"But, lady, some people are at the gate and demand entrance in the name
+of the Queen Chand."
+
+"Tell them to go away. If they don't go, wake Burma Naik, and tell him
+to fire on them. Be off, and do not interrupt me! Ah! dost thou dare
+to look up at my girls, Bheema," she continued, aiming a blow at him
+with the long bamboo staff on which she was leaning. "Away with thee,
+impudent, and do what I tell thee."
+
+"Unless Burma comes to her, I might as well talk to a stone," the man
+muttered to himself, as he turned away; "and Burma is asleep after the
+feast on wild hog he had last night. I hope Arjoona has awoke him, for
+I dare not."
+
+That had apparently been effected some time, for as the horn-blower
+entered the outer court of Burma's house, he saw him sitting in his
+usual place. He was tying a checked handkerchief round his head,
+loosely and very much awry; his face was bloated, greasy, and swollen;
+his eyes red, and with evident signs that his potations had been
+long and deep the night before. He was yawning, and spluttering
+out Canarese oaths at every interval, and was, indeed, by no means
+pleasant to behold. We have seen him before, a stout, active soldier,
+assisting little Zora to escape; but now he was in a different mood,
+and of different aspect. The vermilion marks on his forehead, nose,
+cheekbones, and eyebrows, were blurred and partly rubbed off; his hair
+was dishevelled, and hung about him in unkempt locks; and the scowl
+on his face bespoke impatience of anything he might have to hear, and
+vexation that his sleep had been broken.
+
+"The King's soldiers," he said, contemptuously, "what do they want?
+What brings the King's soldiers here? What induced that meddlesome old
+Patell, Sheykh Abdoolla, to show them the way? By the Gods! he shall
+answer for it; let him look to his cattle pens. What does he say? what
+does he want?"
+
+"He will not tell me," replied the man, "nor the Chitnees, who is
+talking to him from the bastion by the gate. He says the jemadar of
+the Royal troops has an order from the Queen, and a letter from Runga
+Naik to our lady; but he will give up neither except to you and to her
+together."
+
+"Some requisition for forage, or grain, or money, I suppose," returned
+Burma, with a sneer; "for the Queen does not write to us except to make
+a demand. Why did you not tell me this first, and they would have been
+gone before now with a shower of balls flying after them."
+
+"But," urged the man, putting up his hands in supplication, "what about
+the master's letter? There may be some order in it."
+
+"If there were," retorted Burma, "he would have sent some of the men
+with it, not the Queen's jemadar. It is no letter of his, but only a
+decoy. Go, tell the men to give them warning, and if they don't depart,
+to fire on them."
+
+Thus it seemed very probable that no message would be delivered, and
+the Queen's party and their guide driven away; but the last spokesman
+to Burma Naik was pertinacious, and insisted that Runga's letter should
+be received, even from the Mussulman leader.
+
+"Suppose there is anything important in it, and you turned it away. I
+do not think you would be very safe, master, if my lord knew of it,
+though you are Burma Naik."
+
+"Humph!" grunted Burma, "there is something in that; and what does the
+lady say?"
+
+"She will have nothing to do with it, and you are to act as you please.
+If there is anything addressed to her, you can come and tell her."
+
+"How many want to enter? And how many are there in all?"
+
+"Ten men and their leader, with old Sheykhjee and his Kurnum, and some
+grooms and baggage ponies, and a Brahmin."
+
+"Sons of vile mothers!" exclaimed Burma, as he aimed a blow at the
+horn-blower. "Could ye not have told me this before? By your long face
+one would have thought there had been five hundred of the King's horse.
+Go! Admit the leader, his grooms and scribe, old Sheykhjee and the
+Kurnum. We shall soon get to the bottom of all. Tell the rest to remain
+without."
+
+All this had taken much time, and the Meer Sahib's patience was well
+nigh exhausted; but the old Patell kept him quiet. "Burma Naik was
+drunk last night, I suspect," he said, "and was not easy to wake, nor
+in good humour when awakened. Be patient, and we shall soon know."
+
+Nor, indeed, was it long before the horn-blower and his companion
+arrived; and, speaking from the wicket of the gate, saluted the Meer
+Sahib and the Patell, and informed them they had permission to advance
+and present the letter. The ponderous gate was then opened, and, the
+Patell leading, both entered the outer enclosure, and rode up the Bazar.
+
+The residence of Burma formed part of the entrance to the outer court
+of the castle, for he was a near relative, and entitled to dwell in
+the vicinity of the lord of Korikul. So they were ushered in. They
+found Burma Naik more presentable than he had been--now washed, and
+with plain but decent clothes. His usual seat had an embroidered cloth
+spread over it, cushions were placed for others, and his sword and
+shield laid out before him. As they approached he rose and saluted
+them with an awkward but courteous gesture, and bid them be seated,
+apologising for the precautions he was obliged to take against
+marauding parties, which came upon all sorts of pretences. "And where
+are the letters?" he asked. "They say there are some from the Queen,
+and from my cousin Runga Naik, to me and the lady Keysama. Pray
+deliver them. This, indeed, is from the Queen," he continued, observing
+the Royal seal, and he put the letter to his head and eyes; "and it is
+addressed to the lady Keysama in Persian, which I cannot read, and in
+Canarese, which I can read, by Runga Naik himself. There is no doubt
+now; may I open that addressed to me?"
+
+"Certainly," returned the Meer Sahib; "you will then see what is to be
+done, for Runga Naik wrote it before me with his own hand."
+
+"Sure enough, it is his own seal and superscription," said Burma,
+opening the cover, while, unfolding the letter, his eyes ran rapidly
+over the contents. "Will I help, O Meer Sahib!" he cried, the whole
+of his face brightening with excitement. "Ah, sirs, it is a welcome
+service to perform; and you, too, are my lord now," and he rose and
+saluted him. "Under Runga Naik's order, this place and all that are in
+it are at your disposal. I grieve only that there was any semblance of
+rudeness shown to you. I will send for your companions, and ye are all
+to be the lady Keysama's guests as long as ye stay, yet ye ought not to
+delay."
+
+"We are ready to go on now, sir," said the Meer Sahib, "if it be
+advisable."
+
+"Not yet," returned Burma; "the boats have to be prepared, and some
+men who are the oarsmen summoned. We require two more boats than are
+now at the ford; but they will be all ready by the evening. Meanwhile
+rest yourselves and take food; to-morrow we shall break our fast in the
+fort, and you, sir, will be its Governor, instead of that false traitor
+and tyrant, Osman Beg. What sayest thou to that, O Sheykhjee? Dost thou
+not rejoice to hear it?"
+
+"I do, I do, with thanks to the Almighty," said the Patell, "who has
+heard the prayers of his servants. If it were only for his violence to
+my poor old friend's granddaughter, who should have been sacred in his
+eyes, he deserves death. Would I could go with ye."
+
+"Thou wilt soon hear," replied Burma; "and if thou wilt remain till
+to-morrow, when we are quiet, come to us. Thou hast done good service
+in leading my lord hither direct, for if he had wandered to the upper
+ford, Osman Beg would have heard of it, and filled the fort with loose
+characters, of whom there are always enough and to spare. To do him
+justice, the Nawab can fight, and we should have had much more trouble
+than we shall have."
+
+"I will come down to Jumalpoor early to-morrow," was the old Patell's
+reply, "and so make no delay. You had better fire a gun at daylight,
+that will be enough for me; and perhaps when my lord writes to the
+durbar he will mention the little service I was able to render."
+
+"That I will, my friend," said the Meer Sahib; "but come now to the
+mosque, and you shall tell me about Osman Beg, and what he has done."
+
+"Certainly," returned the Patell, "I have some business in the fair
+to-day, but that does not fall till late; come, and take my blessing,
+and prayer for the success of thy good work."
+
+The lady Keysama did not appear. She could not admit strangers, aliens
+in faith, while the holy ceremonies were going on, but she sent her
+thanks for her husband's letter, and garlands of flowers with her
+blessings and prayers for success.
+
+In the afternoon the whole party again set out, guided now by Burma
+Naik, who took with him fifty additional men, and skirting the rugged
+granite hills which border the Done, they reached the hamlet of
+Jumalpoor, about two miles from the great river's bank, opposite to the
+town end of the island fort, as night closed in. Then they heard that
+the boats were being dragged up from below, and would be at the ferry
+before midnight.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+A SUCCESSFUL SURPRISE.
+
+
+"It is time for us to go on, Meer Sahib," said Burma, as he reached the
+place where the new Governor was lying, under some trees close to the
+half-ruined village. "Come."
+
+"And our horses; what is to be done with them?"
+
+"Leave them here, under charge of the grooms, and you can send for them
+afterwards; if indeed you care to have them in the fort, where you
+cannot ride. They will be quite safe here. At present they would be a
+serious embarrassment to us; and if one neighed, the whole fort would
+be alarmed, and I cannot tell what would happen."
+
+"And can you tell now, my friend?"
+
+"Pretty well. We shall land at a spot not far from the old Syud's
+house. May God have him and his child in His keeping. I will send to
+the Jemadar Sheykh Baban Sahib, and tell him to come to you with a few
+men on whom he can depend. He has always disliked Osman Beg, but they
+have been nearly at open feud since the night poor little Zora was
+carried off, and was almost married to the Governor. Sharp words passed
+between them on that occasion, and the act produced such indignation
+among the garrison of the fort and our Beydurs who are on duty in it,
+that I marvel Osman Beg escaped, or was not put to death. I am taking
+thirty more of my best men with me, and, with yours and mine together,
+we are more than a match for any who may dare to oppose us. But no one
+will draw a sword, Meer Sahib," continued Burma, laughing, "except it
+may be the four Abyssinian slaves he has and his actual retainers,
+who are not more than ten in number, if there be so many. I spared
+him once, the night we, Runga and I, and Bheema, the horn-blower, who
+hooted like a horned owl as our signal, rescued little Zora, for Runga
+would not let me go in and slay him as he slept; but if he crosses me
+now, by all the Gods, he dies."
+
+"No, no, my friend, it must not be so," returned the Governor,
+earnestly. "His life must be spared, for there are many accusations
+against him, which our Royal mistress would fain have unravelled."
+
+"Ah! about Eyn-ool-Moolk and Elias Khan, and the Padre at Moodgul, who
+is gone to Goa," returned Burma, laughing; "but we know all about that.
+Why did not the Nawab send that fierce priest instead of the gentle
+Padre, of whom all lament the absence? Then they would have found out
+everything at Beejapoor. But it is an old story now."
+
+"Hardly, my friend. It is not three months since Abbas Khan slew
+Elias, and Eyn-ool-Moolk was then at his busiest. To me it does not
+matter, but the Queen's orders must be obeyed; and Abbas Khan could not
+be sent here, as he has taken a division of the array to the King's
+camp; and Runga, as you know, has gone with him."
+
+"Yes, so Runga wrote in the letter; and his wife fell to crying about
+it, and would not see you. Runga, methinks, is a fool for his pains;
+but he loves that boy as if he were his own son, and there is no use
+in any of us trying to persuade him that he is a fool for following
+him. But we loiter, Meer Sahib. Come! my people are already departing
+in small groups, and your men had better divide and follow; we shall
+meet them again at the river side, where the boats are." And after a
+few directions to their followers, Burma and his companion entered the
+narrow intricate path through the then thick jungle which led to the
+water's edge.
+
+Very different now was the appearance of the Beydur Naik from that he
+presented when he had been awakened that morning. He had bathed and
+thoroughly purified himself from the excess of the previous night. He
+had put off the gay clothes in which he had dressed himself at Korikul,
+and was now attired in the usual war dress of his clan, the conical
+leather cap, with soft leather drawers, leggings, and sandals.
+
+For arms he wore in his waistband a long knife-dagger, and a sword with
+a long Genoa blade, while a small shield hung at his back completed
+his equipment. Nor, indeed, were there many matchlock men among the
+party, for the place, if it resisted at all, must be carried sword in
+hand. No one spoke except in a whisper, and the Governor felt assured
+that the men who were with him knew their work thoroughly, and were
+confident of success.
+
+Such was the interest that this stealthy march excited in the young
+Governor's mind, that they had reached the bank overhanging the Krishna
+before he had thought it even near. He had not yet seen the fort, for
+it had been concealed by trees; but he had heard the dull plashing
+murmur of the river, and occasionally a deeper moaning sound which
+mingled hoarsely with it, and for which he could not account.
+
+Presently the path rose a little, and the broad river and giant mass
+of the fort were disclosed. Not clearly, however, for the waning moon
+was dimmed with clouds, and none of the details of the rugged hill were
+visible. What could be seen of it seemed to blend with the hills beyond
+the river, indeed, to form a part of them. But the gloom, the strange
+conical hill, and the rushing water of the river, formed altogether the
+most impressive scene the young Governor had ever looked on.
+
+"Ha!" said Burma, in a hissing whisper. "Look! our friend up yonder
+holds revel to-night, and the Gods favour us. O Krishna! I vow to thee
+ten sheep at the Temple of Gopalswami, and to feed a hundred Brahmins,
+if thou aid us, as thou didst Arjoona in the field of Kooroo Kshetra;
+and to thee, O gentle nymph Chaya, a pooja and a feast to a hundred
+Brahmins at thy shrine." And he held up his joined hands towards the
+river, while, at the same time, he bowed his head in reverence. "She
+lives there, Sir," he said, simply, "up in the rocks yonder, above the
+pool; and we, who live here, reverence her, and propitiate her."
+
+"Her! who?" asked his companion.
+
+"Only Chaya Bhugwuti, who dwells in the cataract, which you will see
+to-morrow. Now, I know she is placable and kind, as she was the night
+we crossed for Zora; and she is always to be depended upon when justice
+has to be done."
+
+"But you said he was at his revels. Who?"
+
+"Who? why Osman Beg to be sure. Don't you see the lights in the palace
+up yonder, and torches flitting to and fro?" and Burma pointed to
+lights which seemed high up in the sky. "That steady light is in the
+palace; and hush! do you not hear music?" The sound was music, of
+beating of drums, and of fiddles, and women's voices mingled, which
+faintly reached them, as a light puff of wind blew from the fort.
+
+"What fun it will be, Meer Sahib! what fun!" cried Burma, rubbing
+his hands and chuckling. "What fun to catch the Nawab Sahib and his
+companions altogether. But we must wait awhile till they are properly
+drunk. They are pretty well on by this time, and to judge from what I
+have seen and tasted, the Feringi wine the Nawab gets from Moodgul is
+not weak. Come down to the riverside and watch; I see my people there,
+though to you they appear like so many stones," and they descended the
+rocky path together.
+
+"Ye have done well, Nursinga," said Burma to a tall, powerful man, who
+came forward as they reached the foot of the descent. "How many boats
+have ye brought?"
+
+"There are six in all, four large and two small; and we should have
+been here earlier but for people who will attend the anniversary
+to-morrow, and two companies of dancing women who have vows to perform
+and are singing to the Nawab. It took a good while to take them all
+across and bring back the boats; but they are all ready. Will you cross
+now, master? Chaya Bhugwuti is very quiet at present; but there have
+been clouds in the west all day, and if rain has fallen, who can answer
+for her?"
+
+"Is there any one in the house of the old Dervish?" asked Burma.
+
+"Not a living creature near it except Zora's pigeons. I went through
+the place before sunset, for some of the dancing women wanted to put up
+there; but I told them and their people that since the old man and Zora
+left, ghosts and devils had taken possession of it, and tormented those
+who went there. Then some of the girls looked in, and something moved
+in a dark corner--I think it was poor Zora's old cat--and I cried out
+'Tiger! tiger!' and they all ran away. Yes, it is quite empty, master."
+
+"Then we will cross as soon as the lights up there are put out, Meer
+Sahib; and meanwhile I will send a small boat-load of men across. Go,
+thou, Nursinga, send for some of our men from the village; and tell
+the Jemadar that he must meet me with a few of his men on the King's
+service, for there is some work to do, and that I will meet him in the
+Dervish's house; and tell him what it is. Go at once, and, when you are
+ready, light a small fire on the terrace roof of Zora's zenana."
+
+The man made a deep reverence, and stepping into the smallest of the
+basket boats, in which six men were lying, roused them, and pushed it
+into the stream; and it was anxiously watched over the rapid current
+till it entered the backwater beyond, and was quickly rowed along until
+it reached the landing-place close to the house we already know.
+
+Nursinga did not delay in his errand. First he ran to the house of
+the head of the Beydurs who were on duty in the fort, and roused him.
+"There is some work to do, brother," he said, "and the master is
+waiting to cross. Take twenty men, and go to meet him at the Syud's
+house."
+
+"What is it?" asked the other, anxiously.
+
+"How am I to know? Are we in Burma Naik's secrets? Enough that we
+obey. Is Sheykh Baban Jemadar gone up to the palace?"
+
+"Not he, nor any of the men, except a few profligates who would go
+anywhere after the women that dance. And they are drinking much; twice
+have the cans come down for spirits."
+
+"Come, then; let us take the old man with us to meet the master, and he
+will know what he wants."
+
+The house of the Jemadar of the garrison was close by, and the two men
+went at once to it. Some persons on guard were sitting in the outer
+verandah, near the door, smoking, who challenged them; but taking the
+message to their master, he was soon aroused, and understood what was
+required; and, having given orders for the assembly, very silently,
+of his men at various points, so as to be within call, he, with a few
+attendants, accompanied Nursinga to the deserted house.
+
+"May his house become desolate who made this desolate!" said the old
+soldier to one of his subordinates. "How pleasant it used to be to hear
+the holy Dervish preach the word of the Prophet, and to see Zora, like
+a beauteous flower, among us! I say, Let his house be desolate who made
+this desolate; for Alla is just, my friends--just and watchful!"
+
+"Ameen! Ameen!" was the response from several as they sat down in the
+verandah so well known to all, and began to smoke, while the Beydur had
+proceeded to the roof of the cloister, collected a few dry sticks and
+leaves, and, striking a light with a flint and steel, blew some tinder
+placed between dry leaves into a blaze, and lighted the little fire,
+which flamed up for a moment and went out.
+
+"That is enough, Meer Sahib," said Burma, who had been watching. "Now
+we know that Sheykh Baban is there, my men are there, and the lights
+have been out some time in the palace. There is no need for delay now;
+come. 'Bismilla!' as you say; or, as we Beydurs cry, 'Hari Bol!' Let us
+embark and lead, and the boats will follow in turn, one after another.
+Bring half of your people with you, the rest can follow, and with me
+and some of my folk the boat will be heavy enough. Now, friends, sit
+close and sit steady. Jey Chaya Bhugwuti! Jey Krishna Mata!" he cried,
+throwing water into the air at each invocation; while the boat danced
+down the rapid for a little, and was soon turned into the backwater by
+its powerful rowers, who worked with muffled paddles. An instant more
+and they had landed, and, under cover of the thick wood, were making
+the best of their way to the house, while two of the rowers pulled the
+boat up the stream, and fastened it to some bushes near the back of the
+old house.
+
+The movement had been so silently effected that those who were
+concealed there knew nothing of the arrival of the new party; and it
+was not till the burly form of Burma Naik stood among them that they
+were aware of his presence. All had started to their feet, but their
+apprehension was at once relieved when the Naik, in his hard Canarese
+tongue, so that all should understand, said aloud, "Sheykhjee, I bring
+you your new Governor from Queen Chand Beebee; come and kiss his feet
+and salute your new chief, for he is honourable and worthy."
+
+There was not a moment's hesitation, dark as it was. While the Jemadar
+Sheykh Baban offered the hilt of his sword, and grasped the hand of the
+new-comer in an earnest "Salaam Aliekoom," his example was followed by
+all the Mussulmans present; while the Beydurs, after their own fashion,
+touched the Meer Sahib's feet and neck, and thus swore fealty to him.
+
+"Make a torch of straw," said Burma, "and let the Governor read his
+own commission and show the Queen's seal before we advance, which will
+assure all that this act is done on the part of the Government, and
+not as robbers or rebels." The materials were soon found, and as the
+twisted grass burst into a blaze, the commission was well read by the
+scribe whom the Meer Sahib had brought with him; the Queen's seal, and
+the green official paper on which the order was written, were examined
+by all.
+
+This brief process formed a strange scene; the figures of those present
+stood out from the black darkness beyond with vivid distinctness, while
+their faces, in which wonder and excitement struggled for mastery, wild
+and strange as many of the Beydurs were, formed a sight which none who
+witnessed ever forgot; and a shepherd boy who had paid an early visit
+to his fold declared next day that witches and demons were holding
+revel like the Nawab above, and that he had seen forms moving about in
+a bright flame that was burning, which wonderful story was confirmed in
+the minds of many simple folk by seeing that day the black ashes of the
+fire scattered about the verandah.
+
+"Now then, Sahib, I humbly represent that I and mine are ready," said
+the old Jemadar. "Any one the noble Queen sends to us is as our father
+and mother; and, as your face is bright and kind, we hope you will be
+good to us, your servants, and protect instead of oppress us; and so
+your name shall be honoured while in future our evening lamps will be
+lighted in your name. Bismilla! Come on!" and, drawing his sword, he
+led the way to the gate of the village.
+
+In the little market-place many men had gathered together, doubtful as
+to the real nature of the movement; but it spread quickly from mouth to
+mouth, while the three leaders pressed on up the steep ascent without
+pausing, being joined by parties stationed in various bastions and
+guard-houses, one after another.
+
+At the last division of the ascent, where the party must emerge
+from the narrow pathway overhung with rocks, by which they had been
+concealed hitherto, there was a brief colloquy among the leaders and
+a division of the work made to each. Burma Naik with his men were to
+turn in by the broken wall, near the kitchen; the Meer Sahib and the
+Jemadar were to carry the front court and verandah of the palace, while
+a third party of Beydurs were to prevent all chance of escape on the
+north side.
+
+As yet no one had given an alarm; but a man posted on the highest
+look-out tower fancied he smelt the smoke of match-rope and heard low
+whispers, and looking over the edge of the parapet saw the forms of
+men gathered together in groups. His vision was not very clear, for he
+had been drinking hard; but there was evidently no doubt, for the men
+below him were moving, and he fired his matchlock. Happily the ball hit
+no one, or the consequences would have entailed bloodshed; as it was,
+and in the condition in which those in the palace were, the report had
+little effect in arousing anyone, and the approach of a hostile party
+was of all events least expected.
+
+As Burma turned into the rear entrance, the Governor and his men were
+in front, and with a sudden rush they leaped upon the basement of the
+palace and burst open a door of the audience hall. Johur and another
+of the Abyssinian slaves tried to oppose those who entered, but it
+was only for a moment, when they were bound and passed outside to
+be guarded. The hall itself was a strange sight. As the latter part
+of the night had been chilly, the dancing women--when the dancing
+ceased--and the musicians and followers lay down where they were,
+wrapped in sheets, and had fallen into profound sleep; and now one
+and then another of those sleeping figures awoke, rubbed its eyes,
+and, in the case of the women, rent the air with piercing shrieks and
+cries for mercy. First it appeared as if a band of dacoits or robbers
+had surprised them, and the loss of their jewels and ornaments was the
+least they expected. There was a dim lamp burning in a niche which
+partly revealed the scene, and the agitation of some thirty helpless
+women now huddling together on the ground, and imploring mercy. It
+was well that the entrance doors were guarded by the Meer Sahib's
+retainers, for the Beydurs would have had little scruple in tearing off
+all the women's ornaments as their spoil.
+
+Meanwhile Osman Beg lay in his private chamber. He had sat in the
+audience hall as long as he could, but the strong European liqueur
+and its pleasant flavour had beguiled him, and at last he had rolled
+over in his seat insensible, and was carried by his slaves to his bed.
+Then it was that the music had ceased, the torches had been put out,
+and all, rolling themselves in their sheets, lay down where they were,
+like swathed corpses; and it was thus the Meer Sahib had found them.
+When the shot was fired from the high tower, the two servants who had
+remained by their master, conscious of some imminent alarm or danger,
+tried to arouse him, and even raised him up, but with a muttered
+curse he fell back again. In this condition--entering from the back
+passage--Burma Naik found him. As he entered the chamber, the Nawab's
+servants fled, and, conscious of a strange presence, Osman Beg tried
+to rise, but with a drunken hiccup fell back on his bed.
+
+"It would be easy to end thy vile life, Osman Beg," said Burma to
+himself, "but I leave thee to the Lord. God forbid that my hand should
+slay one who cannot help himself. Look here, Sahib," he said, as the
+Governor entered the chamber; "there lies this disgrace to his faith
+and to his office; do as thou wilt with him, he is in thy hand."
+
+"Let him lie, my friend, his fate is not in my hand; but he is helpless
+now. All I want are his papers, and the accounts and moneys of the
+fort; and these, especially the papers, must be found. Had he no
+servants?"
+
+"My lord," said a man who emerged from a bathing room, "I am one; and
+if my life be spared will tell you all."
+
+"Fear not," replied Burma Naik, "I know thee; and your new lord will
+not hurt any one who is faithful; but beware if thou attempt deceit."
+
+"Well, then," replied the man, humbly, "the private papers are all in
+a leathern case on the floor under my master's head; he would allow
+them to be nowhere else. See, here it is;" and kneeling down, he drew
+a small leather travelling box from its hiding place. "The key of that
+box is round my master's neck, and the key of the treasury is tied to
+the string of his drawers; they can easily be removed; and the moonshee
+has the accounts. I have charge of all his valuables, and can give an
+account of them, or show them if it is ordered."
+
+"We will have an inventory made of them before your master, and they
+will be sent with him to Beejapoor when the King's order comes.
+Meanwhile they will be under attachment," said the Governor. "I will
+leave thee with thy master, and some men of mine to guard him when he
+wakes."
+
+"We have done all we can do at present, Burma Naik," said the Governor;
+"even to getting the papers, which can be examined presently. Meanwhile
+the day is breaking, should not we give the signal?"
+
+"Certainly, my lord; I will see to it immediately. One of the fort
+gunners ought to be without, and," continued Burma Naik, "I have sent
+word to the authorities of the fort, those who have to recognise all
+new governors, and they also will be here before sunrise, or soon after
+it. Meanwhile this hall may be swept out, for everyone has departed.
+Ho! without, bring the Furashes, and let them lay down the cloths for a
+durbar."
+
+While this was being effected, the heavy gun on the highest bastion was
+fired with a tremendous report, which rattled from side to side of the
+ravine in a thousand echoes, and at last died out among the hills far
+away.
+
+"You do not know where you are, my lord, as yet," said Burma Naik;
+"come and see;" and he took the Governor down the steps of the
+verandah to another short flight that led to a small but elegant
+pavilion perched upon a rock, from whence the glen could be well seen
+in the daytime. Now, however, it seemed as though they looked into
+unfathomable darkness, and the effect was almost painful; but as the
+dawn rapidly advanced, the agitated river, the rocks, the rugged sides
+of the glen, and the cataract at its head, gradually grew into form,
+and the Governor stood gazing at them in a silence which partook of
+awe.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+ZUFFOORA-BEE COOKS THE GOVERNOR'S BREAKFAST.
+
+
+Osman Beg's cook, whom he had brought with him when he came, an old
+slave of his father's house, was a practical woman, well used to camp
+life, sudden alarms, and long marches, and in any emergency was ready
+to prepare food for considerable numbers. She and several helpers,
+boys and women, had betaken themselves to the shelter of the kitchen,
+which, being situated in a yard adjoining the "Palace," had beyond it
+another yard, where was a small dwelling house, in which, as her own
+peculiar property, the old lady lived. We call her lady, because she
+was invariably styled so by all. No one dared, except her master, call
+her Zuffoora, which, having been born on a Thursday, had been chosen
+as her name--but "Bee," as short for Beebee, or "Lady," was always
+added; and those who did not know her well, or were afraid of taking
+liberties with her, called her Beebee Zuffoora, which, no doubt, was
+most pleasing to her of all.
+
+Zuffoora-bee had been seriously exercised in her mind the day before.
+Her master, in one of his wild fits, had, without any previous notice,
+taken into his head to invite all the dancing girls who came to the
+Saint's festival, with their musicians and attendants, to dinner that
+evening; after which the women were to sing all night, relieving each
+other. Now the dancing and singing did not concern the old dame at all,
+but the dinner did, for her master had sent word by Johur that some of
+the dishes were to be of her very best style of cooking, for himself
+and the chief singers; and for the rest, pilao and hot kabobs would
+suffice.
+
+To do her justice, Zuffoora-bee had done her best. Sundry dishes that
+we could name were delicate and delicious, whether fish, flesh, or
+fowl; and her master had sent her a present of two rupees as a token
+of his satisfaction, an unusual occurrence, which Johur explained by
+several of the dancing women having declared they had never tasted such
+food before, and insisting that Osman Beg should then and there send
+his cook a liberal present, on their behalf, which was accordingly
+done. I say, then, if this had been all, Zuffoora-bee would have been
+highly delighted, and might even have invited one or two of the girls
+to come and eat pan with her in her own house.
+
+But the proceedings of the evening had disgusted her. She was very
+strict in the observances of her faith, also regular in the performance
+of stated prayers five times a-day. And no Moolla could have possessed
+a more perfect knowledge of the details to be observed at festivals,
+the ablutions and purifications of women at such seasons, and also
+of the needful fasts; or, on the other hand, the cooking necessary on
+such occasions. As to strong liquors or palm wine, she held them in the
+utmost abhorrence, and would as soon have cooked and eaten a piece of
+the abhorred animal as taken a drop of spirit into her mouth.
+
+Her person was always scrupulously clean and neat; her almost white
+hair braided so that not a straggling lock appeared, and the rest
+neatly tied up in a simple knot behind her head. She had two satin
+petticoats for grand occasions, one green, the Prophet's colour, the
+other red, and both were striped with white. But for every day wear
+she used petticoats of soosi, a common kind of cotton cloth, which was
+made everywhere by village weavers, and could be bought in any village
+fair or market. This stuff was very neat and durable, and was worn,
+in various colours and degrees of fineness, by all Mussulman women of
+the lower classes. Zuffoora-bee was rich in possessing four of these
+petticoats, three of which were always put by nicely washed and ironed.
+
+On the upper portion of her person she wore, first, a boddice, and over
+that a shirt of stout muslin, which descended a little below her waist,
+covering the band of her petticoat; and over all a doputta, or scarf,
+of tolerably fine muslin, which, tucked in at her waist, was passed
+round her head, falling gracefully over her back and hanging down over
+her right arm.
+
+Zuffoora was a widow, and therefore wore few ornaments; and what she
+did wear were chiefly of silver, such as bracelets for her wrists, a
+silver ring round her neck, and silver rings on some of her fingers and
+her toes. She had also one very precious massive silver ring, which
+she wore over her right ankle. This had been given her by the King Ali
+Adil Shah of blessed memory, when, on one occasion, she had cooked a
+delicious meal for him after a battle, when his own servants had lost
+their way. The old lady was always eloquent on the subject of this ring
+of honour as she called it. "To men," she said, "the King gave estates,
+and lands, and jewels, and why should he not give them to good cooks?
+because if there were nothing to eat, who could fight? and there was
+nothing so valour-sustaining as a good pilao and well-spiced kabob."
+
+The proceedings and mode of life and temper of her master had long been
+distressing to Zuffoora-bee; and if, by any possibility, she could have
+escaped from him and returned to Beejapoor, she would have done so;
+but she felt she was virtually a prisoner. When Abbas Khan had arrived
+sick and wounded, she had not only nursed him through his illness, but
+cooked the most delicate and nutritious food for him; and when the
+young man was about to depart, she begged permission to return to the
+great city and the old family house; but her master was cruel to her,
+abused her in vile language, and called her slave, and had told Johur
+to beat her with a shoe. Johur dared not do that, and besides loved
+and respected the good dame; but one of the vile eunuchs had done it,
+and the insult had rankled deep in Zuffoora's heart, as an act which
+years of protection could not atone for.
+
+We have not mentioned Zuffoora-bee sooner in this history, because when
+Abbas Khan came to the fort she was incessantly occupied by his needs.
+She had a perfect knowledge of his family, and respected it, and most
+particularly his aunt, the Lady Fatima, so that she did not go to the
+old Syud's house as usual; indeed, perhaps had some misgiving in her
+mind as to the presence of Christians there; but, like all others,
+she had a great reverence for the old Dervish, and especial love for
+little Zora, to whom she had taught numbers of savoury dishes, such as
+it delighted the old man to eat, and which could be made out of very
+simple materials.
+
+When the two women we know of came from Moodgul, she did not like
+them. She thought Mama Luteefa had more the air of a common procuress
+than of a decent God-fearing agent for matrimonial arrangements. Her
+clothes were too gaudy, her look too bold, her conversation too free.
+She never said her prayers, not even once a-day. She ate too much
+pan; the bells on her anklets were too loud, even louder than those
+of a dancing-girl; in short, she was offensive to her in many ways;
+and finding Zuffoora-bee independent, and by no means inclined to be
+dictated to or to be schooled in the manner of cooking her dishes,
+sent her orders to the women under the cook, and was gratified in
+having garlic and red-pepper enough in her kabobs to suit a labouring
+woman; and Zuffoora-bee was obliged to complain to her master that the
+marriage agent was insolent and overbearing. But when poor little Zora
+was brought up to the palace by force, the grief and indignation of the
+worthy dame knew no bounds. Her master was well aware what she would
+think of the act, and set eunuchs and some of his garrison to guard
+the kitchen and Zuffoora's house, and not allow her egress, lest she
+should come and upbraid him--for we take upon ourselves to say that
+Zuffoora-bee's remonstrance would have been neither weak nor timid,
+but, on the contrary, unflinchingly bold and defiant.
+
+During the whole of the day Zora had been confined to the palace
+Zuffoora-bee had prayed and wept by turns, but that she knew was
+useless; but, when the pan-seller's wife came to her in the evening,
+she gave Zuffoora-bee a hint, though others were by, that Zora was not
+without friends; and when the alarm that she had escaped was given,
+Zuffoora fell on her knees and thanked God that it had been so, and
+that her master's wicked designs had been foiled. She was not afraid of
+him. He loved her good food too much to deprive himself of it, either
+by putting her in confinement or sending her away.
+
+In either case, who would supply her place? But she had not spared
+him; she had appealed to his honour, to that of his noble father,
+entreating him to reform his evil ways, and to abandon the vicious
+courses into which he had fallen. She who had nursed him as a child,
+who had attended on his mother, to see her son degenerating into a
+drunken profligate! "Better he were dead, far better that he were
+dead," murmured the good old dame. "I could say the last salutation
+to the dead as they covered up his body, and wish the peace of God
+to attend him, rather than I could join in the adulation which these
+miserable men and women pay to him. Touba! Touba! for shame, for shame!"
+
+When the party under the new Governor and Burma Naik, with the Jemadar
+of the fort, was passing the wall which bounded her own court, she was
+already awake, preparing to rise and perform her ablutions previous to
+the early morning prayer, and the shuffling tramp of the men sounded
+ominous to her. What can it all mean she thought! Then the shot from
+above followed, but there was no response, and in a few moments more
+the shrieks of the dancing-women came loud and fast. She was not
+afraid, and got up, went through the high-arched kitchen to the door,
+unbarred it, and looked out into the yard, where several Beydurs whom
+she knew, and Mussulmans of the Governor, were standing, the latter of
+whom saluted her civilly as she asked them what had happened.
+
+"Nothing," said one of the men in reply; "nothing, but that the
+new Governor is come, and we have a new master. The new Nawab came
+from Beejapoor, and has taken possession, and the old Nawab is a
+prisoner--that's all."
+
+"And who is the new Nawab?"
+
+"Nay, mother, we know not yet, for we have not seen him. But they say
+he is a God-fearing man; and so he appears to be, for when the Azan
+was proclaimed, he spread his waistband, and knelt down and said his
+prayers in the little pavilion on the rock before the palace. And his
+men love him, and declare he is a true, kind man and a brave soldier,
+and that is the reason he was sent here."
+
+"It is a lonely place to come to," returned the old dame; "but he is
+married, perhaps?"
+
+"Oh, yes, mother! and has two children; and he will send for them
+by-and-by."
+
+"From Beejapoor?"
+
+"No, mother, from Juldroog, where he has been serving."
+
+"I know it well, friend. My lord, that is his father"--and she pointed
+with her thumb to the palace--"commanded the troops there, and I was
+with him and the Begum Sahiba. Ah! times are changed since then. Well,
+such is the will of God. And Osman Beg?"
+
+"He was found asleep, mother, and they did not harm him."
+
+"Asleep! Not drunk, I hope?"
+
+"I fear he was, mother; quite without sense."
+
+"Fie upon him! fie! How can he waken and show his face to pious men? It
+were better that he died; but he must fulfil his destiny, good or evil
+as it may be. I must, however, see to breakfast for the new lord and
+his people. Some things are left from last night; they will do for his
+men, but he shall have everything fresh, and as good, too, as Zuffoora
+can make it."
+
+The old dame had gathered all the information she needed, and now
+retired to her own private room, where she dressed herself in an
+entirely choice suit of clothes, braided her hair, and put on her small
+stock of ornaments; and, thus prepared, crossed the court, and entered
+the women's apartments of the palace. They were quite empty, but
+littered with faded garlands of flowers, broken pan leaves, and jars
+which had held palm wine, the stale smell of which was very offensive.
+Then she rolled up the curtains of one or two of the open arches to
+let in the wind, and called to the eunuchs to come to her. No one,
+however, replied, and she went on through the passage. The door of
+Osman Beg's chamber was open, and she looked in. He was still on his
+bed, snoring loudly, and two strange men were guarding him, and his two
+personal attendants were by him. They had thrown a warm coverlet over
+him, but she could see his face, which was flushed and bloated, and in
+Zuffoora's sight he was disgusting.
+
+"Come to me, Boodun," she said to one of the servants, "when he wakes,
+and I will send him some kicheri." Then she peeped into the hall of
+audience, which was a busy scene; and as it was quite light, though
+the sun had not risen, she could see everything. The new Governor was
+sitting in Osman Beg's seat, and the Moolla, the physician of the fort,
+the old Jemadar of the garrison, and some of the inferior officers,
+were sitting near him in their usual places. Others were coming in
+and presenting their nuzzurs, or offerings; some seating themselves,
+and others, retiring after having made their reverence, went out.
+There were two moonshees present looking over papers, of which one
+recorded the dates and addresses, and the other read them out to him;
+and beside these, there were the agents of the Zemindars who chanced
+to be in the fort, the Hindoo Patell and Patwari, and many others;
+so that the hall presented a busy aspect. Zuffoora-bee did not very
+well know what to do. Who was to tell the new Nawab that the cook was
+there, asking for orders; and the question would sound so odd amidst
+all the grave business going on, that she hesitated, but not for long.
+She was no coward, and she would at least show that she had the means
+of sending him food of which he must be in need, of ordering him a
+bath, and generally providing for his comfort. She therefore slipped
+forward confidently, yet modestly, and watched her opportunity till the
+Governor should look up, for he was reading a Persian letter, with a
+shade of anxiety upon his handsome face.
+
+"Who art thou?" he said, with a pleasant smile, when he put the paper
+down, and looking up saw a neat, respectable-looking woman saluting him
+with due reverence. "Who art thou? Thou art not such an one as I looked
+to find here!"
+
+"Your slave, Zuffoora-bee, is the cook, my lord, and offers her
+services. My lord must be hungry, and she wishes to know what he
+prefers, what his usual dishes are, and she will do her best to please
+him."
+
+"Thou art thoughtful and kind, Zuffoora-bee," he replied. "Any other
+woman would have run away, but thou art here and doing thy duty. Why
+dost thou trust me?"
+
+"I can trust one who is kind and gentle, as I hear my lord is. I can
+trust one who greets a poor slave with a smile instead of a curse, and
+who accepts her homage instead of having her pushed out of the durbar."
+
+"You are a flatterer, Zuffoora-bee," said the Governor, laughing; "but
+go now, we are busy; send me anything you like; I am a plain soldier,
+and can eat anything God sends me; and if you will show my people where
+I can bathe now and sleep to-night, I shall be thankful. When my food
+is ready, you can send it."
+
+"I will bring it myself, my lord, and see to the chamber and bath for
+you directly, for you must bathe ere you can eat comfortably," and
+making another respectful salutation, Zuffoora-bee walked proudly
+out. Inshalla! she, at least, had done her duty, and had been kindly
+treated, and now she would have her proper place in the new household,
+for she held her allegiance to the fallen Osman Beg to be already
+dissolved.
+
+The Furashes, who had been witnesses of her reception, were again her
+obsequious servants; the women's chambers were washed out and purified
+by pastiles; one of the spare beds was set out, carpets were spread,
+and the bath prepared; and when the Governor had bathed, put on clean
+light clothes, and sat down on the soft cushions prepared for him, he
+felt invigorated and refreshed; while in regard to his assumption of
+his charge of the fort and its dependencies, there was nothing to be
+desired: all had been perfectly successful and satisfactory.
+
+Then when Zuffoora-bee brought what she had prepared with her own
+skilful hands, some delicate kicheri, fresh fish from the river, some
+savoury kabobs, and an omelette, and spreading a neat dusturkhan, or
+dining-cloth, set the viands before him, and encouraged him to eat, he
+felt as though his lines had fallen in pleasant places, and that even
+among those rugged rocks he could be perfectly happy. He might, too,
+hear something of the old physician and his granddaughter, whom he had
+been directed to trace if possible, and in regard to whom his first
+report to the Queen must contain intelligence. Whether, however, he
+could obtain any from Zuffoora-bee or not was doubtful; and if it were
+given, it might not be true. Women of her standing were but too often
+ministers to their master's worst vices; and though the Moollas and
+all respectable persons in the morning durbar gave Zuffoora-bee the
+highest character, yet who could speak to her inner life? There was,
+however, no time to be lost; and after the excellent breakfast had been
+fully extolled, the Governor opened at once the subject of Zora and her
+grandfather.
+
+Now, if there had been one subject more than another on which
+Zuffoora-bee desired to open her heart fully to one in power, it was
+that of poor little Zora and the old man, her grandfather; and if her
+account were prolix, it was interesting to her hearer, and the details
+were given with tears and sobs which attested their sincerity and
+truth. Yes, often and often Osman Beg had endeavoured to persuade her
+to entice the girl to the palace, and become the means of her forced
+marriage and ruin; but since the old Dervish had--in consequence of
+his great astrological science and Osman Beg's character--declined to
+receive him as a husband for the girl, and as Zora herself feared and
+detested him, nothing was done till the women came from Moodgul, and
+Johur and Yacoot carried her up to the palace.
+
+"Then," continued the old dame, "the Nawab confined me to my own
+apartments, and the entrance to the kitchen was guarded. Zora and the
+two women lay in this room, and I was near. Oh! to hear her! Yet what
+could I do? If she had even sent me a message, I might have helped; and
+perhaps she did, for I heard the pan-seller's wife insisting on being
+allowed to pass to me, but she was turned out. I warrant, however, that
+she it was who sent word to Runga Naik, and then at night Zora fled
+with them. At least some say so, though others believe she fell into
+one of the deep holes between the rocks, and will never appear till the
+Day of Judgment. But I think she fled; and I, old as I am, would travel
+to Delhi if I thought there was any chance of finding her."
+
+"Yes, she fled, Beebee," said the Nawab, with a sigh; "but she cannot
+be traced now. Runga Naik has been absent. Burma Naik, who has also
+been absent, did not find her on his return; and now no one knows where
+she is gone."
+
+"Send me, my lord; send me; I will find her wherever she may be hidden
+away. God knows," she continued, sobbing, "she was so beautiful and so
+helpless that anyone might have seized her; and as to the old man, he
+is not only blind but hopelessly simple, and yet very obstinate. Ah, my
+lord! the more I think the more I fear."
+
+"And was Zora so beautiful?"
+
+"I never saw anyone like her," returned the dame. "I don't know what
+it was, but there was a sort of witchery about her ever since she was
+much younger than she is now, which no one could resist; and Osman Beg
+always said she was his fate, and he would have her even if he went to
+hell after her, for that was the wild way in which he talked to me."
+
+"And she escaped free and unhurt, and with her honour?"
+
+"She did, my lord. Osman Beg made a wild attempt to marry her the night
+Johur brought her up, but the Moolla protested against it; and though
+the buffoon Pundree, who is a Hindoo, my lord, made some pretence to
+be a Moolla, and to say the blessing, it was of no use, and Osman Beg
+waited till he could get the Kazee from Nalutwar. But send for Johur,
+if he likes he will tell you the truth; but you might cut him to pieces
+before he would say a word if he did not please."
+
+"I will examine him before you, Zuffoora-bee;" and, calling to an
+attendant, he bid Johur, the Abyssinian, be brought in.
+
+The slave's arms had been tied behind his back, because he had made
+some resistance, and bound so tightly, that he was in pain; and he
+piteously besought relief by loosening of the bonds. Two of the eunuchs
+who had charge of him, on being directed to do so, at once loosed the
+rope; and the Governor could see the tears spring to the slave's eyes
+as he knelt down, rubbed his forehead in the earth, and rising, stood
+before him, with his chest heaving and his cheeks wet.
+
+"Why are you kind to me, my lord? Do I not deserve death? Bid some of
+thy people behead me, then I shall not see Zora as I do now."
+
+"It is of her we would speak to thee, Johur; fear not, and tell the
+truth."
+
+"My lord," he replied, "your slave will tell everything truly. Often
+had I been asked to entrap the child, often to bring her here, but I
+would not. I was flogged for that, but never mind, I could bear it;
+see, here are the marks of the whip. Then Jooma was ordered to go; and
+he, too, refused, and was instantly beheaded before Osman Beg himself;
+and I can show you the hole between the rocks where his bones lie,
+where the stain of his blood is upon the rocks; even the rains have
+not washed it away, nor the sun bleached it. Then, again, when the two
+women came from Moodgul, he sent for me, and said, 'Go and bring Zora;
+if not, yours will be Jooma's fate before nightfall.' I was a coward,
+my lord; I ought to have slain him; but I trembled and I went; and
+Yacoot and I brought Zora and put her here, with the two women. But I
+watched. If he had attempted violence I would have slain him, for I
+never quitted his side. When the Moolla refused to marry him, my dagger
+was loose in its sheath. I watched him all that day, without taking
+food. I lay down at the head of his bed at night, only when all were
+asleep stealing out into the court here to see if the child slept. I
+was here when the owls hooted, and I watched her steal out silently,
+step over the eunuchs, cross the court, and pass on through the broken
+wall. I saw her last when she paused once on the top of the gap, and
+looked around her, and the moonbeams rested on her sweet face, and it
+shone like that of an angel. Oh, my lord, I am only a poor Abyssinian,
+and have no proper speech to tell thee all; but that is the truth, and
+I would have followed her then, only that one owl hooted again, and
+I knew she had friends to help her, and was safe. Harm! no harm came
+to her, my lord. Osman Beg was afraid of what the Moollas, the old
+jemadars of the fort, and the worthy men who sate in the hall said to
+him; and he knew there would be a mutiny if he dared to dishonour the
+girl. Indeed, had she not escaped, there would have been one when the
+second attempt at marriage was tried. And now, my lord, bid them give
+me water, for my throat is dry; and do not have me bound, for I can
+be true to thee, my lord, and can help thee to find Zora, my pearl,
+my lily, my Peri. Oh, my lord! how I love her! I, the poor slave, and
+would give my life for her. Will you not answer for me, Mama Zuffoora?"
+
+"I will," said the old dame, earnestly. "Let my lord send us both to
+find the child and the old man, and we will go. Inshalla! we will bring
+them back, and the old house shall be desolate no longer."
+
+"I will think about it, Zuffoora-bee; and when all means here are
+exhausted, I will send ye on their track, well believing your faith and
+love for the child. But, hark! they are calling me into the audience,
+and I must go. Come with me, Johur, and I will make thee over to my
+people."
+
+As the Governor entered the hall, he saw that a violent struggle was
+going on. Osman Beg had awakened from his drunken sleep with confused
+intellects, and seeing strange faces beside his bed and none of his own
+attendants, had risen, suddenly pushed away his guards, and rushed,
+half naked as he was, towards his usual seat in the hall; but he was
+held fast by many of the new and old garrison, and the new Governor
+advancing, bade him sternly return to his apartment. Osman Beg, who
+was a very powerful man, still resisted violently, and could he but
+have possessed himself of any weapon, would have done serious injury.
+It was in vain that the new Governor explained who he was, and even
+showed him the Queen's warrant. Osman Beg was in no humour to hear or
+to understand, and the struggle was renewed. After several warnings,
+therefore, and being obliged to listen to all the vile abuse poured
+out against him, to being called a coward, and a Kafir, a traitor,
+and a slave, the Governor directed the attendants to tie Osman Beg's
+arms behind him easily with a soft turban, and to take him back to
+the room whence he had come. It was the act of being tied, perhaps,
+which first really awakened him to a clear sense of his position,
+and after a time he began to weep. No one came to him, none of his
+slaves or servants, and he was parched with thirst, with a craving for
+food. Now, therefore, the services of Zuffoora-bee were called into
+requisition; she had food and some cool sherbet ready for him, and
+when he became more reasonable the Governor went to him. They had been
+old acquaintances, and knew each other perfectly well; and Osman Beg,
+promising to be quiet, was relieved from his bonds, which had only been
+loosened when he ate.
+
+"So long as it is not my virtuous cousin, Abbas Khan, who has been
+sent to relieve me, I do not care," he said. "The Queen has a right to
+appoint whom she will, and to recall whom she will, and you, sir, are
+welcome, though you have come in a rough fashion. I think you will find
+all the records correct, and I now give you the key of the treasury;"
+and he felt in his waistband for it, but neither was it there nor that
+of his private papers, and his countenance fell.
+
+"I have possession of all your private papers also, my lord," said the
+Governor. "It was for them that the surprise was made, and I already
+see that they are important. Nay," he continued, "may even imperil your
+life, my lord, and tally sadly with those which were read before the
+Queen in council the night that Abbas Khan slew Yacoot, the champion of
+Elias Khan, in the combat of ordeal. Hyat Khan, the Kotwal, found them,
+and I was present at their examination."
+
+"When did this happen?" asked Osman Beg.
+
+"Three days ago, my lord; I was present on duty at the palace that
+night, and I left the city before daylight next morning."
+
+"Then give me my papers, Meer Sahib, and let me depart to justify
+myself, and seek my wife, whom Abbas Khan has spirited away."
+
+"Your wife, my lord; who is she?"
+
+"She is Zora," he replied, "who lived here. Oh, Zora!" he cried in
+bitter pain, "this comes of thy sorcery. Let me go, sir!" he shouted
+fiercely. "Let me go! by what right do you detain me?"
+
+"By this, the Queen's warrant," replied the Governor, "which my
+secretary will read to you. You will see that your person is to be kept
+securely; your papers sealed up and sent to Court, where you will be
+summoned when the King's pleasure is known. I am not in the habit of
+exceeding my orders, or of using hardly men of rank superior to my own.
+Your papers are even now being fastened up, and two of my own men, with
+a party of the garrison and some Beydurs, will escort them to the city."
+
+From that time Osman Beg gave up hope, and fell back on his bed with a
+groan, covering his face. Had he possessed a dagger he might, perhaps,
+in his despair have stabbed himself; but as the first excitement was
+blunted, he grew sullen, would speak to no one, and refused for several
+days the food which Zuffoora brought herself, and vainly tried to
+persuade him to eat.
+
+Meanwhile, Zuffoora and Johur were impatient to be gone. Johur had
+discovered that Zora and the old man had left Korikul, and Burma Naik
+had even traced them beyond Kukera, on the way to Sugger. It was
+most likely that they were there; and the old dame, provided with a
+comfortable litter, a strong pony for an attendant, and her little
+baggage, and Johur, and ten stout fellows of the garrison, were
+despatched one day to their great joy with the almost certainty of
+recovering the child and her grandfather. They followed them easily
+for several days by slow marches. They heard of them at the shrine
+of Sofee Surmurt at Sugger, but beyond that there was no trace. A
+worthy weaver's wife told Zuffoora that a good matron of Gulburgah,
+when on her pilgrimage to the shrine, had taken charge of Zora and her
+grandfather; but as she belonged to a city beyond Gulburgah, who could
+tell where she might be? And thus it was that Zuffoora-bee and the
+Abyssinian returned to Juldroog weary and disappointed.
+
+Had Abbas Khan spirited away the girl on any pretence? The Governor
+could not believe what Osman Beg repeatedly asserted; but still it
+might be so, and he doubted. Otherwise the affairs of the fort went on
+regularly and comfortably. The Governor received deputations from the
+Nawab of Moodgul and the Beydur Naik of Wakin Kera, and all respectable
+neighbours round; but the only thing in which he had failed was not
+being able to trace Zora. We, however, who have much interest in the
+child and her old grandfather must endeavour to do so.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+A NEW HOME.
+
+
+I need hardly take the reader back to the day when, rescued from Osman
+Beg's vile designs, Zora and her grandfather abandoned their peaceful
+home. All the incidents relating to that event will, I think, not have
+been forgotten, and need not be recalled. It was a piteous sacrifice,
+but it was well for the girl that it had been, as it were, forced on
+her grandfather and herself, and that no compromise was made with, or
+trust reposed in, the unscrupulous tyrant of the fort.
+
+I say it was well that they had abandoned all, and fled. They were
+indeed passive instruments in the hands of a more experienced and
+powerful person who long before had taken a just measure of the Nawab's
+violent and treacherous character, and most especially dreaded his
+designs against the orphan girl who, as all knew, had no friends among
+her own people, except the poor inhabitants of the village in which
+she had lived all her life, and they were helpless to protect her.
+The result justified Runga Naik's extreme measure. No sooner was the
+escape of Zora known to the two women who had charge of her, than their
+shrill cries aroused the eunuchs, who were supposed to be keeping
+watch outside, and instant search was made for her among the rocks in
+the vicinity of the palace, but in vain. They then in turn raised an
+alarm, and Osman Beg himself, it being now daylight, was roused by his
+attendant, and a new search was begun, which, as we know, ended in
+disappointment. The two eunuchs who had already been pinioned, and were
+expecting no less punishment than death, were put into heavy chains,
+and flogged till they could bear no more, and thrust into a dungeon.
+There one of them had died of his wounds and of neglect; the other,
+worn to a skeleton, being released by the new Governor as soon as his
+place of confinement and condition were known.
+
+After the two eunuchs had been disposed of, Osman Beg, attended by his
+Abyssinian slaves and some of his retainers, descended from the palace
+to the village, where every one with whom Zora or her grandfather
+was known to have associated was flogged, or otherwise tortured, to
+disclose the place of their concealment. The old house was ransacked
+in vain, and every hiding place among the rocks that was in any way
+accessible searched for the fugitives. It was soon known, however, that
+they had crossed the river, and that Runga Naik and Burma had carried
+them off; and the Nawab would willingly have seized the Beydurs of
+the fort if he had dared; but they set him at defiance, and he was
+too weak to attempt interference with more than a hundred stout,
+well-armed men. Nor, indeed, was the proper garrison of the fort in at
+all a placable mood. They were, for the most part, Mussulmans, and were
+disciples of the old Syud, and had Osman Beg meddled with them in any
+way, he might not have escaped with his life; and he wisely retired to
+the palace, while Zora's friends contented themselves with drawing up
+an account of the whole transaction, and transmitting it to Beejapoor,
+but not at once; for in Indian subjects of this kind there are always
+discussions as to the expediency or otherwise of complaint.
+
+If successful, remedy is obtained; if otherwise, the complainants
+fall into an infinitely worse plight than before. In this case the
+formal petition of the garrison, the village people, the Moollas of
+the mosque, the acting Kazee, and all other respectable persons, had
+reached Beejapoor the day after the new Governor had left; and the
+Queen Chand Beebee, already in possession of the facts, had given a
+very gracious reply to the petitioners, promising them justice as soon
+as the officer whom the Government had despatched should make his
+report.
+
+From all this it may be inferred that had poor Zora and her helpless
+grandfather not been taken away, very serious consequences might
+have ensued. If there had been an attempt to conceal the girl in the
+island, and she had been discovered, there can be no doubt that the
+last indignity would have been inflicted upon her. If, again, she had
+been openly protected by the garrison, much bloodshed might have taken
+place; and though Runga was sure of his own Beydurs, he was by no means
+so sure of the Mussulman portion of the garrison who might adhere to
+their Governor.
+
+For himself and Burma he was quite regardless of consequences. He was
+too strong at Korikul and Kukeyra, as well as in every village of the
+frontier, to be meddled with. He had no fear of Beejapoor, to which he
+was rendering important services every day; and he knew that Osman Beg
+dare not complain against him, because of the forcible abduction of
+a holy Syud's granddaughter, and the connection with Eyn-ool-Moolk's
+conspiracy, the threads of which Runga held in his hands. Osman Beg,
+though he would have given all he possessed to be revenged upon Runga
+Naik, knew him to be beyond his reach; and perhaps the most unbearable
+indignity he suffered on his deposition from power, was the hearing
+from Burma's own lips in the public cucherry the story of the rescue
+of Zora, and the means by which it had been accomplished, which was
+corroborated in every point, and which, delivered with infinite zest
+and humour, caused roars of laughter.
+
+There was, however, one point on which Osman Beg seemed to be
+inflexible. He declared that though the Moolla and Kazee of the fort
+had refused their offices in regard to Zora's marriage to him--and
+those present on the occasion gave equally clear and convincing
+testimony as to the non-performance of the ceremony, and the indignity
+put upon all by being asked to partake in such a mockery--in spite
+of all this, Osman Beg steadily persisted in asserting that Zora
+was his wedded wife; that he had had means in private of having the
+ceremony performed, to which Zora had consented; and that wherever, and
+howsoever, he might meet her or find her, he would claim her as his
+wife before the King, the Queen, and all the ecclesiastical or other
+courts of law in Beejapoor.
+
+The Governor could not account for this, and he could not obtain
+the evidence of the two women from Moodgul. Osman Beg, in his blind
+fury, had, without reflection, had the hair of both cut off, their
+faces blackened, and mounted them barebacked upon asses; they, with
+the money he had given them, which he was too proud to take back,
+were sent across the river towards Moodgul. There they had complained
+to the Nawab, who declined to interfere; and all that was known of
+Mama Luteefa and her confidential servant was, that they had gone
+to Golconda, to pursue their avocations in a place where they were
+unknown, or at least were not remembered. It is possible, I think, if
+Osman Beg had retained them in his service, or had not ill-treated
+them, he might have instructed them how to support his unvarying
+assertion that Zora was his wife, though she had escaped from him,
+as he believed, to join his cousin Abbas Khan, with whom she had
+had communication while he was confined to the fort by his wound.
+Day after day did the Governor return to the case, and had gradually
+accumulated all the evidence procurable, which was attested by the
+Moollas, Khadims of the mosque, and Sheykh Baban, the Jemadar, all of
+whom expressed not only their willingness, but their desire, to be sent
+to Beejapoor should the case go to trial in the head Mufti's court. Of
+this, however, there will be more to say hereafter; and in this seeming
+divergence our only wish is that the reader should lose no point of
+importance in the thread of this history.
+
+On the night, or rather the morning, of Zora's escape, she and her
+grandfather had been taken from the bank of the river direct first
+to Jumalpoor, and afterwards to Korikul. The old Dervish had been a
+passive instrument in Runga's hands. He had heard with the utmost
+terror of Zora's abduction; he had cried to the Lord in an almost
+perpetual moan for the child's protection, and he had wandered from the
+house to the mosque to pray, and, finding no comfort, had returned to
+the house and moaned there. He had searched all the women's apartments,
+and called her name repeatedly, almost to the weariness of old
+Mamoolla, who had chidden him for not putting better faith in God and
+in the child's friends. Had not the pan-seller's wife twice come and
+declared that as yet the child was safe, and would be rescued before
+any harm could reach her. But all in vain. The old man could not be
+brought to understand how the Nawab, with all the forces of the fort at
+his disposal, could be outwitted by at most two or three men; how his
+darling could be brought to him openly through the fort, even though
+it might be by secret paths. The poor old man's mind was a chaos of
+utter misery and despair, which found no rest or hope in any assurance.
+He suffered Runga's men to remove all his property, which they did
+carefully and honestly; and, as even Mamoolla said afterwards--for
+she, also, was too much excited in her mind to be capable of any
+thought--without losing an end of a thread or a bit of string. All the
+old Syud's books, his drugs, his medicines, his charms and amulets--in
+short, everything that he prized on earth--had been carried away.
+
+And so it was with Zora, her two cows and the goats, her books and
+simple clothes, and the strong box which contained some gold and
+ornaments which had belonged to her mother. And when they reached
+Korikul, which they did the next day, Runga Naik had all opened in her
+presence, and his Brahmin scribe made inventories of what belonged to
+both, as also did Zora at the same time. So far, therefore, all was
+well; they had lost nothing, but the change was very sad and very hard
+to bear. From the first glance at her, the Lady Keysama had taken a
+prejudice against poor Zora, who appeared to her like a young dancing
+girl; and although her clothes were poor, not to say mean, and she
+had no ornaments, indeed, presented only the appearance of an ordinary
+Mussulman's daughter, yet, with all, there was a look of intelligence
+and of superiority in her glorious eyes, in the carriage of her head,
+and her figure in general, which at once separated her from anyone of
+inferior grade to herself.
+
+The Lady Keysama did not like this. She even felt jealous of poor Zora
+when she arrived and was led in by Runga Naik, preceded by two Beydur
+slave girls. Keysama had, indeed, risen to salute her, bade her be
+seated, asked a few questions, to which Zora had replied timidly, for
+the fame of the lady's fiery temper was notorious through the country,
+and was not unknown to her, and almost immediately dismissed her with
+the gift of a new sari, a muslin scarf, and a piece of soosi cloth,
+with some pan, hoping that she would find comfortable lodgings and live
+happily. In truth, the dame had already entertained a violent jealousy
+against Zora, and, in the course of a day or so, told her husband that
+she doubted the whole story of the abduction, and that it was evident
+he had brought her for his own purposes.
+
+The Lady Keysama was not, ordinarily speaking, a jealous wife, but
+she was suspicious, and mistrustful of anything out of the ordinary
+course, such as the rescue of Zora; and as she said to herself, if the
+Nawab had carried off any one from Korikul, would not her lord resent
+it; and what did it matter to Runga whether the Nawab married the
+pale-faced girl or not, it was no business of his, and his bringing
+her to Korikul was, in her estimation, entirely unnecessary and
+unjustifiable. I do not mean to say that she openly accused her kind
+lord of infidelity to his face, or that he had to endure lectures upon
+the subject, but what has been recorded was in her thoughts; and it is
+not extraordinary, if the tempers of Eastern women be considered, that
+she set herself to watch, and that her ears were open to any reports
+and conjectures which her humble friends might bring to her.
+
+Meanwhile for some days Zora and her grandfather were very comfortably
+established by their friend in an empty house which had belonged to a
+weaver, who, for reasons of his own, had left the town and established
+himself at Sugger; and as the house he had lived in was the property of
+the lord of the town, it was now at Runga Naik's disposal. True, it was
+not so commodious as that at Juldroog, but it was more than sufficient
+for them. It was close to the mosque, and a door from a spacious yard
+behind opened into the ground which surrounded the mosque, part of
+which was a cemetery overshadowed by some fine trees. The Moolla lived
+hard by on the other side, and his wife was a kind, motherly woman,
+and paid them frequent visits. As usual with most mosques, there was
+a large colony of pigeons attached to it; there were parroquets and
+mynas, with other birds in the trees, so that Zora and her grandfather
+were soon at their ease, and rested thankfully under the shelter of
+their protector's hospitality, and the old man soon began to find his
+way to the mosque at prayer-time; and as Mussulman weavers are for the
+most part pious persons, there was always a good attendance, especially
+at afternoon prayer, when the day's work was done.
+
+The fame of the sanctity of the aged recluse of Juldroog had for years
+past been spread throughout the country even to a distance; and though
+he had not assumed the title of saint, or made any pretensions to be
+one, yet had he died in Juldroog, there is little doubt he would have
+received all the honours of one after that event. Miracles would have
+been asserted as proceeding from the worship of his last resting-place,
+and there is no doubt it would have risen in popular esteem. Indeed, it
+was evident that, even in this strange place, the veneration for the
+old Syud was increasing.
+
+As he sat daily in the mosque, and discoursed eloquently upon the
+sublime subject of "Turreequt," or path to Heaven, he charmed and
+delighted his hearers; and the rank of the old recluse as a Syud, his
+eloquence and kindly manner of teaching, had a wonderful effect on his
+audience, who had never listened to words like his before--unless,
+indeed, they went on some pilgrimage to any celebrated shrine, where
+holy and learned men assembled and instructed the people in sermons.
+Then the Syud's fame as a physician was perhaps among the lower
+orders even greater than that of his learning, and was not confined
+to Mussulmans but extended to Hindoos, to whom, although they were
+unbelievers, he was as charitable and attentive as to his own people.
+
+Thus between morning prayers and noon, and frequently afterwards, he
+was asked for advice; and he wrote charms, amulets, exorcisms, and
+the like, with the help of Zora, who, except when he was expounding
+doctrines in the mosque, never left him. Every day at the hours of
+prayer, when the muezzin had cried the Azan, or invitation, Zora used
+to lead him forth by the door in the yard-wall; and some considerate
+poor folk had made a smooth path from thence to the steps of the
+mosque, where there was always someone present to help him up; and Zora
+would either return to old Mamoolla, or, folding her scarf over her
+face, say her prayers in some corner of the building where men did not
+look at her.
+
+Runga Naik did not come to them very often, he had many things to
+look after--his people, and their caste, and other disputes, such as
+shares of land and produce--and for this purpose he sat daily on a
+chubootra, or platform of earth, which had been made hundreds of years
+before, around the trunk of a venerable neem-tree, and where his father
+and grandfather, and ancestors long ago, had sat before him. This,
+indeed, was his public court, open to all comers; and was simple and
+effective, because he was patient and listened to everyone, either
+giving a summary decision himself or referring cases to arbitration.
+It was a patriarchal mode of proceeding, which was the custom of his
+clan; and if there were no lawyers, no agents, no pleaders, nor indeed
+anyone but plaintiff and defendant and their witnesses, perhaps the
+justice meted out was none the less efficient, and, at all events, the
+people desired nothing more. Sometimes Runga was absent for a few days
+on business with his chief at Wakin-Keyra; sometimes he went with a
+large escort to collect his dues or blackmail in the district west of
+his own territory; and whenever he did go, he provided liberally for
+his guests during his absence, and they had rations of flour, pulse,
+ghee, and vegetables direct from the house, with which the Lady Keysama
+did not interfere. She only, and that perpetually, threw out hints to
+her husband that "that great girl Zora ought to be married; that she
+was ashamed of seeing her come to the house (for Zora did pay a visit
+sometimes to the Beydur lady, though her castle was an unclean place to
+her), and that he ought to insist upon her grandfather's settling her
+in life; and no doubt some worthy man might be found who would gladly
+marry one so learned and so beautiful."
+
+But Runga Naik had no such intention. I think he remembered that first
+night at Juldroog, and that Abbas Khan desired no better blessing
+in life than to gain Zora for his own. Before he attempted to bring
+that about, it was necessary to follow up the scattered parties of
+Eyn-ool-Moolk's rebellion, especially the members of Abbas Khan's
+troop who had deserted him; and, as he thought, allowing ample time
+for his young friend to reach Beejapoor, he set out for the western
+districts in the direction of Belgaum; and yet at that very time,
+within a distance of thirty miles, Abbas Khan was lying in a small
+village grievously ill with the return of his fever and the reopening
+of his wound, of which the reader has already been informed. But so it
+is in life, when a blessing, above all things precious, lies at our
+very doors, we often fail to know of it, or even of its very existence.
+Runga had no time to lose, he thought, and his desire was to hasten to
+Beejapoor direct, should he have any success in his expedition. Should
+he have none, he could return and take on Zora and her grandfather to
+Beejapoor, that the old man might lay his complaint of ill-usage before
+the Queen, or the King if he had returned. Runga had no idea of who the
+old Syud was--that was known only to Abbas Khan, whose intention was,
+as we know, to have him sent for; but the gracious message of the Queen
+had gone too late, and when all attempts to discover Zora and the old
+man were fruitless.
+
+Before he left Korikul, however, Runga Naik and his wife had come to
+extremities about poor little Zora. We need not detail the gradual
+increase of acerbity and jealousy on the part of the Lady Keysama. Now
+he was going away (she put the matter in that light), who would be
+responsible for the girl? She herself--and she put her hands to her
+ears, and called all the gods to witness--would not, and could not.
+She had enough to do in attending to her own poor folk, about whom she
+knew, or could find out everything, whereas about these strangers she
+knew nothing. He might be very fond of the girl, there was no doubt of
+that; but an unmarried girl of her age and appearance, with nobody near
+her but a feeble old servant--well, she would say nothing herself, but
+let him ask the neighbours, let him ask the Choudhree of the Momins,
+and hear what they said about Zora, who, she thought, was only fit now
+to become a public dancing girl, and if she took to that profession
+she would be welcome. Had she not been heard singing words that no
+one understood to unknown tunes? Where did she learn them? As to the
+defamatory part of the Lady Keysama's tirade, we decline positively to
+enter into it. When a woman of the Lady Keysama's temper, whatever be
+her station in India, or whatever her caste or sect, condescends to be
+abusive, her words cannot be translated, or even paraphrased; and such
+was the excitement the lady worked herself up into, that Runga, who
+had never been subjected to the like before from his wife, got fairly
+alarmed. "They must go," he said; "but how to tell the old man and
+Zora!"
+
+Yet it must be done. With Zora and his old friend he must part; but
+with his wife, the mother of his children, the admirable mistress
+of his house, the respected and beloved of all, he could not part;
+and she had distinctly said that if the girl were not sent away, she
+herself would go to her father's house at Wakin-Keyra, and tell the
+story so that all should hear. Her father was the brother of the Rajah
+of the clan, whose enmity Runga Naik dare neither risk nor provoke;
+and he knew enough of his wife's determined spirit to believe she
+would do exactly as she threatened if he did not do as she requested.
+No; on those hard conditions he could not afford to protect Zora; her
+grandfather, whom all, even his wife, loved and honoured, could not be
+separated from her, and, therefore, they must go.
+
+So several days before the Brahmin astrologer had predicted one
+favourable for the departure of his little expedition, he went
+privately to the old man, knelt down reverently at the threshold of his
+door, and confided to him what has been recorded, and besought pardon
+for the apparent rudeness he was obliged to commit. The tender-minded
+fellow's heart, as he said, was broken by his wife, who, without cause,
+had put this shame on him privately, and was ready, to her own shame,
+to make it public. Now it was known to his friend only, and he might
+offer counsel in his extremity.
+
+The old Syud was inexpressibly shocked and grieved. The very last thing
+he had thought possible had come to pass. Was, then, Zora, his little
+Zora, so much advanced in girlhood that it was immodest or dangerous
+to allow her to go about unveiled and untended, as she had used to
+do? Was she, indeed, of marriageable age, and in permitting her to go
+abroad was there even a suspicion of immodesty? He could not see, and
+his experience of worldly matters had faded out. Still Runga Naik, and
+above all his wife, could not be mistaken. Else why should suspicion
+and jealousy have arisen? And now a horrible thought flashed into the
+old man's mind. Could Runga have carried off Zora for his own purposes?
+It might be so; otherwise, why did his wife suspect him? "Ya, Alla
+Kureem, protect us!" he cried in his misery. "We are but two helpless
+creatures, a girl and a blind man, trying to serve Thee! Oh! suffer us
+not to fall into misery, which Thou alone canst avert!"
+
+Zora was visiting the family of the Choudhree, or head of the weavers,
+that day; and she was fond of doing so, as his wife was in reality kind
+and motherly, and much interested in her helpless condition. That day
+she and her children had insisted on bathing Zora, dressing her hair,
+and putting on her a suit of new clothes, for which her husband and
+his men had woven the materials, and his wife had made them up. And
+when Zora, duly dressed and anointed, was placed in the seat of honour,
+and the children were decking her with garlands of jessamine, and
+calling her bride, their mother said gravely to Zora, "And it is time
+thou shouldst be so in reality, darling, to be able to live a decent,
+respectable life, and bear children. I was not thy age, Zora, when I
+was married; and what has thy grandfather been doing that he has not
+arranged this long ago? It is time thou, child, shouldst no longer have
+the mantle of reproach cast over thee."
+
+"Of reproach, mother?" said Zora, her lips quivering and tears starting
+from her eyes. "No one has ever reproached me; no one wants me; no
+one has ever asked me in marriage; and many have told me, that one of
+the noble Syud race would have honour in putting on the green dress,
+and renouncing the world, living a humble and devout life, doing good
+works. Oh, mother! speak no more to me about marriage, for I cannot
+bear it."
+
+"Well," said the dame, "I will tell my husband what you say; but of
+late both he and I have been distressed by hearing things that ought
+not to be spoken."
+
+"God help me!" said the girl, "for I trust in Him. I will speak to Abba
+when I go home, and pray him to take me away from this. No, mother,
+wherever we go we are Fakeers, and the world is open to us, and the
+ears of the Hearer of prayer are never shut. Yes, I see it all, mother,
+now, and we must go."
+
+"And have you any means of support, my child?" asked the dame.
+
+"Oh, yes," returned Zora, "God feeds Fakeers as He feeds the ravens and
+the wild birds, who cannot work. True, I can embroider, and do many
+things for myself if there be need; but Abba can be rich if he pleases.
+The offerings he receives every day amount to many, many rupees, and
+yet he refuses almost all; and those he keeps are only what I take up
+from his carpet, when people leave them. No, mother, there is no fear
+of want; only to beg for our daily bread is painful, and we take only
+what the merciful Alla sends us." The dame could say no more; and the
+children were awed into silence at seeing their mother and Zora so
+grave; and though Zora tried to be merry, and did what she could to
+amuse her little companions, even to singing Maria's songs, her heart
+was heavy and sad, and the children instinctively clung to her and
+tried to cheer her, when they saw the tears welling from her eyes and
+coursing each other down her cheek. Zora did not rally, and went home.
+
+Meanwhile, Mamoolla had come from the Bazar, and her master called her
+to him, and questioned her in regard to Zora, and as to whether any
+remarks about the child had come to her ears. Of course they had. Who
+could keep a great girl like that in the house, and allow her to go
+about without restraint, and not hear reproach. At Juldroog everyone
+was accustomed to see Zora abroad, but here, in a populous place like
+Korikul, it was quite another matter, and people would talk; who could
+stop their mouths? As to the child herself, there was not a suspicion
+of immodesty about her. She was as pure as an infant, but still that
+would not help her if the world were uncharitable.
+
+Mamoolla was talking to her grandfather when Zora returned, escorted
+by two stout journeymen of the weaver's; and as she threw off the sheet
+that had covered her, she hastened to her grandfather, and laying her
+head in his lap, burst into tears.
+
+"I know, I know, my darling," he said, putting his trembling hands upon
+her head, "thou, too, hast heard the foul reports, and may God forgive
+those who set them on foot. Ameen, and Ameen."
+
+"Let us go, Abba," she cried, sobbing. "The world will not have us as
+we are, but the merciful Lord is our refuge. Let us go, Abba; whither
+He guides us we cannot fail or perish."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+AMONG FRIENDS.
+
+
+The next day being Friday, or the Sabbath, there was a larger
+attendance than usual in the mosque, for all God-fearing men, and some
+women with them, did no work, and attended the stated prayers. After
+the noontide devotions, there gathered round the old Syud a great
+number of people, and he thought it a good opportunity to take leave of
+them. Accordingly, after begging all to be seated, he addressed them
+much as follows:--
+
+"You have been kind to me, friends," he said, in a voice much broken
+by emotion, "and, had it been the will of the Disposer of all events,
+I would have remained with you till I died. But man's will is not
+God's will, and my heart tells me, nay, whispers to me unceasingly,
+by the Lord's prompting, 'Thou hast not attained what is desirable
+and necessary for those who aspire to perfection in the holy calling
+of a true Syud. Thou callest thyself a Dervish, and some call thee
+Mushaekh, or holy one, but thou hast not attained even the rank of
+a Fakeer. Thou hast never been elected; thou, old as thou art, hast
+never chosen a leader in the way of heavenly life (Turreequt), and
+that above all things is needful for thy acceptance before God. Thou
+hast led an easy life, never undergoing privation, and it is only in
+relation to thy charity and good works that thou hast been protected
+so far; and thy removal here was an act of divine mercy, and thy first
+step in the Turreequt, which thou must fulfil. Seek, therefore, some
+godly saint of great knowledge and experience in holy mysteries, and
+tarry not till thou hast found him.' 'Tarry not! tarry not,' my heart
+cries to me day and night. 'Thou art old and growing feeble, and if
+thou delayest, a blessed portion may not be thy lot. Death may claim
+thee, and after this warning what answer canst thou make to Moonkir and
+Nukeer, the angels of death, who will examine thee in the tomb? and
+how wilt thou be enabled to cross the bridge Al Sirat, sharper than a
+sword?' Therefore, O beloved friends and brothers, my soul trembles as
+it dwells on these divine truths. I cannot rest under them; I must seek
+rest; I must follow the path of eternal life which has been opened to
+me. I must not fear to meet the angels of death.
+
+"I have been spared nearly eighty years, and have been idle and
+slothful. True, I can plead that I was a prisoner and had no free will
+of my own; but I am a prisoner no longer, and must go forth and speed
+on ere it be too late; and therefore I go as I am, guided by the Lord,
+and must not tarry, lest I be too late and fail."
+
+Then the whole congregation burst into passionate weeping, and many
+cries arose of "Stay, stay with us, and fear not, for thou art holy
+and aged, and the Lord will have mercy on thy infirmity! Thou art
+leading us as no one ever led us before. May the Lord reward thee!"
+
+But the old recluse had prepared himself for all this. If it were
+necessary for him to leave the town on Zora's account, and that
+seemed to him imperative, he had for some years past meditated the
+assumption of the order of a Fakeer leading to that of a Mushaekh.
+He had applied for permission to visit some holy shrine and make
+his public profession, but in vain; no one had had the authority in
+Juldroog to grant such permission to a State prisoner, even though
+his name and rank were unknown; and the Nawab Osman Beg's denial, on
+his application, had been peculiarly offensive and discourteous. Now,
+however, he was free; and, although that might have been a matter of
+accident, the old man had come to the conclusion in his own mind that
+it had been appointed by the Lord, and he reproached himself bitterly
+that he had ever murmured against the seeming violence, and, indeed,
+dishonour, which he had had to undergo on his sweet child's account.
+
+The people saw it was no use to urge the old man further. He had
+determined upon his own course, as most believed, by divine influence,
+and who dared to oppose that? He told them finally that his friend,
+Runga Naik, their lord, had provided him with a residence at the quiet
+village of Kukeyra, where he should rest for a while in solitude, and
+that any of his friends who desired ghostly council, or medicine, or
+amulets could visit him there. Then he got up, and placing his hands
+upon the heads of the children who were brought to him, and on those
+who surrounded him, he departed amidst the prayers, blessings, and good
+wishes of all.
+
+On his return home he found Runga and Burma without, sitting under the
+tree in the court-yard, who came forward and touched his feet with a
+lowly reverence.
+
+"I have taken leave of them all," said the Syud, with emotion; "but it
+is well, it is as God wills, and whatever our destiny may be, it must
+be fulfilled. The Lord has vouchsafed to me a much clearer view of my
+duty than I had at Juldroog, and that, whatever betide, I must follow.
+My only anxiety is about Zora; and I have no fear, for the Almighty
+will raise up friends to her; the orphan will not be deserted. To Abbas
+Khan I have confided who I am, which even you must not know yet; and, I
+think, he will help her, wherever she may be, when I have passed away."
+
+They could only weep, for the old recluse was dear to them both,
+notwithstanding their difference of faith. And the old man continued--
+
+"To you, Runga Naik, I commit what worldly property I possess, which
+is all in the box we have sealed up; and I pray you to keep it, to be
+reclaimed by Zora if ever she is in a condition to do so. Keep it
+in your own treasury. There is not much in it; some ornaments of her
+mother's, some gold that belonged to her, and such jewels as I was
+presented with when I was at the King's court in honour. If I die, my
+child's rank would be known by them. Now she shares my condition of a
+Fakeer, and we can live on the alms the faithful may bestow upon me.
+And you spoke of a temporary resting-place at Kukeyra, is it ready for
+us?"
+
+"Burma has been arranging it, and it is now ready for you, Huzrut; but
+it is a poor place, only a thatched dwelling, in which an old Fakeer
+lived for many years, and died lately. It is in a little garden by
+itself, just outside the village gate; but my men there have orders to
+watch it day and night, and no harm can come to you. You will be nearly
+alone, for except the Moolla, who is very ignorant, there are but few
+Mussulmans, and they are only poor weavers and cultivators. Ha! who
+are these? Some visitors to ask your blessing, Huzrut; are they to be
+admitted? By the Gods! I see men from Juldroog, and one of the Nawab's
+slaves, what can it mean?"
+
+"Has Zora returned?" asked her grandfather. "Mamoolla, is the child
+there?"
+
+"I am here, Abba," she replied, coming to the door of the house. "What
+need you?"
+
+"Runga tells me that some persons have come from Juldroog, thou hadst
+better keep thyself close;" but, as he spoke, the women entered by the
+outside door; and as she slunk back into a dim corner, she saw that the
+arrivals were Mama Luteefa and Shireen-bee, her servant, who saluted
+the old man with respect.
+
+"We have a letter from the Nawab," said Mama Luteefa, "and he has sent
+us to deliver it and to plead for him."
+
+"As-tagh-fur-oola! God forbid!" cried the Syud, putting his hands to
+his ears, "that any message should reach me from that bold, bad man.
+Leave me; I will not hear you."
+
+"He is penitent now," returned the Mama, wiping her eyes. "He will do
+whatever you please."
+
+"He is worn to a shadow," said Shireen-bee, sniffling and blowing her
+nose. "He will die of grief, Huzrut, for Zora-bee. Will she not relent?
+Osman Beg will have the grandest marriage performed."
+
+"Here," interrupted Mama Luteefa, "if Zora wishes, in the midst
+of her friends. He will come without a following, and place
+himself--he--he--in voluntary captivity to the beauteous Zora. He will
+settle on her a dower of fifty thousand rupees, and an elephant could
+not carry the clothes he has provided. If my lord will read his letter
+he will see that I tell the truth."
+
+"Let Zora open and read it," said the old man, gently. "She can choose
+for herself. I will say nothing, for rank and wealth may have favour
+in her sight, though they have none in mine. Zora! Zora!" and she came
+forth, veiling her face, and sat down beside him.
+
+"Read this," he said; "it is from Osman Beg; and I would that these his
+emissaries heard thy decision from thine own lips. Open the letter and
+read it to me."
+
+The epistle was from Osman Beg himself, whose orthography and spelling
+were none of the best. He had evidently not trusted his moonshee to
+copy it. It contained all that Mama Luteefa and Shireen had enumerated,
+and much more in a fulsome style of flattery; and he would come to
+Korikul, with his body servants only, to celebrate the marriage at any
+time, or by any person, that might be approved of.
+
+It was as much as she could do to read the letter. Zora's face flushed,
+and her eyes glowed at the remembrance of the insult and indignity
+which had been put upon her; and when she had read it and put it down,
+she burst into a violent flood of tears. "He might have spared thee
+this last indignity, Abba," she sobbed, "knowing, as he does, that we
+have been obliged to fly from his tyranny and become wanderers. And
+these women, who failed to persuade me once when I was in their power,
+might have guessed what the result of their mission would be when I
+was free. Yet you are not to blame, Mama Luteefa. You were following
+your trade, and he was giving you gold. He has even bribed you again.
+Enough that you think it honourable and good. Now hear the last words
+I will speak to either of you. Go! tell your master that I am now,
+even as I was then. No wealth can tempt me, no threat can terrify
+me; I go whither he cannot find me, and am henceforth a Fakeer with
+my grandfather, whose lot I share, whatever it may be, till he passes
+away. Go! and trouble us no more."
+
+"And that is your answer, Zora-bee?" said Mama Luteefa, somewhat
+scornfully. "You refuse, child, all that I had contrived for you."
+
+"I have spoken," returned the girl; and she sat still, idly picking up
+pebbles from the sand.
+
+"And how didst thou cross the river, Mamajee?" asked Runga, in his
+rough Dekhan dialect.
+
+"What business is that of yours?" said Shireen-bee. "My mistress does
+not speak with Beydurs."
+
+"Perhaps she would speak; perhaps she would be made to speak if I had
+her head shaved and she were set on an ass. I am master here, and can
+do justice after my own rough fashion. Will ye answer the question?"
+
+If it had not been painful to witness, the terror of the two women
+would have been ludicrous. They looked hither and thither without
+seeing the possibility of aid, and at last fell down before the old
+Syud in an agony of alarm. "Mercy! mercy!" they cried frantically.
+"Spare us; we are only poor women earning our bread. There in the fort
+he threatened us; here we are also terrified. Mercy! mercy! let us go,
+and we will hasten away."
+
+"Ye have not answered my question, Mamajee," rejoined Runga. "How did
+ye cross the river?"
+
+"The Nawab sent us by the lower ferry, and we said we were on a
+pilgrimage from Moodgul. We went round a long way before we could reach
+the place. They would not let us cross from the fort."
+
+"Good," said Runga, with a smile of content. "Then our people are not
+to be tempted; and we must secure the boats below, Burma. As ye did not
+come by the upper ferry, ye shall return by it," he continued to the
+women; "and when ye get back offer fatehas that your hair is on your
+head. Take them, Burma, and despatch them by Jumalpoor; and if ever I
+see you again here, or hear of any of the Nawab's people being on this
+side the river again, I will have their ears cut off and tied about
+their necks."
+
+"And there is no answer to our master's letter?" said Shireen, somewhat
+impudently. "And what shall I say to him from thee, my fairy?"
+
+"Begone!" shouted Runga. "Up, and begone! Else beware! I am not used to
+have my will disputed;" and seizing them by the shoulders, he pushed
+them out of the door into the street; and in a few minutes more, with
+fresh bearers for Mama Luteefa's litter, they had passed the gates
+under an escort of Beydurs, and were on their way. We need not detail
+their reception in the fort; suffice it to say that two days after
+Osman Beg directed their hair to be shorn, and, riding on asses, as we
+have already mentioned, they were expelled the fort.
+
+"Shookr! Shookr! Thanks, a thousand times, that they are gone. Runga,
+I owe this to thee; else they had persecuted me, and Zora, too, poor
+child. Do not weep; you are safe now. Blessed be the Lord! Safe from
+persecution! Hast thou the letter, Zora?"
+
+"It is here, Abba. What shall I do with it?"
+
+"Keep it for me," he replied; "I would fain have it shown to Abbas
+Khan. Wilt thou take it, Runga?"
+
+"Nay," he replied, "I should but lose it; let Zora keep it safely. And
+now, Huzrut, be led by my advice. Meeah must have reached Beejapoor
+before this, and some of my people are going for their yearly State
+services. As I have told thee, I am obliged to go westwards; but they
+will escort thee safely, and make ye both over to Meeah if he be there;
+and if not, get ye a lodging near the Chishtee Saint, in the quarter of
+the Dervishes."
+
+The old Syud shook his head. "No," he said; "the path of my salvation
+lies to the east, and the Murdan-ool-Ghyb points thither on Monday,
+when we must depart. I cannot, under the revelations made to me, change
+my direction or my purpose; and after what has happened to-day, I feel
+as if there were additional pressure put upon me to depart speedily."
+
+"As you will, Huzrut, as you will," said Runga, kindly; "only I wish
+it were otherwise. I wish you would go direct to Beejapoor, and sit
+down at the palace gate till you are recognised and relieved. This
+travelling is a sore trial both to you and the child; and who have you
+to help you?"
+
+"Do not care for me, Abba," said Zora, with a sweet smile. "Now they
+are gone I have no fear--none. And you know we shall have Ahmed with
+us, Runga Naik; he refuses to leave us, and says he will become a
+Fakeer with Abba. So we shall not be alone. And perhaps I shall become
+one also, if Mamoolla does; but I have not felt the call yet, and shall
+wait awhile."
+
+"Take my advice, my child," said Runga. "If I am not wrong, and my
+Brahmin astrologer is not wrong, there are better things in store
+for thee than the skirt of a Fakeer, even if there be some pain in
+attaining them; and Vishnu Punt is a strangely wise man, who can tell
+everything. Shall I bring him to thee?"
+
+"No," she said, quietly. "That might not be lawful for me. Nothing can
+possibly turn Abba from his purpose, and I should only be perplexed and
+terrified if your Brahmin's directions were different from his. No; let
+me be. I do but follow my fate, Runga Naik; and be the way rough or
+smooth, it must be travelled in faith and trust."
+
+No more remained to be done. All Saturday and Sunday there were other
+sad services in the mosque, and during both days visitors were
+constant, begging for charms, amulets, and medicines; and by many small
+gifts of money, vermicelli and other simple necessaries were provided.
+Finally, early on Monday they left Korikul, soon after daylight,
+after partaking of an early meal which the Moolla and his wife had
+prepared. Burma Naik, with an escort, accompanied them, the old Syud
+and Zora riding easy ponies with saddle-bags, which Runga had procured
+for them, with Mamoolla mounted on another, which carried their small
+amount of cooking utensils, while the simple Ahmed drove another pony
+laden with their worldly goods. So the little procession was formed,
+which went out of the gate of the town eastwards to Kukeyra, and which
+was followed with dim, tearful eyes by Runga. "When shall I see them
+again?" he murmured. "Whither may not the old man's new projects lead
+him? Free, after years of seclusion, he will not now readily settle
+down, even for Zora's sake, and in respect to her is as simple as a
+child. May the Gods protect them, and lead them safely."
+
+It was a fresh pleasant morning when the little party left Korikul, and
+the strange, novel motion was delightful to Zora. All her life she had
+been confined to the gloomy fortress and its rocks, with the roaring
+or murmuring river ever in her ears. Now there were green fields and
+luxuriant waving grain; cotton with its bright yellow blossoms, and
+wayside plants and flowers all new to her. In place of the frowning
+rocks of the ravine of Juldroog, there was an open fertile country,
+with some low hills on the left hand, and a level plain to the right
+which sloped gradually down to the great river, which could be seen at
+intervals gleaming in the sun, while the rugged peak of the fortress
+seemed to rise out of the basin of hills and rocks; and Zora could
+even see the small white pavilion on the high rock before the palace,
+where, in days gone by, she had often sat to watch the cataract and
+the boiling foaming river beneath it. Should she ever see them again?
+Even her grandfather, generally so silent, was stirred by a new sense
+of freedom which he had not known for years. Ah, so many now! Aged as
+he was, he felt a new strength and power as the stout beast he bestrode
+with the air of a cavalier walked on firmly and speedily. "This is
+delicious, Zora!" he cried. "No longer the few steps between the house
+and the mosque, no longer the close stifling air of the narrow ravine
+of Juldroog, but the free fresh air of the country and the fields. I
+cannot see them, child, but their perfume refreshes me, and I feel new
+life and vigour. Surely it is a blessed beginning of the path we have
+chosen; and thou, be thankful then in thy heart, child, as I am."
+
+"I am thankful, Abba," she replied, urging her pony up to his side.
+"And I am free, too, from the danger that threatened me. I could never
+have been at peace in Korikul after those women had found us out; and
+Burma tells me there is no danger now, for there are Beydurs in every
+village, and there will be orders given to pass us on from stage to
+stage, and to guard us always. So we can go miles and miles, further
+and further; and he will take care of the cows and the goats while we
+are away, and send them to us when we return, or wherever we may be."
+
+And thus they travelled on their first stage of a few miles, chatting
+with each other, while the old man every now and then recited portions
+of the Koran, or from Persian poets that he remembered, and even
+passages in Arabic of the Turreequt, which at last he had undertaken.
+Presently Burma Naik, who had been riding in advance, stopped and said
+to them, "Yonder is the village, and my horn-blower will sound a signal
+that we approach. It is my own village, the Beydurs there belong to my
+division, and my wife and family live here, but when Runga is away on
+his duty I reside at Korikul. Is not my home pretty? I think it the
+most beautiful of all our villages, and there is not one empty house in
+it. But you will see it better when we get nearer."
+
+Even from the distance they were, the appearance of Kukeyra was very
+inviting. It seemed like a large cluster of houses rising towards the
+centre, and was embosomed in trees and gardens. To the left the low
+range of hills rose considerably, and were covered with wood, part
+of which extended along the road by which they were travelling, and
+being without underwood or jungle, looked like a park. Cattle were
+grazing in large numbers on the short green sward, or lying under the
+shade of large trees. "This is our hunting ground, lady," said Burma
+to Zora, "and there are plenty of wild hogs in the small ravines up
+there; and when they are driven from thence they take to the islands
+in the river, so we always know where to get them when we have a hunt.
+And look! yonder are antelopes grazing in a herd, and there are hares
+and pea-fowl among the grass, and my people protect them all. You have
+never seen these things before."
+
+"No, indeed," replied Zora; "how could I in the fort? But I have seen
+panthers and bears climbing about, and pea-fowl sometimes came down to
+the river side to drink, and I and other girls used to look at them."
+
+"Well, you shall see all here, if you like--that is, if Abba does not
+object. But here no one is veiled, for we are all Beydurs, except a few
+farmers and weavers, and but seven families of Mussulmans, one of whom
+is the Moolla; but he is not like Abba; he cannot read or write, and,
+indeed, is not very different from a Beydur, and he is a capital shot."
+
+Zora's eyes opened wide at the idea of a Moolla who could only shoot
+well. "And there is no mosque, then?" she asked.
+
+"No, lady, not even one; there is only a thatched shed which is used
+for the Mohurrum, which the Beydurs keep as well as the Mussulmans; but
+you will see all yourself. Now blow thy horn, Bheema," he said to the
+trumpeter, when they had reached the summit of a slight elevation,
+which gave them a better view of the village. "Blow stoutly, that
+they may hear;" and the blast was long and varied, with a peculiarly
+strange cadence at the close. It was evidently heard, for after a short
+interval, during which they remained where they were, a similar blast
+was blown from one of the towers of the gate, on which there was a red
+flag with a figure of Hunooman, the monkey-god, on its field in white.
+"Well blown, Krishna," said Burma, laughing; "'tis a hearty welcome to
+you, Huzrut. If the Rajah himself had been approaching it could not
+have been more complete; and hark! there are the pipes."
+
+As they neared the village, Zora saw how prosperous it looked. All the
+houses to be seen were perfect, and the wall itself was perfect too,
+and its bastions firmly built of stone. Gardens filled the space up to
+the wall, among which were some graceful clumps of bamboos, with mango
+and tamarind trees, with gardens of lemon trees for supplying the dyers
+at Korikul with the juice of the fruit, as well as the population for
+domestic use. Here and there, too, a solitary cocoa-nut tree waved its
+graceful foliage in the air; and as to date palms, they were numerous
+in groves to the south. Zora expected to see their new home at every
+turn, but there were only solitary huts in the gardens, for watchers
+and labourers.
+
+At last, near a large bright green sugar-cane field, they met the
+village procession and the musicians, who kept up a spirited but
+shrill piece of music intended for a welcome, accompanied by their own
+drummers; and four Beydurs, with their large tambourine drums, leaped,
+strutted, circled round and round, and performed their most elaborate
+exercises. The din of the music prevented Zora from asking questions,
+and the party could only follow the lord of the place, who rode first.
+At the gate of the village, however, was the real reception. Pointing
+out the venerable Syud to all, the authorities, that is, the head man,
+or Patell, who was not a Beydur, the Kurnum or accountant, a Brahmin,
+the blacksmith, the carpenter, and many others, touched the old man's
+feet and Zora's, and bid them welcome; and they waved trays with
+lighted lamps in them, and flowers over their heads; and when this was
+all done, the little procession formed once more, and proceeded through
+the main street of the village, which was cleanly swept, and the houses
+ornamented with bright cloths which hung over the parapets of their
+roofs.
+
+The street was lined with men and women, holding up their children to
+see the holy man; and Zora already saw several faces among the women
+that she knew, who had come to Juldroog for medicine for their children
+or their husbands; and it was evident she was not forgotten. Every one
+was dressed in their best, and the whole place seemed what it might be
+at a festival. Thus they passed out of the eastern gate of the village,
+and almost close to it, a little withdrawn, was the Tukeea, or "Pillow
+of residence," which was to be their abode.
+
+It was a low, long thatched cabin, whitewashed without, standing in
+a small piece of ground by itself, and shaded by a noble banyan tree
+and others about its precincts. A cloud of parroquets, green pigeons,
+mynas, and other birds, rose from the giant branches, and flew
+screaming into the air as the music passed from under the gateway, and
+gladdened Zora's heart. When had she not had birds about her? Then
+Abba was lifted from his pony, and a carpet spread in the shade, and
+everyone came and bowed before him, and bade him welcome. Even little
+children were held out by their mothers, that the old man might lay
+his hands on them. And the Moolla was there, who looked like a Beydur
+soldier more than a priest, and besought Abba to teach him something.
+Then the time came at which they might enter the house, which, it must
+be told in secret, had been fixed by the Brahmin astrologer, as there
+was none other; but he was present also, as were others belonging to
+the temple, to welcome one for whom all the country round had respect
+and affection. Indeed, it was a moving sight to see all these people,
+strangers in faith and previously unknown, receive the venerable Syud
+as they did, and pay him honour; and Zora's heart was stirred within
+her, and she wept tears of joy as she sat behind part of the trunk of
+the giant tree and heard women calling to her, "We bless you because
+you helped the sick and denied no one."
+
+Then her grandfather was led into the house by the Moolla and the
+Patell, as accepted by the whole community; and Zora and old Mamoolla
+followed, and found the place neat and clean and very commodious,
+for there were three comfortable rooms, that in the centre being the
+largest. There was a kitchen behind, a shed for the two cows and the
+goats, and a verandah along part of the front, in which her father
+could sit. There was a well near the house, where many people from the
+village came to draw water. Above all, it was very quiet, fitted for
+religious meditation, and, as Zora thought, the very place for her
+grandfather in his present frame of mind. And when all had retired, and
+the beds they had found ready for them were covered with their thin
+mattresses and quilts, and the old man lay down to take rest after his
+unaccustomed exercise, he called Zora to him, and she went and put her
+head into his lap, and he said, with a quivering voice, "The Lord has
+been good to us, my child, forget not this in thy thoughts;" and he
+lay down, and slept peacefully. Without were the songs of birds; the
+cooing of ringdoves and pigeons in the great tree; the fresh breath
+of the sweet air came through the doorway, and the murmur of voices
+in the village seemed assuring. Without, a bed of purple amaranths
+and marigolds glowed in the sun, and pretty lizards basked in it, and
+chirped, or sometimes looked towards the house as if to say, Who have
+come to disturb us? Yet it was a pleasant place, and full of rest and
+peace; and she was thankful, very thankful.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+A DARING ATTACK.
+
+
+It is very probable that the readers of this tale have never even
+heard of the Beydurs who have some part in it; but their history and
+position are interesting, and at the risk of a short digression we will
+endeavour to explain enough of both to help to assure the reader that
+they are real people, and not mere invention.
+
+The Beydurs, under the name of Veddur, still used by the wilder part
+of the tribes who inhabit the mountains and forests of south-western
+India, are what is termed ordinarily one of the aboriginal races, as
+seen in their native condition in the forests of Travancore and Mysore.
+They are savages, wearing little or no clothing, cultivating no land,
+except in isolated instances, and subsisting upon fruits, roots, and
+the like, and collecting honey, bees-wax, and other forest produce,
+which they exchange for such articles of clothing and such necessaries
+as are indispensable. These portions of the tribe are now comparatively
+few in number, and altogether unimportant. They have been driven at
+some ancient period from the plains into the mountains of the west, and
+have not emerged from their original barbarism.
+
+Other portions of the tribe which remained, in the plains of southern
+India and in Mysore became, in some respects, civilised, and at one
+time attained a considerable degree of power, which, however, was
+shattered by the great Hindoo dynasties that gradually arose long
+before the Christian era, and the Veddurs, now adopting the appellation
+of Beydur, became soldiers and tillers of the soil, but never artisans,
+or reaching any degree of education. Under chiefs of their own, some
+small principalities were formed westward of Madras, some of which
+still exist, but most have disappeared in wars with the first Mussulman
+invaders and with ourselves. In North-Western Mysore, also, the Beydurs
+attained considerable power. They held many strongholds, and were
+feudal vassals of several Hindoo dynasties before the arrival of the
+Mussulman invaders in the twelfth century; and although the last of
+these dynasties, that of Beejanugger, fell to the Mussulman arms after
+the battle of Talikote in A.D. 1564, yet the chiefs of the Beydur
+tribes submitted to them, and became powerful feudal vassals.
+
+The wars between the Hindoo kingdom of Beejapoor and the Mussulman
+kingdoms of the Dekban had continued for several centuries, and their
+great field of battle and object of contention was the province which
+lies between the rivers Krishna to the north and Tamboodra to the
+south, the capitals of which are Moodgul and Raichore. It was sometimes
+in possession of the Hindoos and sometimes in the Mussulmans';
+thus the allegiance of the Beydur clans became divided; and as the
+Mussulmans confirmed their hereditary rights and privileges, many of
+the Beydur chiefs entered their service; and, as the tribe at large
+were the best infantry soldiers of the period, their service was always
+valuable.
+
+This portion of them were the allies and servants of the great Bahmuny
+Mussulman dynasty of Gulburgah and Beedur, and rendered essential
+service in guarding these southern frontiers, as well as in many
+general actions; and from having in the early period been confined
+to the frontier of the Tamboodra river, they gradually extended
+themselves over the Raichore Dooab, and their chiefs formed small
+principalities which originally must have been independent, or held
+in feudal service, but which how exist only in name. In northern
+Mysore, the chieftainships of Chittledroog, Hurpunhully, once powerful
+minor states, were overwhelmed by Hyder Ali and Tippoo Sultan, and
+the present representatives are now pensioners under the British
+Government; and the last Beydur state, Shorapoor, situated in the
+Dooab, which lies between the Bheema to the north and the Krishna
+to the south, having rebelled in 1858, was attached, and is now the
+property of the Government of His Highness the Nizam.
+
+At the close of the sixteenth century, however, the period of our
+tale, this Beydur principality held a high position. A portion of the
+tribe had at first, probably about the fourteenth century, crossed
+the Krishna, and their earliest settlements were at Korikul, Kukeyra,
+and the villages on the left or northern bank of the river; thence
+they spread all over the province, their chief or naik selecting
+Wakin-Keyra, a village at the extreme end of a rugged chain of
+hills, where there was a strong position, as his capital, which he
+fortified. The tribe then could muster twelve thousand well-armed
+infantry militia; and beside these the Rajah had a force of other
+soldiers, horse and foot, amounting to about four thousand more. His
+revenues were not derived from the land only, but from dues in various
+provinces, being a percentage on the revenues--this, in most instances,
+being literally the Beydur's black mail; and as the militia not only
+assisted the reigning King of Beejapoor, but protected the whole of his
+eastern frontier against aggression by the King of Golconaa, the tribe
+was held in high estimation, and certainly fought bravely wherever they
+were employed.
+
+Thus, in this history, we find them not only at Juldroog but at
+Beejapoor, and marching under Runga Naik to the King's camp, which was
+in the field north of the Bheema. These intimate relations between
+the Beydurs and the kingdom of Beejapoor continued till its fall
+before Aurung Zeeb; and almost the last resistance the great Emperor
+encountered in the Dekhan was at Wakin-Keyra, which, after a noble
+defence, through several separate sieges, fell at last under the
+attack of a very large army which had been summoned from the south of
+India for the purpose; and the Rajah, finding Wakin-Keyra too weak and
+too confined for a permanent residence, took up a new position in a
+secluded basin of the range, and founded the town of Shorapoor, which
+is the present capital of the district. Shorapoor had held its own
+against the Nizam, the Mahrattas, and Tippoo Sultan. It had avoided
+collision with any one, and had increased in wealth; but of late years
+it had been misgoverned and oppressed, and the name only of its former
+power remained, and it at last fell to rise no more, under the effect
+of a foolish attempt on the part of its Rajah to attack a British
+force, in which he suffered a disgraceful defeat.
+
+The Beydurs as a people are essentially different from ordinary
+Hindoos. Some of them attend Hindoo services and conform to the
+ministrations of Brahmins, but for the most part they are followers
+of the Lingayet doctrine, or hold to their ancient aboriginal worship
+of natural objects, glens, water-falls, rocks, trees, and the like.
+They do not accept or desire education in any form, and are of a
+freer, bolder type--both in manner and customs--than ordinary Hindoos.
+They are great sportsmen in all respects; bold in following tigers,
+panthers, and bears on foot; and ordinarily they live upon whatever
+game they can shoot or snare. In person both men and women are
+remarkably neat and clean, and their homes and villages well kept.
+They are also industrious cultivators and farmers, and own a great
+quantity of land in their province. They are likewise public carriers
+of cotton and salt to and from the coast; and, in short, are rarely
+idle, and by no means dissipated. Formerly they were dreaded for raids
+on their neighbours, and in cattle-lifting especially were most daring
+and expert; but those times and deeds have passed away, though their
+memory lives in many a song and legend.
+
+Beydurs hold themselves to have no caste, and they eat everything
+except carrion, and such birds or beasts as feed upon it. They also
+object to beef, because the slaughter of kine is offensive to Hindoos,
+and especially to Brahmins. They marry exclusively into their own
+tribe, and rarely have more than one wife, though their chiefs take as
+many as they can support.
+
+Perhaps we need not follow the Beydur clans further, and we have
+recorded enough to explain the position they occupied at the period of
+our tale in the country in which its action is laid, and where the clan
+still exists, not in its former rude splendour and strength, but as
+peaceful and industrious inhabitants. I may mention that I had intimate
+experience of them for eleven years, when, during the minority of the
+late and last Rajah, I ruled over them and their province alone. But to
+resume.
+
+The time passed pleasantly and quietly in the new home, and there was
+no jealous wife to disturb it. Burma's wife was his second, a fine
+young woman of hardly twenty as yet. His first wife had died while yet
+very young, and had born him no children. The present, Enkama, had
+two, and her home was a happy one. She managed her great good-natured
+husband admirably; and so long as she did not interfere with his office
+as part guardian of the frontier and head of the Kukeyra portion of
+the tribe, she had full liberty to do as she pleased with household
+and farming affairs. She had many buffaloes and cows, and her dairy
+produce was large. She was fond of her gardens, in which all kinds of
+vegetables abounded, which she sent regularly to the market at Korikul;
+and when the river was fordable, even across the river to Goorgoonta
+and other towns. She superintended the ploughing of the land, sowing,
+weeding, and gathering in of the crops, with a delight she did not
+conceal; and while ready to punish lazy labourers, men or women, was
+kind and considerate to those who served her well. Most charitable was
+she, too, and kind to all; and, as the people said, there was ever a
+blessing following her, and increasing her store. In the house or out
+of the house she was never idle. When the morning meal had been served
+to all, consisting of piles of jowarree bread, pots full of boiled
+pulse, and vegetables, of which she and her husband partook also,
+and the floors were plastered with liquid clay, she sat down to her
+spinning wheel with her servant, and so worked till it was cool enough
+to go out again. Sometimes she rode a strong pony; at others, with a
+long staff in her hand, trudged over ploughed fields, or watched the
+weeding of crops which, without her supervision, would be carelessly
+done by the lazy hussies who were hired to do it. A clever cotton
+picker, too; not ashamed to work all day in the field, and carry home
+a bundle on her head bigger than any one else's. Withal a pleasant,
+cheery woman, of no particular beauty, truly, but of an upright
+graceful figure, whose lines were like those of a Grecian statue, with
+a pleasant good-natured expression of face, and the whitest teeth. Not
+fair in colour, but a rich ruddy brown, which had strong healthy blood
+coursing under her skin.
+
+Here was a new friend for Zora, for whom she took a great liking, and
+whom she constantly came to see, bringing with her whole baskets full
+of household sweetmeats, vermicelli, fruits, vegetables, and whatever
+she thought would be liked; and she always enjoyed a short chat with
+the girl under the verandah, or most generally, when the ground was
+dry, under the great banian tree. Enkama knew nothing, so to speak,
+except tales of the deeds of the Gods, especially of Krishna, and
+scraps of the Mahabharut and Ramayun, as she had heard Brahmins and
+bards recite them; but she was a great authority upon the subject of
+the old wars between the Hindoos and the Toorks, as she called the
+Mussulmans, and could recite the ballad legend of King Firoze Shah and
+the Goldsmith's Daughter of Moodgul, and the death of King Majahid
+Shah, who had broken the image of Hunooman at Humpee. She was thus
+a pleasant companion to Zora, and Zora in turn appreciated the good
+dame's sound practical sense, industry, and kindness. They could not
+be intimate friends, because Enkama saw how much she was below Zora
+in knowledge, and how different were the courtly manners of the girl
+from those of her own Beydur class; indeed, Zora's language in ordinary
+conversation was so refined in comparison with her own, that she felt
+birth and intelligence had separated them very far. Very often she
+sent her children with the servant to play under the great tree, and
+would find Zora with other girls, making dolls'-houses or dressing up
+dolls, and making dolls' feasts to amuse the little ones. Reader! there
+is the same common humanity everywhere, and a Beydur child with a rag
+or wooden doll and a pennyworth of sugar to feed her companions is as
+proud and happy as the aristocratic child whose doll has cost, we will
+not say how much, and whose cradle is trimmed with lace and covered
+with eider down.
+
+Then there were a few Mussulman girls in the village who, though
+young, could learn something; and their mothers, who knew nothing,
+gladly brought them to Zora, who could teach them sewing, to mend
+their father's clothes, how to knit his drawers-strings, and to
+begin embroidery. Zora had sold all her stock of embroidered caps
+and boddices, and had gained a good many rupees by them, and she
+was working others as fast as she could to get more. So these were
+pleasant occupations, and she had pleasant, innocent company; and,
+besides all this, she had to help Abba in his "Turreequt, or path to
+Heaven;" and, as he could not read, and the books he had were Arabic,
+she had to follow his recitation, and when he missed a passage or a
+word, to spell it for him as well as she could, when he would give her
+the proper pronunciation and explain the meaning, and thus she felt,
+if he persevered, that she should gain some superficial knowledge of
+that language which might be of use to her hereafter. And was Maria
+forgotten? Ah, no! but was the more preciously remembered; and when
+Zora was tired of reading or working, and lay back on the little carpet
+she had spread under the giant tree, she could look up among its
+interlacing branches and watch the doves and wild pigeons, the flocks
+of paroquets, flying in play from branch to branch; the old horned owls
+come out of the holes in the tree and peer about, the little grey owls
+twitting and constantly on the move, and the beautiful lizards chasing
+each other from hole to hole along the deep furrows of the bark; and
+listen, too, to the pleasant singing birds, who, though seldom to be
+seen among the deep foliage, yet twitter songs of their own which were
+pleasant and soothing to listen to. Yes, those were happy days, and
+they passed smoothly and uneventfully for some weeks, and as if they
+were never to come to an end. But Zora knew better than this. She
+knew that her grandfather's restlessness would again come on him, and
+that the Turreequt could not be fulfilled in Kukeyra. Meanwhile, her
+dreamy life continued; nor will we say how much the night scene with
+the wounded and delirious Abbas Khan mingled with it. Had he forgotten
+her? Ah, no! she hoped not, for he seemed ever present with her; but
+their lives had drifted so far asunder. And Maria had not replied to
+her simple little letter, to which an answer might have arrived by one
+of the messengers who constantly brought letters from Beejapoor before
+she left the fort. Yet still she trusted and hoped, and the faith of
+the girl was not shaken.
+
+Nor was her grandfather idle; and though he was evidently becoming more
+and more absorbed in his religious meditations, he had not given up
+the concerns of the world. There were only a few families of ignorant
+Mussulmans in the village, most of the members of which could not even
+repeat the Belief; but these were gathered together on Friday (the
+Sabbath) for instruction such as they could comprehend; and as Friday
+was the weekly market-day of the little town, many Mussulmans came with
+their field and garden produce, and weavers with their manufactures;
+and then the old man had larger gatherings and regular prayer services,
+and preached to them on simple subjects, most especially against
+drinking palm wine, which, not being wine or spirits, was held to
+be excusable and allowable. So the residence of the Syud and his
+granddaughter at Kukeyra was not devoid of usefulness; and, in spite of
+its being a Beydur town, and therefore held to be generally unclean,
+their lives were peaceful and undisturbed. But this was not to be of
+long continuance.
+
+Huleema, the eldest daughter of the Moolla, a handsome and intelligent
+girl, and Zora's most advanced pupil, had long been betrothed to the
+son of the Moolla of a town some miles to the north, where resided the
+only Kazee of the province, and where a number of Mussulman weavers
+lived. Now, the period of marriage was fixed, the Kazee had consented
+to perform the ceremony, and had appointed the day. Invitations had
+been issued to all friends, but that to the old Syud was brought by the
+girl's father and mother, who besought of him to come to their house
+and pronounce the final blessing. There would be such amusement in the
+course of the evening as poor folks could provide, and there was an
+empty room at his service, while Zora could remain with the women of
+the family.
+
+The old man demurred at first, but Zora pleaded that he should go. She
+had promised the girl to be with her at her marriage if her grandfather
+remained at Kukeyra, and as yet he had not signified his intention of
+travelling onwards.
+
+The day arrived, and in the afternoon Zora, casting a sheet about her,
+led her grandfather through the village gate and small Bazar up to the
+Moolla's house, which was in one of the principal streets, and from
+the high roof of which there was an extensive view to the south, west,
+and east. A screen of bamboos, covered thickly with date palm leaves,
+had been erected as a sunshade, and here most of the women guests
+were assembled, who received Zora with homely courtesy and welcome;
+but Huleema could not spare her friend, and Zora was soon engaged in
+the preliminary ceremonies of bathing, anointing with ground turmeric
+and sandal wood paste, similar offices being performed by men for the
+bridegroom, and these ceremonies, of which we spare the reader the
+detail, necessarily occupied some hours.
+
+Meanwhile the old Syud was very happy. The men, and especially the
+Kazee of Kembavee, had received him with affectionate courtesy, and
+they had placed him in the seat of honour, and offered him sherbet to
+drink. Of course there was no one so learned as himself, but the Kazee
+was a man of some education, both in Arabic and Persian, and had read
+some religious books of an easy character. He had also a knowledge
+of law and logic, and a slight acquaintance with ordinary works on
+medicine. He had studied in the colleges of Beeder and Beejapoor,
+and from the high court of the latter held his diploma as Kazee. The
+appointment he occupied was a lucrative one, as his dues extended all
+over the province. Some other intelligent guests were present, and
+the evening passed pleasantly enough. Then the Shubgusht, or marriage
+procession, formed before the house, and the bride being seated in a
+palanquin, her husband followed on a stout pony, both being dressed in
+red muslin garments as gaily as possible. It was a public procession,
+the gates of the village were open, and strangers from other localities
+mixed freely with the crowd that thronged the streets. Burma Naik, who,
+being a Beydur, could not take a part in the ceremony, nor sit among
+the chief guests in the house, had nevertheless held a court of his
+own in the outer portion of it, now headed the procession on his fine
+horse, and was accompanied by a number of his men, who fired their
+matchlocks and cheered the bride with those strange shrieks and yells
+in which the Beydur youth delight. Thus, what with these, the blasts
+of many horn-blowers, the pipes and drums of several villages, and the
+general noise and clatter, nothing could be distinctly heard, and all
+was merry confusion.
+
+The procession was to pass along part of the Bazar, then traverse the
+main street to the west gate, and, returning by the only other wide
+street to the Bazar again, proceed as far as the east gate, whence a
+deputation would convey an offering to the old saint's tomb, which was
+under the Banian tree. Such had been the programme, which was rudely
+interrupted. As the procession had reached the western gate, a sudden
+shouting of "Thieves! Thieves! Dacoits!" was heard, and several shots
+were fired. There had been strong guards posted at both entrances, and
+some of the armed men ran up the Bazar to reinforce the eastern gate,
+while Burma and about fifty of his men dashed through the western gate,
+and guided by the shots and shouts, passed down a lane which ran round
+the south side of the village among the gardens. Here was a point at
+which several roads separated, and here he stationed some of the men,
+posting himself opposite, so that no one could escape. It was evidently
+an attack by Dacoits, under cover of the noise and merry-making of the
+marriage procession, but against whom? And he set his teeth, drew his
+sword, and awaited the approach of the fugitives and their prisoners,
+and in a few moments they had arrived, some twenty men, a strong band,
+who might have overpowered by their sudden rush any weaker persons
+than those who now met them face to face. Crying to his men to spare
+none, he attacked the strange party, and in a few moments several were
+wounded, two killed outright, and six taken prisoners. The rest, many
+or few they knew not, escaped through the hedges which lined the road
+into the thick gardens and sugar-cane fields, and were beyond pursuit.
+But Burma had as many as he wanted, and the men's hands being tied with
+turbans, they were escorted to the village gate, where the Chaoree, or
+town hall, was situated. This was common ground, and Beydurs, as well
+as others of all castes, crowded into it. Among those who had come down
+from the Moolla's house were the Kazee of Kembavee, some respectable
+Moollas and weavers, with Brahmins, and generally most of those who
+had not joined the procession. A few, however, remained with the old
+Syud.
+
+"I was about to send for you, Kazee Sahib," said Burma Naik, "and you
+must help me to inquire into this. And do ye all, sirs," he continued
+to others, "assist me to do justice. One of my men, a fine young
+fellow, first in the pursuit, has been speared by one of the Dacoits,
+and is already dead; another, I fear, is dying. This is murder, and
+justice must be done. Were I alone, indeed, I should dispose of them at
+once without mercy; but as the representative of the King is present,
+I shall do nothing till he has spoken. Bring up the prisoners. Ha!"
+he continued, as one was led forward, "thou, Kalloo! Methought thou
+wouldst not have tried thy hand here."
+
+"Be quick," said the man, a tall, powerful fellow, who still held a
+spear shaft in his hand, from which the blade had been removed, "be
+quick; hear what I have to say, for I am dying. Give me a drink of
+water;" and someone handed a vessel full to him, from whence he drank
+greedily. "Enough!" he said, as he gave it back. "Listen, Burma Naik,
+you know me, Kalloo Jutt, and I deny it not. I have done my last deed.
+There, read that, and you will see why I did it, and what it was to
+have been. Ah! I was a fool to disobey the omens, but there was no time
+to delay. I can speak no more."
+
+Then the Kazee opened the paper in which a letter was wrapped, and
+which the robber had taken from his waistbelt. It was in the Mahrathi
+character, and the village accountant was called upon to read it. Twice
+he cast his eyes over it, and seemed as if afraid to do so, when Burma
+Naik snatched it from him, and said, "Now come and read it, while I
+look over it with thee. But, Kazee Sahib, it bears the seal and the
+signature of Osman Beg, the Governor of Juldroog, and I can guess what
+its purport may be." And the document ran thus:--
+
+"To Kalloo Naik Jutt, from Nawab Osman Beg, Bahadoor, greeting, and
+health and grace from Alla attend you.
+
+"Whereas Zora, the granddaughter of the Syud Dervish who lived here,
+has escaped, and is now at Kukeyra, under the protection of the rebel
+Burma Naik, and lives in a house outside the entrance gate of the
+village, you are therefore to go there with your men and take her up
+and bring her to me, without hurting even a hair of her head. I do
+not want the old man, he is useless to me; but if he resist he can
+be slain. These are my orders; and if this service is well done, and
+without hurt to Zora-bee, who will belong to my harem, I will hold you
+free from all question by the Government in case any trouble shall
+arise; and I will give you, on receiving Zora-bee aforesaid from your
+hands, the sum of five hundred hoons of gold.
+
+"You are to believe this fully, and act on it fully, and without fear.
+
+    "The seal and signature of Osman Beg,
+    son of Heidur Beg, Toorcoman."
+
+"How strange!" cried the Kazee; "I received a letter from him only
+yesterday, asking me to come to Juldroog to-morrow, and having rested
+here to-night, should have gone to him."
+
+"Yes!" said the dying man, faintly, "Mother Bheemee, from Raichore, was
+to have received her; and I sent my aunt Chimee to find out about the
+marriage here."
+
+"I thought I had seen the old witch once in the Bazar, and only that it
+is not safe to cross her, would have had her head shaved."
+
+"It was a narrow escape," said the Kazee; "the Lord be praised for it,
+and that I am delivered from seeming connection with this sin."
+
+"And I say," continued the robber, who sat up, with staring eyes, as
+if making a supreme effort, "I say, and bear ye all witness, that the
+Nawab told me to get the child to him before morning, and he would
+dishonour her. That the Kazee was only a sham, and would not be allowed
+to cross the river;" and then, with a violent effort, he tore away the
+bandage which had for the time restrained the bleeding from the wound
+in his neck; the blood rushed forth, and with a shrill scream he fell
+back and died.
+
+"A sad event for a merry marriage," said the Kazee; "but it is evident
+to us that the innocent are protected by the Almighty. Let no one tell
+the lady or her grandfather; let them sleep in peace. As to the rest of
+the prisoners, deal with them according to border custom. There is no
+law in the case."
+
+"Yes," said Burma, grimly, "I will deal with them; and see, this has
+been brought from beneath the banian tree."
+
+It was a common rough bedstead, with bamboos at each corner tied
+together. Underneath the place where they joined one large thick pole
+had been introduced to carry it by, and over all a thick black blanket
+was cast, which would have at once concealed and secured the inmate;
+and had anything occurred to prevent Zora going to the marriage, the
+expedition of the Jutts might have been successful.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+THE FIRST ALMS.
+
+
+The old Syud had heard nothing of the alarm of the previous night,
+which had been carefully concealed from him and also from Zora; and
+after early morning prayer, they took their leave and returned home
+with Ahmed and their old servant, Mamoolla; but as soon as they
+arrived, Mamoolla's tongue was at once loosened when she saw that the
+chain and padlock of the door had been cut in two, and two of the
+Beydur guard at the gate followed them to ask if anything were missing.
+
+"Oh, Zora-bee!" cried the old woman, who seldom spoke except on small
+domestic matters, "only to think that robbers attacked the house
+last night, and have carried off my two best cooking pots that were
+tinned newly last Bazar day, and were as bright as silver. How shall I
+cook your breakfasts? Where shall we get others? Alla! Alla! And the
+master's quilt and mattress are gone, and your petticoat and scarf that
+I had washed and hung up to dry! Oh, Zora-bee! And they have taken
+everything, perhaps, and we are Fakeers in earnest. Oh, child! ask Abba
+to return thanks for our deliverance, for had we been here we should
+all have been murdered. What would have become of thee, my child?"
+And the old dame flung her arms about Zora and wept plentifully; nor
+was Zora herself less affected. She saw at a glance that violence had
+been done; but the door of her own chamber, which had been locked also,
+had not been disturbed, and all her grandfather's books, papers, and
+medicines were safe.
+
+"Why are ye both wailing?" cried the old man, petulantly. "What is
+there to cry about? Where are my quilt and mattress, and my prayer
+carpet?" he continued, feeling for them in their accustomed places.
+"Who has taken them? Cannot that meddling old dame let them alone?
+Bring them to me quickly, I need them."
+
+Then Zora went to him, and put her arms round his neck, and sobbing as
+she was, said to him, "Abba! why have we enemies? We have been robbed
+while we were away last night. Let us return thanks to God that we were
+not here when they came, or we might have perished."
+
+The Syud was soothed at once. "In the path to Heaven," he said,
+reverently, "there are many dangers to be encountered, child; pitfalls
+everywhere to the soul and to the body; weary rocks and stones to
+travel over; and whatever happens must be endured. O Alla Kureem! I
+thank thee," he continued, raising his joined hands, "for this thy
+deliverance. The enemy truly came, but thou hadst provided us with
+help, and in thy name we will distribute Fatehas."
+
+"What enemy, Abba?" asked Zora, trembling, as her heart suggested only
+one.
+
+"I may be wrong," replied the old man; "but my heart tells me plainly,
+nay, as if that bad man had said it to us, that none other can have
+done it but Osman Beg and his men; or perhaps he himself came, under
+cover of the noise, and shouting and firing of guns last night."
+
+"Let us go, Abba; let us go wherever God leads us; we are ever safe
+with Him; but not so near our persecutor. Let us go now, to-day. Oh,
+Abba, do not stay!"
+
+Just then there was a sound of many footsteps near the door, and Burma
+Naik cried in a cheery voice, "Is all well with thee, Huzrut?" and
+the Kazee of Kembavee and others cried out, "Is all well with thee,
+Huzrut, and the child? Arise, and come to us, for we have much to
+say to thee." And the old man, led by Zora to the door, went and sat
+down in his accustomed seat, while all present crowded round him with
+congratulations. "And see," said Burma, "here are thy mattress and
+pillow, and quilt, and two cooking vessels, and some other things which
+the robbers dropped in their flight. Here, Ahmed, carry them inside."
+
+They were, indeed, all that had been taken; and old Mamoolla hugged
+the vessels to her heart, kissed them, and cried over them like one
+distraught. No, they had lost nothing but Zora's muslin scarf, and that
+was an old one.
+
+"Now shut the door, Zora-bee," cried Burma, "for we have that to say
+to thy grandfather to which thou must not listen. He can tell thee
+afterwards if he lists." Then Burma proceeded to relate how, when the
+bridal procession had passed out by the west gate, some men had been
+observed by the guard on the east gate bastion moving about the trunks
+of the great banian tree, but were not noticed at first; but when the
+door of the house was broken in, and a torch lighted, it was certain
+they were Dacoits, and the whole of the guard rushed upon the robbers,
+firing their matchlocks at them to give an alarm. Then one Beydur
+related how the gang had fled, and were pursued and overtaken, on which
+a combat, hand to hand, took place, and one of the Beydurs had been
+speared to death and another badly wounded, and several of the robbers
+were wounded and two killed. How, then, the gang, which consisted of
+about thirty men, again fled, and was met by the Naik himself, and all
+was soon over.
+
+"My men at the gate were watchful and brave," said Burma; "and when any
+man of mine does a gallant act I reward him after our simple fashion.
+Is it your pleasure, Huzrut, that they should receive what I have
+prepared for them? and will you honour the poor fellows by giving it to
+them with your own hands?"
+
+"Surely, surely," said the old man, much affected. "Where are they,
+that I may bless them?"
+
+"Here are four silver armlets for those who fought best, and here are
+the men; put your hands on their heads, and give each one." When this
+was done, a bundle of new turbans and scarves was brought, and one of
+each being laid together, some twelve or fourteen sets were distributed
+as the armlets had been.
+
+"I have to feed them, too, Huzrut," said the Naik, laughing, "and give
+them plenty of sendhee (palm wine) to drink; and they will all be happy
+after the poor lad who died has been burnt. Now, away with ye all!"
+he cried to the crowd of Beydurs assembled. "Away!" And the pipes and
+drums struck up a wild march, and played them into the town.
+
+"We are now alone, Huzrut; and the Kazee and I would tell thee what we
+have discovered. The durora was one planned by Osman Beg."
+
+"Ah! if that could only be proved," interrupted the old man, sadly, "I
+could take it before the Queen, and pray for justice."
+
+"We have proof enough," said the Kazee; "proof that I, a humble
+servant of God and the State, can testify to, if needs be. But it is
+hardly required, for we have a document, signed and sealed by Osman
+Beg himself, addressed to Kalloo Naik, who died before us last night,
+and which he gave up of his own free will, else we had not, perhaps,
+discovered it. I have appended a Persian translation to it, and a
+certificate as to the manner in which it was found; and before the
+King or the Queen, or the Mufti at the court, that testimony cannot be
+shaken."
+
+"Ajaib! wonderful!" exclaimed the old Syud. "When we see the finger of
+the Lord following us and directing us, O Kazee Sahib, can we doubt?"
+
+"Indeed no, father," returned the Kazee, simply; "but there is still
+more. Here is a letter from Osman Beg to myself in his own handwriting,
+bearing his seal, which is exactly similar to that on the other paper,
+and the writing, too, of the Persian letters agrees perfectly. This
+is an invitation for me to come to Juldroog to-day, and perform the
+ceremony of marriage with one Zora-bee. But how was I to understand
+who that might be? So it is clear, if the Nika was to be performed,
+Zora-bee must have gone from hence, for there is no other Zora-bee
+that I know of, and it is not a common name in these parts. But if I
+had even gone," continued the Kazee, "as we all heard from the man who
+died, it would have been too late, for the last dishonour that woman
+could suffer would have been inflicted upon her. Nay, even a litter had
+been provided to carry the child away."
+
+"And it shall be hung up in the Chaoree as witness against him," said
+Burma, "just as it is."
+
+The old Syud turned from one to another of his informants with wonder
+and thankfulness expressed in his aged features, and the tears were
+coursing down his cheeks as he listened to the details of the affair
+as given to him by the speakers. "Alla, the merciful and ever-present,
+protected the child before, and will ever protect the helpless and the
+orphan; and we owe our lives and honour to Him, and, next to Him, to
+thee, O Burma Naik. Wouldst thou belonged to Islam, as we do!"
+
+"My ancestors were Beydurs, Huzrut, before Islam existed," returned
+the Naik, proudly. "No, Huzrut, we are better as we are. But now, what
+shall we do for thee and Zora, whom all love here, as she is loved
+everywhere? What dost thou think, O Kazee?"
+
+"If I may speak, and advise one so superior to me in wisdom and
+learning, I should counsel thee, O Syud, to proceed at once to
+Beejapoor; lay thy complaint, and Zora-bee herself, at the foot of the
+throne, and cry for justice. Our noble Queen Chand Beebee would not,
+could not deny justice to an old man, and a holy Mushaekh like thyself,
+O Syud! Consider this, and go. To remain here is only to run a fearful
+risk; and worse than that, to endanger strife between the Juldroog
+troops and the Beydurs, and so lead to reprisals and blood feuds. It
+would be well to prevent any chance of bloodshed, Huzrut."
+
+Had not the worthy Kazee used the title Mushaekh it is most probable
+perhaps that the Syud, thoroughly alarmed, might have proceeded at once
+to Beejapoor, where he knew Zora desired to go--if only to meet Maria
+once again; and he felt sure of justice whenever he might appeal for
+it. But the mention of the title sent his thoughts on their old errand.
+
+"Sir," he said, "for many years I have been preparing myself for the
+Turreequt, and without that I can be neither a poor Fakeer or rise to
+the dignity of one of God's divines, a Mushaekh. The Lord has directed
+my path hitherto by wonderful events, and I follow the Eastern way;
+but I see the need of changing it; and you, Kazee Sahib, to whom such
+mysteries are known, can direct me to the proper course."
+
+"I see but one," he replied. "There is no saint in all these provinces,
+but the descendant of Syud Geesoo Duraz of Gulburgah, to whom thou
+couldst go for reception into the Divine order. All other shrines are
+inaccessible to thee, Huzrut, on account of their distance and thy
+venerable age. Within a short time is the oorus (anniversary) of the
+holy saint, Syud Sofee Surmust, at Sugger; and there thousands of
+Fakeers assemble, of whom many go on to Gulburgah. I can direct thee to
+Sugger, where I have many friends and some humble disciples; and they
+will guide thee, and further thee on thy way. Let me see! Thy route is
+changed to the north, therefore--
+
+    Kunujgin Bamshin, Kunujgin Bisma,
+    Kunujgin Bamshin, Kunujgin Bimash.[1]
+
+"And then"--and he counted rapidly on his fingers--"Wednesday will be
+your day for proceeding on your journey, and the Rujub-ool-Gyb will be
+in the northern quarter, which is good for thee, at the first watch of
+the day, which is convenient. And if ye all eat a little sour curds for
+your breakfast, the journey will lead to a happy result. But there is
+no other good position of the Rujub-ool-Gyb for many days after that,
+and in a strait like this ye should risk nothing."
+
+The Kazee was an experienced director of journeys and well versed in
+casting nativities, selecting proper days for marriages and betrothals;
+and in these respects there was no one who could compete with him;
+and as the old Syud saw that he was not a pretender, he put the more
+confidence in his directions.
+
+"I would you could see my granddaughter's horoscope which I cast at her
+birth myself, or perhaps you have not leisure?"
+
+"I have leisure before me ere it is time to depart, and you will do me
+a favour if you will show it to me, Huzrut. I will return after I have
+broken my fast; and the food is even now ready in the worthy Moolla's
+house, and I must not disappoint his hospitality."
+
+"I have been thinking," said Burma, "how we can best convey the holy
+Syud to Sugger; and I have a plan in my mind which, if it is approved
+of, I will put in execution. Syud Moostafa, the Persian secretary of
+the Rajah, is my friend, and Daood Khan Bhylmee, the leader of the
+Bhylmee division of horse, is a chief to whom my force is attached.
+I will write to them now, if I may, and beg that an escort of horse
+may be sent to meet Huzrut at Hoonsigee, where he should sleep, and,
+rising early, go on to Wakin-Keyra; and this could be done without any
+fatigue. From hence I can send my own palkee, and a litter for the
+child, and my people as escort."
+
+"A good thought," said the Kazee; "I do not think Huzrut will make any
+objection."
+
+"Indeed, no," returned the old man; "ye are only too kind to one who
+has been a trouble to you both. But before we proceed to make other
+arrangements, may I inquire whether any of the Dacoits are here, I
+should like to ask them some questions. Who were they?"
+
+"Jutts and Kaikarees," replied Burma; "the boldest of all Dacoits and
+robbers; and who would not be tempted by the sum assured? The leader
+was Kalloo Naik, a bold, reckless fellow, whom I wounded last night in
+the scuffle; and, as the Kazee Sahib knows, when he had thrown that
+paper to us, he tore the bandages from his wound, and died at once. The
+rest the Kazee Sahib gave over to me, and as one of my people had been
+slain, they were all hanged but one. It will be a lesson to the tribe
+not to attempt dacoity here, and recently there has been more than we
+liked I only sent away one, a boy, who was, perhaps, a spy; and I wrote
+a letter to the clans that for every durora they committed inside
+our boundaries, I would hang two men, one Jutt and one Kaikaree; and
+this will keep them quiet for some time, for they know that Runga and
+I always do exactly as we say. If we did not, none of us could sleep
+safely in our beds. Care for nothing, Huzrut, all shall be prepared for
+ye, and my wife will come to Zora presently, and comfort her."
+
+After a while, therefore, the good lady came, bringing with her bags
+of rice and vermicelli, baskets of sweetmeats, and provisions enough
+to have lasted them for months. She told Zora all that had happened,
+and other women dropping in, related every event of the night with
+wonderful increase of incidents at each narrative. The Kazee, too,
+returned, and Zora's horoscope was produced and discussed. We will
+not trouble the reader with particulars of astrological predictions
+in regard to her, but no doubt certain dangers, as well as strokes of
+good fortune, troubles, and joys, were set forth, which, as they will
+have their places in this history, need not be anticipated. On taking
+his leave to depart, the worthy Kazee gave the Marathi letter of Osman
+Beg to the robber, and that to himself in Persian, to Zora, bidding her
+keep them about her person, for the time might come when they would be
+of use.
+
+Although they had been in Kukeyra less than two months, yet they left
+the place with regret. Zora and her grandfather had both established
+separate interests in the place. It was one in which Zora could
+go about at all times of the day as she had done in the island
+fortress, and all her old vocations found ample scope for exercise;
+for in attendance on the sick, and in distribution of medicines, her
+charitable heart knew no difference between Beydur and Hindoo, or
+Mussulman. Then it was pleasant to stroll with Burma's wife to her
+pretty garden, and sit among the cool plantain groves, and under the
+shade of great mango trees, and hold her little school there, when Abba
+could spare her; or, when at home, to dream in her seat by the old
+saint's tomb, under the great banian tree, and watch the lizards and
+grey squirrels at play, and the shy and pretty tree birds hop silently
+from branch to branch. But Zora would not have remained after the
+incidents of Friday night; she dared not. The unscrupulous attempts of
+her enemy to possess himself of her, the narrow escape she had had of
+capture--perhaps death, or worse--caused her to shudder as she thought
+of them; and all she wished for was to be at rest, far away; where she
+cared not, so she and Abba were safe.
+
+Even Beejapoor, Burma said, was dangerous, so long as her position was
+unassured; and he explained to her how lawless bands of men existed
+there who were ready to undertake any villainy for money, and who, in
+any number, might be hired by Osman Beg, and prove more successful than
+the robbers had been where she was. It had been a weary thought, this
+wandering of her grandfather's, but under the terror that possessed
+her it had even become welcome now, and Zora accepted it as part of
+her fate which could not be averted, and must be endured. Every hour,
+as the day of departure drew nigh, her grandfather grew more and more
+petulant and doubtful. They must walk, he said, for they were Fakeers,
+and had no right to ride. They must beg their daily bread, for they
+had no need to care for food, and the good Alla would send them what
+they wanted. At every village they should sing an invocation or a
+hymn, and he had by heart a great number of these; or they should go
+about villages and towns with a wallet collecting handfuls of meal, or
+rice, or pulse. And the old man's determination on this subject seemed
+unalterable. He even one day sat down at his gate, and spread a sheet,
+and blessed the passers by, and some threw pice and others cowries,
+and in the evening Zora came and took them up; but there was hardly
+a rupee's worth in all. That, however, was only a trial, the old man
+said, in a place where they were known to be well provided, and they
+would do better elsewhere. Still it was a dreary prospect.
+
+They had not to walk, however. During the night before the day of
+proposed departure, a small party of horse arrived from Wakin-Keyra,
+and informed Burma that two litters with bearers would meet them at
+Hoonsigee. So Burma provided his own palanquin for the old man, and a
+light litter for Zora, and the ponies were driven on by Ahmed, and the
+little baggage was distributed as before; but Zora gave the two pet
+cows and the goats to Burma's wife, with many tears, and that good lady
+kissed her feet, and the children wept aloud at parting with their kind
+friend. Finally, before noon of Wednesday they set out, and travelled
+to the end of their stage comfortably; nay, so luxuriously, that the
+old Syud declared it was more like a nobleman's journey than a poor
+Fakeer's, and would have no more such after he reached Wakin-Keyra.
+
+So, passing low hills and rocky ground, but with many pretty villages
+surrounded by green fields and gardens, they reached their destination;
+and the old Syud, who had been thinking about it all the way, as soon
+as they arrived at the gate of the little town, desired his litter to
+be set down. Zora spread a sheet before him, and seated herself on
+one side, but rather behind him; and Ahmed, giving up charge of the
+ponies to Mamoolla, bid her go into the mosque, where they were to put
+up, and unload the animals, with the help of some of the horsemen's
+grooms. Then, to the astonishment of the horsemen, one of the little
+invocations was sung every now and then by all; and, as people began
+to collect, small contributions were thrown upon the cloth till it was
+fairly covered; and after her grandfather sung a thanksgiving, though
+his voice was thin and quavering, Zora gathered the ends of the cloth
+together, and, leading him, she carried it to the mosque, where he
+first took the cloth as it was, and, kneeling down before the pulpit
+steps, offered the whole to God, and then sat down to count it. There
+were more than seven rupees in all, and he gave two to the Moolla and
+Patell of the town to distribute in charity. "We can live on less
+than five rupees a day," he said, chuckling, "and we can save two for
+the expenses of the Turreequt. Oh, blessed day that I departed from
+slothfulness and idleness; and blessed be Alla, the gracious, who thus
+leads me, a poor sinner, to his salvation."
+
+It was pleasant, too, in the evening to find people gather about him
+in the mosque. Zora and Mamoolla, with Ahmed's help, had nailed up a
+carpet across a corner as a screen, and sat behind it close to him,
+and warned off those who would have disturbed his meditations by idle
+questions; but after he had gone through his daily exercise on the
+points of salvation and the means of its attainment, people came in,
+and the conversation became general, and to the Syud delightful, for
+several of the horsemen belonged to Beejapoor, and some had family or
+clannish surnames which were familiar, and it was difficult to preserve
+the entire _incognito_ which he had assumed. Presently the call to
+evening prayer was well sung by the muezzin, and after a plentiful
+meal they lay down and slept. Not for years past had Zora remembered
+her grandfather so cheerful or so full of hope. He woke early, for
+the azan was proclaimed; and they prayed together, for none else had
+arisen. Then he said to Zora, "Come, child! we must do our duty;" and
+taking a long piece of strong cloth, used to make a bundle, she held
+it by the four corners, and they went their way through the streets,
+with the simple cry of "Alla dilaya to leonga"--"if God gives I will
+take." Now and then they stopped to sing an invocation, and the clear
+voice of Zora sounded sweetly in the fresh morning air. Good housewives
+were grinding at their mills with many a rough unmelodious song,
+but none refused to put a handful of meal, or pulse, or rice, into
+the extemporised basket, which soon became so heavy that Zora could
+scarcely carry it, and they returned. When it was all poured out, it
+formed a goodly heap, and the Syud patted it with his hand and was
+thankful for it. "We could not eat it all in two days, child," he said;
+"and we have the money besides. Why need we fear, so long as we put our
+trust in the granter of prayer?"
+
+After they had all eaten they proceeded as they had done the day
+before, and the road was less stony and rugged; and when they had
+passed through a small range of rocky hills and over the embankment of
+the pretty irrigation lake of Bohnal, with the widespread waters to
+the west sparkling in the sun and the green rice fields to the east,
+the fortifications of Wakin-Keyra at the termination of a high and
+rugged mass of mountains fell on Zora's sight; and one of the horsemen,
+dashing up to the Syud's palanquin, told him that he was going on, and
+that if he would remain for about an hour under the shade of one of the
+great banian trees of the embankment, and then follow, he would find
+all prepared to receive him. So the litters being placed together, they
+got out of them and sat down, while the waves of the lake dashed among
+the stones which formed the facing of the earthen bank, with a pleasant
+refreshing murmur.
+
+FOOTNOTE:
+
+[1] Letters which denote points of the compass.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+CASTING OUT DEVILS.
+
+
+It was but a short distance, barely more than a mile, to the entrance
+to the strange fortress in which Pam Naik, the Beydur Prince, held his
+Court. All that could be seen from a distance were two separate forts
+on each side of what might be called the gate, well built of granite,
+and picturesquely and commandingly situated on the summits of high
+rocks, much after the fashion of the bastions of Juldroog. From these
+forts, and from bastions below them, two lines of fortification had
+been carried along the face of the hill to the top, where they were
+lost in woods that crowned the summit. Flags were flying on all these
+towers and bastions, which gave the grim-looking works a cheerful
+expression; and the great standard of the Beydur flew out from the
+highest tower, fluttering in the western breeze. At the barrier itself
+the friend of Burma Naik, Syud Moostafa, the Naik's Persian secretary,
+with others, were in attendance, who received the old man with profound
+salutations, while some respectable-looking mamas in like manner
+saluted Zora, and bid both welcome. They were to remain in the Syud's
+house, where apartments had been prepared for them; and while her
+grandfather was carried off, much against his wish, to visit the great
+Naik himself, Zora was conducted to the house in which they were to
+stay.
+
+Wakin-Keyra was a strong place. Inside the second barrier of huge
+natural rocks the valley extended into a considerable bay or basin,
+filled by a small artificial lake formed by damming up a stream which
+descended from the hills. This lake was nearly circular, or perhaps
+more of an oval shape, and was surrounded by a short sward, always
+green, except where rocks jutted out from the mountain side, and dipped
+into the water. All round the sides of this natural basin were the
+houses of the inhabitants, of all castes, built of stone, cemented
+with clay or mortar, according to the ability of the builder, and with
+terraced roofs of lime or clay. The houses seemed to end with a level
+piece of ground at the eastern end, but from its height, the houses
+that covered it, and extended to some distance among the woods, could
+not be seen. The Naik's house, or palace, occupied the greater part of
+the south side of the amphitheatre, and, though it consisted of a great
+number of separate buildings and courts, could hardly be distinguished
+from other private houses that adjoined it, being built in the same
+manner, in very homely fashion.
+
+The old Syud's account of his reception by the Beydur Rajah Pam Naik
+was amusing. He had accompanied the Persian secretary to the palace,
+as it was called, and had been ushered into the presence of the
+Prince, to whom he made his salutation. "I would have given much to
+see him, as he spoke kindly to me in Canarese--his own language--but
+that was impossible; so I had to listen only, and the secretary and
+a Brahmin Moonshi, who spoke good Persian, interpreted for me. The
+Rajah had a number of wants, which I must try to satisfy. In the
+first place, the new part of his palace, where he wishes to live, is
+at present haunted by sprites and demons, who must be exorcised and
+sent away. He has tried many Hindoo exorcists, Brahmins and Bairagees,
+and some Mussulmans, of whom a saint, who is called the Kala Peer, or
+Black Saint, was partly successful in one building; but in the others
+the spirits answered that they would not depart, as they were very
+comfortable, and they remained. Then the youngest Ranee is troubled
+with bad visions and dreams at nights, and has become thin and weak,
+and several children in the house are ailing and the Prince himself has
+low spirits; and I found his pulse very irregular. So all these things
+have to be looked after; and thou wilt have many amulets, charms,
+puleetas, and exorcisms for the house to copy for me, Zora, and I shall
+be several days at the work. I have told the Rajah that I cannot begin
+so arduous and delicate a task without purification and some fasting
+for three days; and our host, who knows a little of the science, will
+afford me every facility. And besides, Zora, he is rich, this Prince,
+and will give me a great donation, and that will help me in the
+Turreequt. Ah, child! we shall win that, by the blessing of Alla, and
+live happily till death."
+
+"If you will show me which figures you wish for," replied Zora, "I will
+get the book, and copy them for you."
+
+"Not yet, not yet," replied her grandfather. "I have to ascertain
+what sort of spirits they are who have taken possession of these poor
+people, who are but low caste infidels; and they must be questioned in
+order that they may declare themselves. And thou wilt have to come too,
+Zora, to help me with the women, for they are in private, it seems, and
+cannot see a man, though I am old and blind; which is foolishness. But
+they are very ignorant, I fear. And how hast thou been received and
+cared for, my child?"
+
+"Very kindly, Abba," replied Zora; "and we have several rooms, and this
+open verandah to sit in, from which we can see over the whole of the
+strange city which lies before us--the strangest I ever saw or heard
+of. There are not so much as ten ells of level ground in it, and the
+streets are mere paths up the mountain side, and they rise from the
+pretty tank which fills the bottom. All appears to be a mass of houses,
+tier above tier; and there is no level ground except at the top, where
+I see more houses and trees, and green grass. But they are all Beydur
+houses, they tell me."
+
+"Then where can we go for our evening and morning begging, child? Once
+we have begun that, we must not abandon it."
+
+"I know not, Abba; but why beg now? More food has been sent from the
+palace than would last us a week; and the Brahmin clerk who came with
+it said the same quantity would come every day."
+
+"I tell thee, child, it must be, even if we sat at the door in the
+street. Once a vow is vowed to the Lord, can it be recalled? God
+forbid! Our host is too pious a person to object to it, and I will
+explain all. Now I must bathe. Tell Mamoolla and Ahmed to prepare the
+hot water while I lie down for a while to meditate, or perchance sleep.
+At the time of evening prayer the secretary will return home, and we
+can go together, for it is but a step from hence. Perhaps letters may
+be sent for us."
+
+On her own part Zora was curious to see the ladies of the Beydur
+Prince's family, and the deportment of a perhaps barbarous Court; and
+as she arrived at the palace in a closed litter, several women servants
+took charge of her, and she was conducted up a flight of stairs which
+led to an open gallery, fitted with transparent screens of fine bamboo
+work, about the middle of which sat the Ranee of the family and several
+children, who rose courteously to receive Zora, and--owing to her
+perfect knowledge of Canarese--put the girl at her ease at once. Never
+had she met with any persons so loquacious and inquisitive.
+
+They had heard of Juldroog; and an elderly woman present had even paid
+a visit to Chaya Bhugwuti in fulfilment of a vow, and seen the river
+mother in her fury. And Zora had lived within sight and sound of it
+all her life. Was she married? Was she even in seclusion? And why not?
+She was too old and too beautiful to be allowed to go abroad into the
+world. Had she no jewels, no fine clothes? nothing but the coarse
+soosi she wore, and coarse muslin over it? No, Zora had replied, they
+were Fakeers, and every day they begged for alms in the name of Ali,
+the commander of the faithful. Long they had talked thus, and in the
+evening lamps were lighted, and Zora could see how homely everything
+around her was, except the ladies' persons, for they were covered with
+valuable jewels and diamonds, which flashed in the lamplight, while
+they wore magnificent saris of silk, with rich gold borders and ends,
+very valuable.
+
+Then, after a while, her grandfather's approach was announced, and the
+ladies rose and retired into an inner room, and the Rajah entered,
+followed by the old man, led by the secretary and some Brahmins and
+Beydurs. He did not notice Zora, who had retreated into a corner with
+some of the women servants or slaves, and was awaiting the result of
+her grandfather's visit with some anxiety as to what would happen.
+Presently he sent for her, and bade her sit by him, and observe for
+him.
+
+The Rajah, a short, stout man, of fair complexion for a Beydur, seated
+himself, after a proclamation of his titles by his silver mace-bearers,
+who then withdrew; and the girl who was possessed by the evil spirit
+was sent for, Zora having been cautioned to observe exactly what
+happened. As he had seated himself, her grandfather had called for
+a censer and some incense powder; and as Zora told him the girl was
+entering the room he threw it on the live charcoal with a paper charm,
+and a great smoke arose; during which time he was muttering Arabic to
+himself. Zora noticed that the girl, who might be about her own age,
+now trembled violently, and seemed slightly convulsed. She had made
+efforts with her arms and hands as if to put away the censer, and even
+to cry out and escape; but she was held firmly by her attendants.
+
+"Bring her to me, that I may breathe upon her," said the old man. "I
+will not hurt her, but that evil spirit must come out of her, else she
+will suffer and die. At present it is living in her life."
+
+But the girl would not move; and though they raised her to her feet,
+she sank down again, shivering and screaming; but the women took her
+up, and laid her on the carpet before the old man, so that he could
+place his right hand on her head. Then he said to her in a gentle
+voice, after repeating another charm, and casting more incense into the
+censer,--
+
+"Who art thou that possesseth this girl? Speak!" But there was no reply.
+
+"I adjure thee, in the name of Solomon, son of David, of Jibbreel and
+Azraeel, and of ye, O Abd-ool-Zadir, Zadir Jillaneo, Bhytab, Hunmuntoo,
+Nursimha, and Bhyraon; speak, and give me thy name!"
+
+Then the girl foamed at the mouth and cried with an exceeding bitter
+cry, "I am Bassuppa! let me dwell in peace. I love this body, and
+will remain." The voice was hoarse and deep, like that of a man,
+and contrasted fearfully with the slight girlish form from which it
+proceeded.
+
+"Who was Bassuppa?" asked the Syud, but the girl did not answer; she
+only groaned and sighed bitterly, "Let me alone, let me alone, lest I
+kill her."
+
+"Who was Bassuppa?" asked the Syud of the Rajah.
+
+"He was her attendant bearer when she was young, and he loved her much,
+as she did him. He died, and they carried him on a bier down from his
+home to the burning place, and she saw his body from this balcony
+over the gate, where the nobat plays. She was immediately attacked by
+convulsions; and when again she became sensible, declared that Bassuppa
+had turned his head, opened his eyes, and looked at her, and had
+remained in her ever since."
+
+"Enough! I understand now what is to be done," said the old man to the
+Rajah. "It is a powerful spirit, but one over whom I have command. Fear
+not, thy child shall be well in three days, and restored to thee."
+
+"She is my pet, my darling," replied the Rajah, with emotion, "and her
+mother's too. If thou drivest this spirit from the child thou shalt
+know that a Beydur Prince can be grateful."
+
+"Speak not, my lord, lest you break the spell; it is already working,
+as I see the child's lips moving. Listen!"
+
+"I must have time to think," she said. "Let me alone till the third
+day, then I will answer thee."
+
+"Keep her very quiet," said the old man; "let her be amused; make a
+doll's feast for her, or take her to some garden where she can play,
+and I will send my granddaughter with some powders that must be given
+to her as she goes to sleep at night, and as she rises in the morning.
+And now, Rajah Sahib, may we depart?"
+
+Then pan and uttar were brought, and garlands of flowers; and on a
+silver tray, covered with brocade, were a few pan leaves with five
+large gold coins on them; and the old man, when Zora whispered to him,
+took them up and tied them in the end of his scarf. But in regard to
+his vow of begging he would not relax, and when they reached their
+house her grandfather called to Zora and said, "We must go, my child,"
+and she led him into the street, along which he walked with difficulty
+nearly to the palace gate, where they stopped to sing one of the
+invocations; and Zora's voice was so sweet, that many of those who
+came to the evening Court dropped money into her bag; and after a while
+they returned, and she found that there was more in it than had ever
+been before.
+
+Zora saw little of her hostess, who was a proud woman of a high Syud
+family, relations of the Wallee, or saint, of the city, and she had by
+no means approved of her husband inviting the old Dervish to her house.
+"Thank the Lord we are people of family," she said to him, "and in my
+father's house. I never heard of a Fakeer being invited to reside in
+it, or to be attended by our servants as if he were a Nawab. They used
+to live without, and take what was left of our meals, and that was good
+enough for them. But this old Syud has very fine notions; his servant
+and grandchild must cook for him all sorts of dainty dishes, which, I
+own, they do very well; but they are Fakeers all the same; and though
+they earn riches, ay, riches every day, they go out at night when that
+great girl ought to be shut up, and go and sing and bring back a bag
+of money. I saw them count what they had gained, and there were many
+rupees, and even some hoons among the coppers. Can this be right?"
+
+"Peace!" said her husband; "thy mouth is bitter, Sitara-bee. Thou
+shouldst not complain, for all that comes from the palace goes to thee.
+I tell thee, learned as I am esteemed to be, I have never met his
+equal yet, whether in medicine or exorcism. Peace, therefore! the time
+will come that thou wilt esteem it an honour to have had such a guest
+beneath thy roof."
+
+"And the girl embroiders caps and knits drawers-strings," cried the
+dame, with a sneer, "and sells them; and bodices too. Is that a holy
+occupation?"
+
+"Peace, I say again, Beebee! Thy mouth is bitter and thy tongue long,
+and it is not good to speak evil of a holy Syud;" and he went out
+before his wife could reply, as he saw she was determined to have
+the last word; but she sat down to her spinning-wheel and grumbled
+notwithstanding. "Shall I ask the girl to get me an amulet against
+barrenness?" she said to herself, after a while. "I am yet young
+enough. I wonder what it would cost, or whether the Dervish would give
+it in exchange for his lodging. I must see about this, for such things
+are." And she stopped her wheel and sat meditating, with her forefinger
+between her teeth; while, by the smile that spread over her face, her
+thoughts were apparently pleasant ones.
+
+The Ranee and the children had departed to the garden at Bohnal, where
+they were always glad to go to escape the confinement of the palace.
+There they played about, sat under the shade of the fine trees, went to
+fish in the lake, and had a play performed by some strolling weavers
+and stone-cutters, who had joined together for the occasion. They
+represented scenes in the life of Krishna, the tutelary divinity of
+the Rajah's family, and their performance always afforded a great
+treat. The girl who had been affected by demoniacal influences was
+now the merriest of the party, and her mother, with a thankful heart,
+recognised the improvement with gratitude. But what would be the final
+result? Would the science of the Dervish prevail over, as she believed,
+the Satanic influence? Well, the third day had arrived, and they
+returned early in the morning; and soon after a message was brought to
+the Dervish that the child had fallen down in a fit, and was talking
+and raving incoherently. A palanquin had been sent for him, accompanied
+by the secretary, and he was to come directly. But he did not go. He
+sent word that he had to keep himself pure during the day, and must
+remain in prayer till evening, when he would come. Meanwhile the child
+was to be kept quiet, and would most likely sleep.
+
+Zora heard him during most part of the day repeating incantations, or
+verses from the Koran, but he would eat nothing. Altogether Zora was
+anxious; and though she continued at her embroidery all day she was
+not the less disturbed, for how many stories had not her grandfather
+told her of failures in exorcism when the demon had, in spite, entered
+into the body of the exorcist. "What charm would her grandfather use?"
+and she had the book on the science, written by His Excellency Mahomed
+Ghous, upon her knee, when her grandfather called to her.
+
+"Child," he said, "my soul is troubled, for I do not remember a passage
+in the holy book that I need to recollect. Refer to it, and follow me
+while I repeat the exorcism entirely. If I fail anywhere, stop me. The
+puleeta to be used is one where the demon is strange and unknown, and
+begins, 'Whoever ye are.' It is a square, with a smaller square at the
+right hand upper corner, which is divided into sixteen even portions."
+
+"I have it here, Abba; say on."
+
+We need not quote the incantation, but the old man repeated it
+correctly, and was pleased. "Inshalla, child!" he said, "we shall gain
+the victory. I ought to wield the charm myself, but there is no help
+for that, blind as I am; thou must do it for me, and as I shall recite
+the incantation very slowly, thou canst copy the figures, which must be
+burned while the ink is wet. Meanwhile study it well, that thou make no
+mistake."
+
+In the evening they proceeded to the palace, where the girl was still
+moaning in her heavy sleep. All those around her could distinguish,
+were the words, "He must not come! I will not depart!" The old man
+had prepared an earthen pot with a cover, which contained some fruits
+and seeds, and placed some silver pieces of money in it, and smeared
+the inside with ground sandalwood paste. Then he passed his hand over
+the child several times from head to foot; and as the earthen lamp
+placed on the top of this vessel was lighted, three kinds of oil being
+used, those sitting around observed the girl become restless, flinging
+about her arms and sighing deeply. Her mattress, which had been laid
+on the floor, was now removed, and the place washed with liquid red
+clay and cow-dung, and she was taken up and laid upon it; then the
+exorcist passed his hands over her again, and incense and perfumes
+were lighted, which cast up volumes of smoke, so that the old man's
+face as he sat at the girl's feet could hardly be seen. When this had
+subsided a little he told Zora to be ready; and she, taking up the pen
+that had been provided, rapidly drew the outline of the charm large
+enough to admit of her writing the incantation. The group formed a
+strange and solemn picture. The girl, lying restless and insensible,
+extended on the floor, with the venerable old Syud, with his anxious
+yet benevolent face and long white beard, sitting at her feet, with
+Zora by his side. At the patient's head were her mother and several
+other ladies and servants, weeping bitterly, while the Rajah himself,
+with the secretary, who was a privileged person, watched the result
+with intense interest. The room was dark; except where the lamp cast
+a dim yellow light upon the group, and wreaths of smoke still eddied
+about the ceiling and walls, seeking egress. The only sounds were the
+sobs of the women, the occasional low moans of the patient, and the
+grating sound of Zora's pen as it passed over the paper. At last the
+old man, with the usual invocation, "In the name of God most clement
+and merciful," began the incantation, "Whoever ye are;" while Zora
+plied her pen as fast as she could, copying from the book before her.
+Every name pronounced was cried with a loud voice, and a considerable
+pause made, so that Zora was not hurried, and the whole ceremony being
+repeated three times, her grandfather took the pen, and Zora directing
+his hand to the place, he wrote the concluding words and breathed over
+the whole. Then the paper was sprinkled with some scented powder, and
+rolled up tightly, a thread of fine cotton being passed round it; then
+it was lighted, and as the old man recited passages from the Koran,
+green and red-coloured flames issued from the burning roll, which all
+could see; but the girl opened her large eyes, shuddered, and tried to
+hide her face in the floor. As the paper burned out, she was convulsed
+for a short time, and then lay still; finally she sat up, opened and
+rubbed her eyes, and stretching out her arms, said quietly to them all,
+"Where am I? What has been done to me? There was something sitting on
+my chest," she continued, innocently, "and it is gone!"
+
+"Shookr! Hazar shookr! Thanks, a thousand thanks!" exclaimed the
+Dervish. "Lord, thou hast heard my prayer. Friends, he that possessed
+the child is gone, but he is here among us!"
+
+At this announcement every one shuddered, and the old exorcist called
+to the spirit to reply; but there was no answer. He then asked the
+girl whether anything had been said or whispered to her, and she
+replied innocently, "Yes. Bassuppa told me he was going away for ever,
+and would never return; he could not remain, because some one was too
+powerful, and he cried very much, and I saw him no more. Then I awoke
+and saw you all;" and she arose, went to the Dervish, and prostrating
+herself, kissed his feet, and laid her head against them, and then
+kissed Zora's feet, and then her father's and mother's, and sisters'
+all round; and all of them wept tears of joy, while her mother became
+so excited and hysterical that she was led away for awhile, and the old
+man gave directions as to where a strong charm was to be pasted up over
+every door and window; and, calling the girl, he placed another amulet
+in a handkerchief, and bound it round her arm, till a proper silver
+case could be made for it; also one to be worn round her neck, attached
+to her necklace. And he put his hands on her head, and wished her joy
+and peace in her life, and children to cheer it.
+
+(Perhaps some of my readers will say, Why was this piece of
+superstitious observance introduced? To which we reply, that it is
+only as one instance of the many strange beliefs in supernatural
+effects which exist among Mussulmans and other classes of the people
+now, and have done so from the earliest times. Many curious and
+interesting episodes of lives turn upon them, and the belief in them
+is universal, with exorcisms of evil, mischievous and malignant demons
+and spirits. There are charms supplied against every mischance of man
+or womanhood, youth or age, against haunted houses and the evil eye. On
+the other hand, there are charms for evil purposes, which are believed
+and practised as much as the others. The incidents of the exorcism
+described here took place in presence of the writer of this tale when
+in India, and he could adduce many equally strange and affecting, or,
+in some instances, detestable.)
+
+"We can ill repay this kindness, Huzrut," said the Rajah, as they
+adjourned into the hall of audience, and sat down; "but if you will
+accept of what I offer, and keep it in remembrance of me, I shall be
+thankful."
+
+"I would rather, my lord, wait till I am assured that what I have done
+is effectual," replied the old man, respectfully; "and I must see your
+daughter every day."
+
+"As you please," returned the Rajah. "I will have my gifts sealed up,
+and the day you have to depart they shall be given to you. As to your
+granddaughter, I must leave her to the Lady Ranee, and you must promise
+me not to interfere with her."
+
+"But at least you cannot refuse this to shield you from the chill
+night wind," he continued; and he threw a delicate white Cashmere
+shawl of some value over the old man's shoulders. As to Zora, she
+was newly dressed by the good Ranee; and when she emerged from her
+palanquin at the secretary's house, she appeared in a gorgeous green
+silk sari, delicately shot with crimson. She had a valuable gold ring
+round her neck, and a gold pair of bracelets, and the whole formed
+a very costly gift. "Would that I could see thee, Zora," said her
+grandfather, as he felt the soft rich silk and its heavy gold borders,
+and touched the ornaments; "but they befit thee, and some day----"
+and here he broke off suddenly, and was silent. As to Zora herself,
+perhaps, there was a touch of vanity as well as gratification in her
+mind, for she did not take off the grand clothes immediately; and old
+Mamoolla came and peered at her all over, and went and lit another
+lamp; and the secretary's wife came and looked also, and cried aloud
+her congratulations in wonder; but she was jealous and envious in her
+heart, and I am afraid her husband had much to bear in her accusations
+of idleness, in that he was not so good an exorcist as the venerable
+old Dervish. "Those people get money by their work," said the dame,
+with a sneer. "The girl has presents worth hundreds of rupees; when
+wilt thou give me a gold neck ring and bracelet, or a sari like hers?
+And who knows what the old Syud has got besides. Touba! Touba! Thou a
+Syud, and a man of letters, shouldst be able to do as much as he."
+
+The secretary did not vouchsafe a reply. He had been looking at Zora's
+glorious eyes and expressive face all the evening, as they sat around
+the ailing child, and I think that more beautiful visions than his
+wife's shrewish face excluded thought of her more than she would have
+liked.
+
+The fame of the old Dervish's cure, or, as some now called him, the
+Hukeems, or Physician, spread not only through the town but through the
+country, and applicants for relief thronged upon him, making offerings
+which were sometimes considerable; but from most people he would take
+nothing; yet to Zora's perception they were growing rich, and, as
+Abba said, with a look of satisfaction, there was enough to make the
+Turreequt easy; and, after that, to settle in some pleasant place and
+to become a Wallee, or saint, at whose tomb people should come and pray.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+THE SYUD TAKES TWO DEGREES IN HIS TURREEQUT.
+
+
+For a few days there was nothing more to be done. The Rajah's child
+was well, and her complexion was already changed from the grey, livid
+colour which had before existed to a healthy ruddy tint, and she
+slept without waking. Every day the old Dervish visited her; and the
+child, now fearless, nestled in his lap. What if she were a Beydur!
+The haunted rooms had been freed of evil spirits; and by way of giving
+assurance to all, especially to the servants, the family went and
+slept there without being disturbed. A packet of medicines was made up
+for the Rajah by the old man and Zora, and the use of them explained.
+Finally, the day arrived on which they must depart. The oorus or
+anniversary, of the Saint Syud Sofy Surmust would take place on the
+third day; and among the crowds present, it would be difficult to find
+lodgings. Finally, the Rajah proposed that his secretary should attend
+the old man, and see him safely through the festival. "And," added that
+worthy person, "if your friend the Kazee of Kembavee is there, so much
+the better." Then the presents to the old Syud were brought from the
+treasury; and the seals, as they had been made on them, were inspected
+by the Rajah and broken, and the list that had been placed inside
+read out. It was, indeed, a princely gift, suited to the age and holy
+profession of the recipient; and with a bag of five hundred rupees the
+list closed.
+
+"Nay, but I protest against this," said the old man, earnestly. "I
+exercise my art not for gain; but for the love of God and His name."
+
+"Well," replied the Rajah, "if thou wilt, give it away in charity. A
+gift cannot be recalled; and so I pray thee take it for the remembrance
+of one who, though he is only a Beydur, can at least prove grateful."
+
+And after this no more objection was made; it would have been an
+insult. Then, as the Syud rose, the Rajah rose also, and went and
+touched the dear old man's feet; and the Ranees were called and did
+the same; and the child, with many tears, hung about his neck, and her
+hands wandered over his face; and it was with difficulty that he and
+Zora got away, under the blessings showered upon them. But all was
+finished, and the secretary's wife had obtained the dearest wish of her
+life, and drank a charm, which was washed from the paper on which it
+had been written into a silver cup filled with water, in entire faith
+in its efficacy. And now the Turreequt awaited them at Sugger, and
+they must go. The money that had been given them was converted into
+the small gold coin called hoons, which were then in circulation,
+and could easily be carried; and Wednesday being the proper day for
+proceeding northwards, according to the Rujub-ool-Ghyb, and a fortunate
+conjunction of planets to boot, they took leave of their hostess and
+departed. The day before, when they had gone to pay their respects to
+the Rajah, he said he had provided two palanquins for the old Dervish
+and Zora; and though this interfered with the vow to walk the whole
+distance, yet it had become evident to Zora that her grandfather's
+life would be endangered by fatigue; and, after much remonstrance, she
+agreed to a compromise, that on approaching Sugger or any other town he
+should alight from his conveyance, spread a sheet on the ground before
+him, sing the invocation, and await the alms of the passers by. So with
+Ahmed and Mamoolla mounted on their ponies, the baggage animals loaded
+and led behind, a guard sent by the Rajah, and the secretary mounted
+on a palfrey of his own, the little procession passed out of the gate
+of Wakin-Keyra amid the blessings and prayers of a crowd which had
+assembled there.
+
+The road to Sugger lay through some low rocky hills for a while, and,
+passing through a natural gap in them, the valley and town of Sugger
+came in sight, at the distance of a few miles; a pretty scene, for
+the town seemed embosomed in trees; several considerable tanks for
+irrigation lay blue and still in the hollow, and the bright green
+rice-fields below them formed a pleasant and remarkable feature in
+the landscape; while the newly-erected mausoleum of Ankoos Khan, a
+late Minister of Beejapoor, rose in an imposing mass above all. To the
+right were high, rocky hills, which seemed to increase in height till
+they broke suddenly into the plain a few miles to the east, and were
+composed of rocks like those so vividly remembered by Zora at Juldroog,
+piled on each other in huge masses. On the north side of the valley
+was a still higher and more massive range, which the secretary pointed
+out to her as he rode by the side of her palanquin, and told her that
+the great fortress of Shahpoor occupied a portion of it. All over the
+valley between the two ranges the land was well cultivated, and the
+early crops were now ripening, while others were still green. To Zora,
+who had never seen such a sight before, the whole valley appeared a
+perfect paradise; and, indeed, under the glowing sunlight, it was no
+doubt very beautiful.
+
+A strange feature in the latter portion of their journey was the
+number of touters who now met them, crying the praises of the rooms
+they had to let; and these soon increased to a crowd. The occurrence
+of the annual festival was a source of profit to all in the town, and
+everyone who had even a vacant cowshed to offer, cleaned it out and
+proclaimed it a palace. Lodgings had, however, already been provided;
+and the Moolla of the great mosque hearing from his friend, the Kazee
+of Kembavee, of the proposed visit of the old Dervish and Zora, had
+kindly offered such accommodation as his house afforded. Now, as they
+approached the town the procession halted, and the arrangement Zora
+had proposed was carried out. Near the great mausoleum of Ankoos Khan
+was a grassy bank shaded by a large tree, and they sat down and sang
+the invocation, while on the sheet spread out cowries and copper coins
+soon began to rattle as they fell; and the result, as the old Dervish
+declared, as he stroked his long beard, was evidence of the goodness
+of the Almighty. "There will be many poor folks at the evening prayer,
+child," he said to Zora, "and thou art to distribute all there is to
+them." Then, after a while, he rose, and led by Zora, for he would
+allow no one else to perform this office, he walked slowly on.
+
+The Bazar, and indeed the whole of the town, was full of people; and
+the sight of the venerable old man, led by his beautiful grandchild,
+created no little excitement. "Who is the holy Dervish?" cried some.
+"We welcome your holiness to our town in the name of His Highness the
+Prophet and Sofy Surmust, on whom be peace!" cried a body of Mussulman
+weavers, all with long beards as though they were Dervishes. "That is
+the holy saint who cast out devils at Wakin-Keyra," cried others; "may
+he live a hundred years! And that is his grandchild, who leads him
+everywhere, bless her sweet face!" And it was, indeed, sweet to look
+upon.
+
+Zora had had a green dress made for herself at Wakin-Keyra, and this
+she wore that day. It was a tunic like that of a man, with loose
+skirts. She wore a turban of green muslin, into which her beautiful
+hair was gathered and bound up. Her loose trousers were also green, and
+the scarf which was tied round her waist, crossed over her head; so
+that, if needful, she could at any time conceal her face. Women, as she
+passed them, held out their children to her, and, stretching out their
+own hands, kissed the tips of their fingers, or cracked their knuckles
+against their temples. "God defend thee from evil glances, holy one,"
+cried some. "Ah! she has taken the vows of a Syudanee," said others,
+"and is not ashamed." Ashamed! no, indeed. Zora seemed triumphant. She,
+too, had her humble place in the Turreequt, and, God willing, would
+go on with it, leading her beloved grandfather to the last. No wonder
+she was admired, nay, almost reverenced, as, with a firm, confident
+step, and a look of modest reliance in her great brown eyes, she passed
+through the thronged street. Even the soldiers who were lounging about
+respected her, rose at her approach, and saluted her humbly. Thus they
+passed on till they were near the mosque, where their friend the Kazee
+awaited them, attended by their host the Moolla; and they were led into
+the great court of the mosque, and then through a door into a private
+enclosure, which was always kept, as the Moolla told them, for visitors
+of distinction; and Zora at once saw that there was ample room and
+privacy for all. While behind was a yard which would contain their
+ponies, Ahmed, and the men they had hired to accompany them.
+
+Presently the call to afternoon prayer was sung from the roof of the
+mosque, and crowds began to assemble--Fakeers, weavers, soldiers,
+and many strangers. The Kazee had requested the old Dervish to give
+a discourse, such as might suit the people assembled, and he had
+consented; and after prayer was ended, he recited a verse of the Koran,
+and began his sermon on the Turreequt, or path of salvation. Never had
+such a discourse been heard in that mosque. It seemed as if, translated
+by his enthusiasm above the ordinary life and occupations of men, as
+indeed by his blindness and reverential spirit he had been for so
+many years, the Dervish was like one inspired, and his eloquence, so
+pathetic, so practical, and so truly fitting his subject, powerfully
+affected his audience, and many groaned, many wept; and at the close
+of the address all his hearers crowded round him to interchange the
+salutation of peace which is exchanged among Mussulman worshippers.
+
+Thenceforward the afternoon services at the mosque were attended by
+crowds; and when she led her grandfather to his apartment, to take
+rest, Zora could not help exclaiming, in ardent tones of love and
+admiration, "Oh, Abba! I never heard thee speak as thou hast done
+to-day. May the Lord bless and sustain thee to make the people like
+thyself." But he could not reply; his own heart appeared too full for
+words. That evening, too, he performed his vow of begging, and people
+said, "That is the Dervish who preached to-day, and his child; they
+have a vow to beg." And so no one molested them as they sang their
+invocations; and Zora carried her wallet on her arm, receiving alms
+from those who heard her sweet thrilling voice, whether they were
+Mussulmans or Hindoos.
+
+But it was necessary to choose which association of Fakeers the old
+man should belong to. What had he to hope for in the world? What had
+Zora? Her religious enthusiasm had been aroused, and she, too, would
+fain have made an open profession of her faith, but her grandfather
+objected. "It is not in thy horoscope, child," he said, as she urged
+him to consent with sobs and tears. "In that are children, and the
+rank thou art entitled to. These cannot come through profession as a
+Fakeer; and shall we, who have given ourselves up to the guidance of
+the Lord, dare to misinterpret His will? Be patient, then, my child,
+and fear not, for I believe that what will come to thee will come out
+of thy faith and thy endurance." So she was silent, and wept no more;
+but, instead, dwelt upon his form whom she had once watched, and which
+seemed to rise to her mental vision more vividly than ever.
+
+It was, however, necessary to decide this serious question of election.
+Our old Dervish, by his first and subsequent discourses, had given
+proof of his fitness for any grade, even the highest one of Mushaekh,
+beyond which only remained that of Wallee, or saint, and, in concert
+with his friends, a whole day was spent in deliberation on the subject.
+At Sugger were assembled representatives of all the hundreds of sects
+of Fakeers existing in the country, of which we spare the reader the
+enumeration of, to him or her, unpronounceable names. There were some
+who sung odes and hymns, some who danced, some who played instruments;
+many who led lewd, riotous lives, and pretended to do miracles;
+others who walked through thorns and danced on hot embers, or took
+red-hot chains or ploughshares in their hands, and, dipping them in
+powdered resin, wiped off the blaze with naked hands. Some kept bears,
+or tigers, or monkeys, which they had tamed and taught to perform
+ingenious tricks; others had tame snakes living in their sleeves or in
+the breasts of their tunics. Again, there were others who seared their
+tongues with hot wires, or scored their arms or breasts till the blood
+flowed, or put live scorpions into their mouths.
+
+In short, if I, the writer of this chronicle, enumerated all the sects
+and their particular professions and means of getting their livelihood,
+my readers would see plainly, as the old Dervish did, that these were
+but contrivances to get money, or to lead dissolute lives under the
+pretence of a godly vow. "And what," he said, "could a quilted cap and
+an iron rod like the Kullundurs, or black turbans and clothes like the
+devotees of Shah Zinda Mudar, signify as aids to the Turreequt?" He
+therefore said to his friends,--
+
+"All these divisions of Fakeers are delusions, my brothers, and many
+of them are delusions of Satan, and work for the ruin of souls. My own
+faith is simple, and my course of life is also simple. Whatever I have
+been able to do, either in the relief of the sick or the casting out of
+evil spirits, I have effected under the invocation of the noble Saint
+Peer-i-Dustugeer, the Prince Syud Abd-ool-Qadir, on whom be peace!
+Should there be any professors of his doctrine or ceremonies in this
+great assemblage, I pray ye, friends, bring him or them to me, that
+I may make a public profession, and be received into the sect as a
+Moorsheed (scholar, or novice). I shall henceforward be a Fakeer, and
+fight for the faith under the banners of my chosen Lord."
+
+The Moolla of the mosque, the secretary, and the Kazee, who had each
+become devotees of other sects, would fain have had the old man join
+that which they themselves had professed; but after much earnest and
+learned discussion they could not succeed in weakening their guest's
+resolution, and they let him have his way. A professor of the Qadirea
+doctrines was soon found, who was a respectable and learned man from
+Golconda, who had taken the degree already, and, in conjunction
+with our old friend, a fitting day was soon named and fixed. What
+a pleasure, too, it was to receive visits from the officers of the
+troops stationed at Sugger, who were mostly Dekhanies! How pleasant
+to hear the old surnames, which he had not heard for years! For here
+were Bylmees, Alla-ool-Moolks, Siah-poshas--white standards, black
+sunshades--and many others, whose familiar war cries he had heard
+in the field. And the commander had the Akhbars, or news-letters of
+Beejapoor, and left them for Zora to read to her grandfather.
+
+How pleasant it was to hear of old names, and of the King's progress
+against the armies of Ahmednugger; watching every movement of the
+enemy, yet not striking a blow; but striving to bring them to reason.
+Then in one of the latest, the arrival of Abbas Khan was mentioned, and
+the accusation against him and the trial by ordeal, and the praises of
+the young man and description of his noble bearing before the Queen, a
+stripling as he appeared before a giant, were, you may be sure, dear
+reader, read by Zora with feelings of exultation she could not repress.
+She even set to work and copied the whole passage. Then also Meeah's
+appointment to command the reinforcement for the King, and his march
+out of the city; and that Runga Naik accompanied him. So he was well,
+Zora thought, with glistening eyes and beating heart, and has cleared
+himself before all, even his Queen. I think her grandfather was too
+much bound up in his Turreequt to care much about the Beejapoor news,
+though he appeared to rejoice at Abbas Khan's victory; but in the
+Akhbar of the next day, in which the discovery of Osman Beg's treason
+was detailed, and read by Zora with emotion, and that he would be tried
+before the Queen, the old man suddenly burst out into an unexpected
+display of feeling. Hitherto he had not complained of the outrage to
+Zora, except at first, but now he was passionately excited. "Spare me,
+O Lord!" he cried, raising his hands to heaven. "Spare me to help thy
+justice before men; then Thou wilt give me tongue to speak his shame
+who purposed shame to my child--yea, shame and insult. Ameen! Ameen!"
+and again he relapsed into silence. "Thou dost not say Ameen, girl," he
+said at length.
+
+"The Lord, who forgives our sins, can do as He wills, Abba, in this
+matter, and forgive if it be good," replied Zora, gravely. "Yet I can
+say in truth Ameen and Ameen to whatever He willeth. Doubt not, Abba,
+that truth will be declared, for so my heart tells me daily, and that
+this our journey is the way to its attainment."
+
+He was again silent for awhile, and then said, "And hast thou forgiven
+him, Zora?"
+
+"I have forgiven him," she replied, humbly. "He can do me no harm; and,
+under the protection of the Lord, he did me none. For what he purposed
+to do, Alla will judge."
+
+"And where didst thou learn this, child?"
+
+"From your own lips, Abba," she said, humbly; and going to him, bent
+down and kissed his hands and his feet. "From your own lips, Abba. Dost
+thou think I forget thy teaching, when all who hear remember it?"
+
+"I am rebuked, Zora, and justly so. If I do not what I bid others do,
+of what use is this Turreequt? Let him be mentioned, no more between
+us. No, he cannot harm thee now; and let the Lord deal with him as He
+pleaseth;" and the old man lay down and fell asleep.
+
+Everything had been arranged as to the initiation. The Mushaekh from
+Golconda, who was a learned and wealthy man, who lived in an ancient
+saint's garden and shrine near that fort, and was much respected by
+the King, had been one of the audience when the first of the Dervish's
+sermons was preached, and he had continued his visits to the mosque
+every day, and after the last he was brought into the old man's
+apartments, and introduced to him. He had believed that the venerable
+preacher was already a Mushaekh of high degree, and was considerably
+surprised by his request to be now allowed to enter the order, and
+fixed the second day afterwards for the ceremony, giving a detail of
+what would be needful. And we will not say what culinary preparations
+were made under old Mamoolla and a staff of cooks, who were hired and
+put under her orders; but there were sundry pilaos, birianees, kabobs,
+and other savoury and delicate viands.
+
+The cooking, which was for over a hundred Fakeers of all
+denominations, had begun early in the morning, and before noon the
+Mushaekh arrived, accompanied by his friends, and took his seat in
+the mosque. Then our old Dervish came forth, and many wild-looking
+Fakeers, who had assembled, were led by the Kazee and the secretary,
+and being presented to the holy man, they placed their hands on his
+head and bade him welcome. Being asked whether his choice of the Saint
+Peer-i-Dustugeer was a true one, the old man produced a diploma he
+had received in Tunis, where he had become a disciple, and which had
+been sealed with the seals of eminent men. This the Mushaekh put to
+his forehead and eyes, and kissed it; and it was handed round for the
+edification of all who were present; and no other certificate of the
+performance of the first ceremony being needful, the admission to the
+second was proceeded with.
+
+Strictly speaking it would have been advisable to have had all the
+hair shaved from the old man's head, beard, eyebrows, and chest; but
+because of his age this was dispensed with, and a few hairs were cut
+from each with a pair of scissors, and his nails pared. Then he was
+bathed carefully, and his new garments, carried before him, accompanied
+by chaunts from the Fakeers, were given to him one by one, and certain
+texts of the Koran repeated. Lastly, his crown, or cap, which had been
+beautifully embroidered by Zora, was placed on his head. It was of
+green velvet, and his new tunic was of green muslin, with a green scarf
+over all. After that he had to recite the four forms of belief. He was
+asked three times whether he acknowledged the Mushaekh his spiritual
+leader and guide, and the whole of the assembly as brethren, and he
+replied he did. Whereupon a loud shout arose that he was welcome in the
+name of all the saints, each man calling out that of his own.
+
+After that the crown, which had been removed, was solemnly put on his
+head again; his grave cloth was hung about his neck with spices and
+perfumes; a new loongee, or waist cloth, was put on, and a round piece
+of mother of pearl tied round his neck. When all this was completed,
+the Mushaekh took several sips out of a cup of sherbet, handing it to
+the old man, who drank it all, while the Mushaekh at the same time
+bestowed the new name which he was to bear hereafter. This was Luteef
+Shah, or King, every properly elected Fakeer bearing that title; and
+when the new name was pronounced, every one greeted it with a joyous
+shout. Then the feast began, which had been so liberally provided, that
+hundreds of the poor of the town were satisfied as well as the Fakeers,
+and the installation of Luteef Shah was long remembered.
+
+"When you have remained three days in your present grade," said the
+Mushaekh, "we will raise you to our own, for we are more in number
+here than is needed by the order; but it will be a simple matter
+in comparison with this, and confined to our degree alone." We may,
+however, spare the reader the detail of these ceremonies, which were,
+in truth, simple enough. They all paid a quiet visit to the tomb of
+Sofy Surmust, which is a short distance to the north of Sugger, and
+is a most unpretending earthen mound, whitewashed; and a carpet being
+spread, the head Mushaekh delivered a short address to the old man,
+requiring him not only to repeat the confession of faith, but confess
+all the sins of his life to be known to God, and to declare in the
+presence of the Almighty and that assembly that they would never again
+be repeated.
+
+After this had been done, the instructor repeated all the names of
+the chiefs of the sect as they had descended from the founder and
+inherited; and a copy of this, which is called "Shujra," was given
+to the novice, who was asked whether he acknowledged. A few gold
+pieces, as part of the ceremony, were presented to the Moorsheed, for
+the old Dervish was still rich; and the sale of Zora's pretty caps,
+drawers-strings, bodices, and other articles, had produced much more
+than she anticipated, and the evening collection more than sufficed
+for their maintenance. In any case they had still enough to bear the
+heavier expenses at Gulburgah, for the highest order of all, which the
+old Dervish, under his new title of Luteef Shah, was determined to
+attain from the descendant of the most celebrated saint in the Dekhan,
+Syud Geesoo Duraz, the lineal descendant of the original Wallee, who
+had come from Northern India years ago, and become the spiritual leader
+of the Moslems' Bahmuny Kings.
+
+"I am going there myself," said his new friend, "for the Syud is a
+great man, and what is more, a truly devout man, which some of his
+race have not been. He will welcome you warmly, I know, for he is,
+besides being my superior in a religious sense, my truly loved and
+intimate friend. I think he will not object, and I have met with none
+so worthy of the highest honour as yourself. The representatives of the
+Saint Syud Abd-ool-Qadir, of Oodgeer, and of Sheykh Fureed, of Gooty,
+and perhaps others, will be present, who knows? The anniversary at
+Gulburgah is a very world of religious zeal, where, if I mistake not,
+your daily discourses in the mosque will be attended with the best
+results; you had better therefore come with me, for my hareem is with
+me, and your child may need both society and protection. We are well
+guarded, too, for your kind Sovereign sent soldiers with me, who are
+enough to protect us both."
+
+The proposal was a welcome one, and, after explaining the vow he had
+made to beg his way to his destination, wherever that might chance to
+be, our old friend finally agreed. It was impossible for him to walk
+long stages day after day, but he could at least do as he had done when
+he and Zora entered Sugger. "Yes," he said, "the Lord carries us on,
+and finds new friends and protectors as we go; we desire He will lead
+us to some resting-place, where, like our friends from Golconda, we may
+find peace."
+
+As to Zora, she was supremely happy. The wife of the Mushaekh who had
+performed the ceremonies was a comparatively young woman, related to
+the Saint of Kullianee, a man of the highest temporal and religious
+distinction. She had heard of Zora through her own women, and welcomed
+the girl kindly. Zora had gone to her in her Syud's dress at first, and
+was shy, as she always was; but when her Abba was in the mosque, and
+when she could gain time, she ran across the street to the Mushaekh's
+lodgings, and soon became intimate with her; nor was it the less
+pleasure to the lady that during the journey onwards she should have so
+pleasant a companion.
+
+Gulburgah lay to the north, and, therefore, the day of the
+Rujub-ool-Ghyb was again Wednesday. Before that, however, a curious
+scene occurred between the secretary and her grandfather, which Zora,
+who was seated in the inner chamber of the house, working diligently
+to complete an order for some new caps, which she had to finish before
+she left, overheard involuntarily. The worthy secretary was speaking
+with her grandfather on the subject of the Turreequt generally, and,
+indeed, as was his wont, using gross flattery, which the old man always
+detested, and checked sometimes in not very mild language.
+
+"If I were the blessed messenger of the Lord Himself you could not
+flatter me more," said the old man, roused out of his ordinary
+submission to such inflictions. "I pray you cease, and be silent, as it
+behoves a modest man like you to do, Meer Sahib. If you want to pray,
+why not step into the mosque, and offer your prayers to the Most High?"
+
+"But your holiness can assist me in my desire. You can intercede for
+me, and without you my prayers will gain no favour."
+
+"I object to two things in your speech, Meer Sahib. First, that I
+should be called your holiness, which is a title for Wallees and Owleas
+only; and secondly, to knowing aught of your prayers and desires, which
+I cannot assist."
+
+"But you can assist them," persisted the secretary. "Huzrut, Huzrut, I
+am beside myself; unless you help me I shall go mad."
+
+"Now, God help thee, poor man," returned our friend. "Why shouldst thou
+go mad? Art thou poor, I cannot help thee; art thou rich, pray Alla to
+send thee grace to spend it. Thou hast no children! Well, I have given
+thy wife a powerful charm, and I pray it may be efficacious; but still,
+once more, if any fair one hath captivated thee, go to the gipsies, and
+others who sell charms, and they will take thy riches for them; but
+come not to me, my friend, for in that case thou wilt become my enemy."
+
+"Oh! say not so Huzrut; say not so," said the man, prostrating
+himself. "We are alone, and I fear, yet I would conceal nothing. I love
+Zora-bee, your grandchild, and I cannot live without her. Pity me,
+and grant my prayer. See, I eat dust, I cast it on my head; I am your
+supplicant, and our friend the Kazee is here, and we could at least be
+betrothed, and I would follow you till----"
+
+Now, while Zora within was bursting with suppressed laughter at
+seeing the little fat secretary sprawling on the ground before her
+grandfather, she saw too, through the screen, ominous signs of a storm
+gathering upon the dear old man's face; nor was it long before it broke.
+
+"Thou, Meer Sahib, thou, to ask for the only child of one who is vowed
+to God. Hast thou considered her birth, her position, and thine own?
+Hast thou no perception of thine own meanness? Oh, good man, verily
+thou hast eaten dirt, much dirt, and I feel the helplessness of age and
+blindness to be a bar against thy chastisement for the insult. Hast
+thou said aught to her? Get up and speak!"
+
+"I--I--I. No--no. I could not be so rude; but if thou wilt permit me,
+I will send a vakeel to her to-morrow."
+
+"Thou shalt do no such thing; she can tell thee herself. She hath seen
+thee often, and is not afraid of thee. And thou hast another wife, O
+mean blockhead! Zora! Zora!" he shouted, "come hither. God forgive me
+if I have been rough with him," he continued, as Zora approached the
+screen hanging across the door, and said, "I am here, Abba, but I must
+stay within."
+
+"Nay, I cannot tell thee," said the old man; "it is too ludicrous.
+Let the Meer Sahib speak for himself." And without further ado, the
+secretary got up, adjusted his turban, which had become awry, pressed
+his waistbelt down on his hips, twisted up his moustachios, and, in
+short, improved his appearance as much as was possible, and began to
+address the girl in the most high-flown language he could command. He
+quoted line upon line of Persian poetry, comparing her to the rose
+and himself to a nightingale. He discoursed on the loves of Joseph
+and Zuleeka, Potiphar's wife, of Abraham and Zuppoora, and would have
+proceeded after the same fashion, but the old man burst into a peal of
+laughter so hearty that the tears rolled down his cheeks.
+
+"Enough, enough!" he cried, "O Meer Sahib; I am not used to laughter,
+and thy speech is irresistible. What sayest thou, Zora, wilt thou have
+this jewel among secretaries, whose tongue is sweet as honey, to be thy
+husband, and share his love with the lady we have left?"
+
+"He is very kind to me," said Zora, with a mischievous tone of raillery
+in her voice. "Very kind, and I am utterly unworthy of him. Should so
+great a man as a Rajah's secretary stoop to a Fakeer's granddaughter?
+Touba! Touba! Fie! Fie! And what would his wife say?" And Zora could
+hold out no longer, but laughed in her turn.
+
+"Come, Meer Sahib," said the old man, "let us be friends again, and
+forget this folly. Return to thine own wife and comfort her. Thou
+knowest thy life would not be pleasant if she heard of this. Go,
+now, lest others tell her. Go, and God's peace be with thee, and my
+blessing, though it is little worth. Go."
+
+So the poor man departed not a little chagrined. But there is an old
+proverb, that men with small round heads, and thin, long beards, do
+foolish things, and in this case, at all events, there was no error.
+
+Zora was coming in to speak to her grandfather when the Kazee entered
+the court. "What have you been saying to the Meer Sahib, Huzrut? I met
+him in the street crying. I think I can guess; but no matter."
+
+"What did he tell you?" asked the old man.
+
+"Well, that my services might be required, and I was not to return
+home."
+
+"Indeed! It is a strange conceit," returned the other, and the
+conversation passed into other subjects. They were to set out on the
+morrow, and it had been arranged to travel by Shahpoor and Gogi; for
+when the old Syud had heard that that town was so near, he could not
+resist the opportunity of paying his devotions at the tombs of the
+Kings he had served; and in the morning the whole party mustered by
+the mosque and set out on their way northwards. Next day he would
+be at Almella. Would anyone be alive who could recognise their once
+prosperous master?
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+BY THE WAY.
+
+
+At the gate of the thriving town of Shahpoor, a few miles distant,
+they were met by the Governor of the fort, an officer of the Beejapoor
+Government, and pressed to stay to dinner and such entertainment as
+he could provide in the evening; and they consented, and an excellent
+house was placed at their disposal. The town lay at the north-east
+corner of the great mass of hills which Zora had seen from the pass
+by which they had entered the valley of Sugger; and the curious fort,
+surmounting enormous bare masses of granite rock, stood out with
+wonderful effect against the sky. Groups of soldiers appeared on the
+bastions; the Royal flag of Beejapoor waved from the citadel, which
+contained the excellent house of the Killadar, or commander, and it
+was evident the place held a numerous garrison. Shahpoor had been
+originally built by the Bahmuny Kings of Gulburgah, and contains many
+of their inscriptions; and being a natural position of great strength,
+in fact, impregnable, it served at once as a frontier fort and to keep
+the Beydur population in check. There was a nautch in the evening, at
+which our friends excused themselves on account of their religious
+duties; and the long wide streets of the town being level and well
+kept, Zora and her grandfather had no difficulty in following their
+hitherto practised vocation; and, as before, the invocations were sung,
+and the wallet, now a consecrated one, carried from one end of the town
+to the other.
+
+The day following, they all went on together to Gogi, where the
+mausoleum of the earlier Beejapoor Kings was situated. They found
+it a thriving place, full of weavers, and the station of a large
+body of cavalry, on account of the excellent forage with which the
+neighbourhood abounded; and though by far the greater part were absent,
+there were enough to form an imposing force, which received the holy
+men as they arrived. Very interesting to them was the cemetery of the
+great Kings, and the college attached to it, which was in daily use.[2]
+It consists of one large interior, with chapels at the junction of the
+sides of the octagon; and the architecture of this, as well as the
+gateway and front of the building, is, perhaps, the finest specimen
+of florid Gothic in the Dekhan, built entirely of black basalt,
+exquisitely ornamented and finished. One by one the graves of the Kings
+behind were shown to them by the attendant priests, and these, with the
+tombs of their wives and some dependants, occupy a considerable area
+enclosed by a wall. When they came to that of Ibrahim Adil Shah, under
+whom our old friend had served, he kneeled down beside it and began to
+sob and beat his breast. Zora tried to soothe him, for not, even as
+yet, knowing his history, she feared he had been taken suddenly ill,
+and would fain have run for medicine; but he put his hand on her arm,
+and said--
+
+"I have not forgotten what you said to me when I called for vengeance
+upon Osman Beg. Here lies one who did me injury more than thou knowest,
+Zora; at the remembrance of which all my worst passions rise into
+active being. And yet I thank Thee, O hearer of prayer," he continued,
+reverently raising his turban, "that Thou enablest me to say here I
+do forgive thee, O King and Royal master, and pray thou mayest have
+been accepted through His grace for all the good works thou didst to
+thousands. Peace be with thee, and the blessings of the Most High!"
+
+"What was he to thee, Abba?" asked Zora, in wonder. "The attendant
+tells me that there have been many Kings since he died."
+
+"What he was to me, child, thou wilt know hereafter, perhaps soon now;
+but no matter! In the great King Ibrahim I had a friend who loved me.
+Since him there have been two Kings, and the present one, whom I may
+be spared to see, bears his name. And yet, O once beloved master, my
+heart is even now with thee in the grave, where I must follow thee; and
+I bless Thee, O my Lord, that I have learned to forgive even through my
+child."
+
+On the western side of the cemetery was the embankment of an irrigation
+lake of some considerable area, and the rain having fallen plentifully,
+it was full of water. Then they went and sat by it, and the soft
+south-west wind brought the tiny waves to their feet, and sighed in the
+noble trees which shaded the cemetery and the college. They had brought
+a slight refection with them, and ate it together, while the old
+Dervish discoursed on the mysteries of holiness, or told many a tale of
+the past, when he, in King Ibrahim's suite, had halted for the day and
+performed ceremonies at the tombs of his ancestors, while the ground
+for the college was being measured and the architect explained the work
+he proposed to undertake. They attended the afternoon prayer in the
+college, which was filled to overflowing with the people and soldiers
+from the town; and our old friend addressed them in one of his loving,
+persuasive sermons, in which, perhaps from the unlooked-for occurrences
+of the day, he was even more eloquent than ever.
+
+The Fatehas at the Kings' tombs could not be made ready that day, and
+as their companions had no objection, but, indeed, the contrary, they
+remained and formed a little procession to the cemetery, spending a
+day of quiet peace, such as Zora thoroughly enjoyed. She used to say
+long afterwards, when she was an old woman, that her second day at
+Gogi was one of the happiest of her life, because one of the most
+thoughtful and impressive; and how sweet it had been to her to find her
+beloved grandfather's mind softening to an habitual cheerfulness and
+submission. "Truly," as he said constantly to her, "truly, child, I
+feel as if the Lord were leading me in this Turreequt, and that, too,
+by means of thee, O beloved! from the first."
+
+The country from Gogi to Gulburgah is uninteresting, but very fertile
+and well cultivated, and for some portion of their first march many
+of the Royal cavalry and townspeople escorted them; for the fame of
+our old friend had gone before him, and all were desirous of paying
+him honour and receiving his blessing. Crossing the Bheema river by
+the ferry at Ferozabad, Zora saw the palace fort of the famous King
+Feroze Shah, situated on a high bank of the river above one of its long
+deep reaches. But it is now only a ruin, and was even then in poor
+condition; and towards the close of the following day the minarets and
+domes of the holy city of Gulburgah were in sight, and it was quickly
+reached.
+
+Nothing could persuade our old friend that it should be treated like
+an ordinary town. His heart was full of reverence and thankfulness at
+having reached the end of his pilgrimage in safety and honour, and his
+new friend was equally reverential. So within a mile of the entrance
+gate they dismounted from their litters and performed a prostration
+ceremony by the wayside, and walked on together, Zora, as was her
+wont, dressed in her pilgrim's dress, leading her grandfather. Near
+the gate the old man had his sheet spread for alms, and it was not
+till the time for evening prayer was nigh that he arose and, guided by
+one of the Mushaekh's servants, followed his friend to the final place
+of destination, which was in a suburb which belonged to the spiritual
+Prince of the place, the descendant of the Geesoo Duraz family, who
+reigned. The noise and bustle of the crowded Bazar was therefore
+avoided.
+
+Zora, whose ideas of a city were of the most limited practical nature,
+and to whom Sugger, Shahpoor, and Gogi had appeared immense, was
+fairly confounded when, in company with her new friend, they ascended
+to the terrace of the house which had been assigned to them by the
+Prince. Before them were the fine mausoleums and domes of the original
+Geesoo Duraz, and the cemeteries attached to them, the Prince's palace
+and pretty gardens, with their fine rows of cyprus trees. In the
+middle distance the massive group of the mausoleums of the Bahmuny
+Kings, standing apart on an elevated piece of ground, and forming a
+picturesque group, with the still populous city lying at their feet;
+while to the left was the strong fort, with its regular fortifications,
+and beyond a considerable artificial lake, which the King Feroze, the
+merry Monarch of Dekhan history, had had constructed for his aquatic
+amusements.
+
+Gulburgah was, however, an ancient city, for when Zuffir Khan, the
+Viceroy of the then Emperor of Dehly, Mahomed Toghluk, founded the
+Bahmuny dynasty in A.D. 1347, the old Hindoo city was selected by him
+as his capital in the Dekhan, and continued to be so until, in 1435,
+nearly a century afterwards, a new city was built at Beeder, which was
+finally adopted as the seat of the Royal Government. During a hundred
+years of prosperity, however, under the early portion of the dynasty,
+Gulburgah had become a rich and thriving city. It was the mart for
+local produce and importations from the coast. Merchants of Arabia and
+Persia, nay, of Turkey and the Levant, resided there, and the courts
+of the early Bahmunies were magnificent and wealthy. Thus the city
+was ornamented with many public buildings, caravanseras, and mosques,
+almshouses, hospitals, and the like, and the fort constructed there was
+by far the strongest and most regular in the Dekhan; and within it the
+great mosque, which was to have been the exact counterpart of that at
+Cordova, in Spain, was begun, and roofed in; but never completed.
+
+All these principal edifices are still extant, but much decayed and
+ruined. King Feroze's once superb palaces in the fort are masses of
+shapeless ruins; but the mosque is as it was left by the masons and
+architect, and could be finished were there anyone to undertake it, and
+the fort is perfect. The mosques and other buildings in the city are
+tolerably preserved; but the mausoleums of the once haughty Kings are
+deserted, except by grazing cattle and goats, which shelter there from
+the noon-day heat; and no one lives who bestows a lamp and its oil to
+light at night the interior of these noble edifices.
+
+At the period of the visit of our friends, the city belonged to the
+kingdom of Beeder, which, after the extinction of the Bahmunies,
+remained in possession of the capital. Gulburgah was one of the chief
+cities of the kingdom, and was garrisoned by a large body of its
+troops to guard the frontier of the Bheema river against the armies of
+Beejapoor. If not, therefore, equal to its former prosperity, the city
+was yet in good condition, and the religious and other edifices were in
+perfect preservation and in constant use.
+
+Nearly three hundred years have elapsed since the time we write of, and
+Time, the spoiler, has been busy. The city has dwindled to a provincial
+town; the buildings are extant, but many of them in decay. The tombs
+of the Kings, so solidly built, are, perhaps, with the fine old fort,
+the least changed of all, and the lake below the palace of King
+Feroze sparkles as brightly as ever in the sun. The only building and
+premises as perfect now as they were three hundred years ago are the
+mausoleums of the Geesoo Duraz family, for their possessions have been
+continued to them, and they live in their old prosperity and religious
+honour, and the attendance of pilgrims at their shrine is as large now
+as perhaps it ever was--as devout and as full of faith. But Gulburgah
+has a new honour never dreamed of, truly, in the dim past. It is now
+a station of the railway line from Bombay, and from it diverges one
+branch to Madras and one to Hyderabad--the old capital of the Golconda
+kingdom.
+
+FOOTNOTE:
+
+[2] The college and cemetery are still perfect, but the former is used
+no longer, and is forsaken except at the anniversaries of the several
+deaths, when prayers are said in it. The tombs of the Kings are covered
+by printed cotton cloths, which are renewed annually. Certain families
+of weavers and printers in the town, descendants of the original
+executers of these articles, still contribute them, and are paid by
+the proceeds of certain lands and rice fields with which the tombs
+were endowed at first, and certain payments from the Customs dues; and
+to the last the Rajahs of Shorapoor were the hereditary almoners of
+this bounty, and disbursed it regularly on every anniversary either in
+person or by deputy. Gogi now belongs to the Government of His Highness
+the Nizam, and it may be hoped that the ancient custom has not been
+discontinued, and that the interesting and beautiful remains have been
+kept in repair.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+SAINTLY HONOURS.
+
+
+The sun was just rising as Zora and her companion, the Mushaekh's
+wife, looked forth on the splendid scene spread out before them. Thin
+blue smoke was hanging over the distant portion of the city, veiling
+the details of terraced houses, minarets, and mosques, and other
+pretentious buildings, and then passing into the grey distance which
+melted into blue and violet lines up to the horizon. Nearer objects
+were more defined, and the mausoleums of the Kings, the fort, and the
+blue lake, were clear and beautiful as the sun's rays touched the white
+and glistening surface of the massive domes, the slender spires of the
+minarets, and the tops of the noble trees which stood around in almost
+every direction. From a higher elevation the view might have been
+more complete and extensive, but it would have lost the charm of that
+lovely combination of objects of all descriptions which their present
+situation afforded.
+
+Zora's face was flushed and excited, and her large brown eyes were
+half filled with tears as she looked around. "Abba cannot see it," she
+murmured to herself; "but he may have seen it before, when he was
+young, and I will ask him; but, oh! it is so beautiful."
+
+"I used, lady," she continued to her new companion, "to think our
+old grim fort and its rocks beautiful; and the deep ravine, with the
+cataract, was beautiful, too, only so wild, that they used to make me
+tremble very often; but this is more soft and loving, and one seems to
+be wrapped in all around, and to feel it in one's heart. I shall be
+sorry when we can stay no longer."
+
+"So shall I," returned the lady. "When I was a barren woman, with no
+hope, my husband brought me here, and the saint blessed me, and my
+firstborn followed. He is now four years old, and we have come, as we
+vowed, to return our humble thanks for him, and to pray for his welfare
+always in the future. When thou hast one like him, Zora, the only thing
+thou wilt ever care to look at will be his eyes; and thy time will
+come, too. If thou hadst a mother, she would have arranged this long
+ago."
+
+"Perhaps," said Zora, timidly, a manly face she well remembered rising
+to her thoughts. "Perhaps; and what is written in my fate will come to
+pass."
+
+"True, child," returned the lady, "but fate needs help sometimes,
+though truly before fate contrivance can do but little; still it may be
+tried. Now, my husband and I have a little plot against you both, and
+that is to take you with us to Golconda, where our lord the King is, a
+devout and learned man, who hath great veneration for holy Mushaekhs
+and Dervishes; and he would be charmed with your grandfather, and would
+never let him depart; he would give him estates, and he would take the
+rank that is due to him. What think you? As to yourself, I have the
+noblest husband for you. He is commander of ever so many horsemen, and
+holds estates and lands for their maintenance; and so he is very rich,
+and has a beautiful palace in the fort, and gardens. When I parted with
+him, he said, laughingly, 'Oh, aunt, bring me the most beautiful woman
+you can see, for I have had every girl in Golconda inspected, and I
+love not what I hear of any of them.' I said, 'You are laughing at me,
+Shere Khan;' but his face changed, and he said, 'I am not; I swear to
+thee, by Ayesha, that I am entirely in earnest.' And who do I know, or
+ever saw, but thee, Zora, who would be worthy of him? Dost thou know
+how lovely thou art, with that soft curly hair of thine hanging about
+thy neck, and the ruddy glow in thy fair, sweet face? Did no one ever
+tell thee how beautiful thou art? Hast thou had no friend in thy young
+life?"
+
+"Maria used to tell me so," replied Zora, shyly, "and I used to chide
+her."
+
+"Maria! Who is Maria? That is a Nazarene name, surely."
+
+"She is a Christian lady, one of God's servants, whom chance sent to us
+at Juldroog, and she and her brother lived with us."
+
+"And she wanted thee for him, and made thee a Christian?"
+
+"No," said Zora, gravely, "she did not make me a Christian; and for her
+to think of me for her brother would have been foolish. He, too, has a
+vow to God, and could not marry even among his own people. No, she was
+only a dear friend, and I owe to her all that I know, and all that I
+can do."
+
+"And where is she now, child?"
+
+"I know not, lady; alas! I know not. She went from us with her brother
+to Beejapoor, and perhaps has gone on to Goa."
+
+"Thank God!" said the lady; "then there is the better chance of my plan
+succeeding, and I will ask my husband to apply to your grandfather."
+
+"I know he hath urgent business in Beejapoor, lady, and hath urgent
+need to see the King; but what it is he never told me, and I know
+nothing of his life."
+
+"Well, then, as God wills," said the lady; "but if I told Shere Khan
+of thee, he would follow thee, I know, as long as he could trace thee
+through the Dekhan."
+
+I will not describe the ceremonies as the travellers paid their
+devotions at the mausoleum of the departed saints, or their respects to
+the present reigning incumbent. These were no places for our old friend
+to display his genius, his eloquence, and his learning. These and the
+doctrines of his teaching only shone forth in addressing crowds in
+mosques, and on special occasions, when, as it seemed, inspiration came
+on him; but one day, when he was in the large mosque for prayer--it
+was some minor festival day--and there was a crowd of worshippers, and
+the Prince was present, he asked leave to deliver the sermon, and the
+service was thankfully accepted.
+
+As the old man took his place on the upper step of the pulpit, clad in
+his green dress, and, leaning on his staff, stretched out his arms, a
+murmur came from the assembly which cheered and excited him; and with a
+short text on the love of God, his words poured forth in a stream, not
+in the soft Persian he had adopted of late, but in the rugged Dekhan
+tongue--which had little of ornament or hyperbole in it--which became
+a torrent of alternate entreaty, reproach, and assurance, the like of
+which had never been heard before then by any. There were no sophisms,
+no mysteries, no display of profound erudition, incomprehensible except
+to a few; but there was instead instruction on the true Turreequt,
+the true path of salvation. He pleaded humility before God; charity,
+pity, and love to God and man; absence of any spiritual arrogance,
+which was but too prevalent, and of self-conceit and display. He
+spoke of the softer graces of habitual piety, of truth to man and to
+God, and of sobriety, patience, and endurance; tenderness in home
+duties and abroad; in short, attention to all the godly precepts of
+the book of God's messenger, who had inspired it, as he believed, and
+enjoined constant thought of the day of judgment, and the trial then
+of all profession. Be not offended with me, O Christian reader, for
+such things can be taught out of the book you have been told to hold
+in scorn, apart from the mystery and sensual doctrines which are so
+strangely mingled with them.
+
+When he concluded, and the blessing was delivered, those present did
+not form into knots, to shake hands and give the salutation of blessing
+one to another as usual, but, as if by inspiration, shouted, "A saint!
+a saint! a miracle hath been done, for such words were never heard!"
+and the Prince was as much excited as any one else, and joined with
+the rest. Then he called for his own conveyance, which was a nalkee,
+or sedan chair, with two poles and eight bearers, and our old friend
+was put into it, and accompanied by the multitude, with torches and
+blue lights, and firing of guns, for it was now dark, the procession
+passed on to the palace of the Prince, with cries of "A saint! a
+Wallee! A miracle, a miracle! Deen, Deen!" burning clouds of incense,
+throwing handfuls of perfume powder over him, and in every way possible
+testifying their respect and admiration. Then the Prince took his seat,
+and called up the dear old man, and in a voice full of emotion said to
+him, "Come hither, for I salute you in the title of Wallee. Thou hast
+done a miracle, and the people have seen and acknowledge it, and the
+Lord accepts it. Listen while I repeat the sacred words of the order.
+And now drink of this cup of sherbet, which, sipped and breathed on
+by me, becomes to thee the sherbet of salvation. Verily, the Lord hath
+brought thee to the end of the Turreequt, and all ye who are present
+are witness to this. Ameen! Ameen! It is the Lord's will."
+
+And all cried aloud, with a hoarse shout, "Ameen! Ameen! So be it!"
+
+During this time our old friend had been in a state of which he
+remembered very little. He recollected, and afterwards repeated, the
+last words of his sermon, and he remembered his being carried out of
+the mosque and seated in the nalkee; but of the wild procession, the
+shouts, the torches and blue lights, and the Prince's address, he
+recalled very little until he received the cup of cool sherbet, which
+tasted as if from Paradise itself. Now he was weary of the excitement;
+and after attempting to utter his thanks he seemed to waver to and fro
+as he sat, and while the Mushaekh and others supported him he stooped
+heavily forward and fell to the ground. Then a palanquin was brought,
+and they carried him to the house where he lodged; and, revived by the
+fresh air, he was able to alight and walk slowly to his chamber, where
+Zora, already made anxious by the sudden rumour that her grandfather
+had fainted in the great assembly, received him in her arms and laid
+him down on his cushions. As he had been carried out of the assembly
+the Prince rose, and cried with up-lifted hands before all--
+
+"Pray God that He do not take the saint from us in this his present
+ecstasy!" And all present cried "Ameen!"
+
+"Pray God that he may live to lead and instruct many." And again they
+cried "Ameen!"
+
+Then the Prince gave the blessing to all, and they departed; and the
+precincts of the palace and cemetery soon resumed their quiet, peaceful
+character, as the stars shone out in the calm and fresh atmosphere of
+night. And Zora sat and watched.
+
+For a time her grandfather seemed to sleep calmly; but he became
+gradually restless and feverish; and from time to time she gave him
+sips of a sherbet of pomegranates, which he took eagerly. Still he
+did not appear to recognise her, which much distressed her. It was
+evident that the events of the evening had been too exciting; and his
+impassioned sermon, followed by the procession from the mosque, the
+glare of torchlights and noise of guns, the clouds of incense smoke,
+and the final acceptance as a Wallee, had been altogether more than he
+could bear. From time to time he muttered sentences of the Koran, and
+seemed to pray. Again he cried aloud, "Karamat! Karamat! A miracle! a
+miracle!" and tried to lift himself up from his pillow, and wave his
+arm.
+
+Zora could not weep, her eyes were dry and burning with anxiety; all
+she held most dear on earth lay helpless before her, and if he passed
+away in this ecstasy what would she do, whither could she go? Who
+would care for the obscure, friendless girl who did not even know her
+own origin? But she could not wish they had never come. If Alla pleased
+to take him, it would be at the crowning point of his earthly life;
+that which it seemed his only desire to reach, and which had been
+attained. Her new friend, the Mushaekh's kind wife, came to her and
+sat with her, and told her freely and compassionately that she must be
+prepared even for the last; and taking her in her arms, laid her head
+upon her breast, and told her she would be a mother to her, and she
+was not to fear; and her husband, who also came, bade her not to fear,
+for if the Lord took her Abba she would be his and his wife's child
+thenceforth. But all these alarms of that strange night disappeared
+by the early morning. For the latter part of it the old man had slept
+peacefully, like a child; and as the muezzin was crying the invocation
+to early prayer, and the sentence, "Prayer is better than sleep! Prayer
+is better than sleep! God is victorious!" he woke, and, to Zora's
+infinite joy, sat up with a gentle, smiling face, such as she had not
+seen for a long time, reminding her of earlier days. Then she assisted
+him to rise and to perform his devotions; and as he again sat down, she
+crept to him, and very timidly congratulated him on his new dignity,
+and the honour he had received.
+
+"Then it was not a dream, child?" he said.
+
+"No, Abba; it was a blessed reality. Zeenat-bee (that was the name of
+the Mushaekh's wife) and I were sitting on the terrace above, after
+evening prayer. The air was so cool and fresh, and the city looked so
+quiet and peaceful; and suddenly we heard a great hoarse cry arise,
+and we looked, and blue lights were burned, and the tombs of the Kings
+flashed out of the dusk brighter than day. Then gradually the crowd
+appeared, and the tumult was fearful--men struggling with each other
+to approach the nalkee; and other palanquins and open litters were in
+front and behind, and we thought it was only the customary honour done
+to the Prince. But as the procession passed beneath us, and I saw it
+was thee, O Abba, to whom they were doing honour, I cried with all the
+rest, and Zeenat and I embraced each other. But when they brought thee,
+and I looked at thee, and laid thee down, I feared, yea, I feared thy
+time had come; yet the Lord hath spared thee, and thou art a saint now,
+one that men may worship without sin."
+
+There was, indeed, no doubt on that score. All the day, the highest in
+holy rank, the Wallees, the Owleas, the Mushaekhs, doctors learned in
+the law, and private persons in crowds thronged about the house and its
+courtyards, and would be content only by the assurance that the new
+saint would once more preach to them in the mosque, and return thanks
+to Alla the Most High. And on the third day the old man went in company
+of the Prince, and took his place, after prayers, on the upper step
+of the pulpit. To those present it appeared that he was taller and
+more dignified than before; but the Wallee's sermon was not the less
+passionate that day. It affected him less, though it seemed to affect
+his hearers more; and after it was over, his friend, the Mushaekh, led
+him about, and he shook hands with many and gave them the blessing.
+Then the great procession of the Prince's anniversary followed; and
+though on the grandest scale, accompanied by the troops, and midst
+the firing of cannon and matchlocks, and blare of sonorous trumpets
+and horns, with rockets and blue lights continually discharged, yet
+it had not the excitement of the sudden frenzied rush of the Wallee's
+recognition, nor the spontaneous enthusiasm of the crowds that had
+accompanied him; and their journey to the mosque, and subsequent
+return, were of the same majestic but monotonous character.
+
+As they were all sitting together quietly after they had returned home,
+Ahmed entered somewhat abruptly, and cried out, "I have heard news. Our
+King has won a victory, and the King of Ahmednugger was killed." And on
+being further interrogated, he said he had heard it from some soldiers
+of Beejapoor, who had a vow to be present at the Prince's procession,
+and had obtained leave to come the day after the battle, and the dead
+were being buried.
+
+"Go early," said the old man; "see those men, and bring any that
+will come to me;" and before mid-day several men came and gave a
+circumstantial account of the whole action. Abbas Khan and some
+Beydurs had been foremost in carrying the guns. The young King of
+Ahmednugger had charged madly to recover them, but had been shot dead,
+and the whole army fled to Puraindah and sent ambassadors for peace;
+and when all was completed, the King would return to Beejapoor--he
+might even now be on the way.
+
+"This decides me at once, Zora," said her grandfather. "The Mushaekh's
+intentions were truly kind, and I will acknowledge them; but thy proper
+home is with Queen Chand, and till I give thee to her my mind will not
+rest. After that let it be with us as God willeth. Let us prepare to
+go."
+
+There was yet one ceremony to perform, which was a solemn leave-taking
+of the Geesoo Duraz and his fellow spiritual princes who were at the
+festival, and many others; and Zeenat-bee had to present Zora to the
+Prince's wife and other great ladies who would be with her. But poor
+Zora's wardrobe, if plentiful for her wants, was not that of a fine
+lady. The valuable clothes given to her by the Ranee of Wakin-Keyra
+were of Hindoo form, and, therefore, for the present useless. Her best
+petticoat was of fine soosi, her best scarf only plain muslin, not over
+fine; and the new friend looked over the clothes in despair. "None of
+these will answer," she said; "thou shouldst have satin at least, but
+it should be cloth of gold."
+
+"I have no better," Zora said; "I have never known better. What is
+cloth of gold (kumkhab)?"
+
+"And thou hast never seen it, O simple child? Stay, I see it all now."
+And she went to her apartments, and her servants returned with her,
+bringing a bundle. "That is kumkhab," she said to Zora, shaking out
+a gorgeous petticoat of the material, "and thou shalt wear that, my
+child; the grandchild of Luteef Shah Wallee is a princess, and should
+be clad as one." It was in vain that Zora protested she ought not to go
+at all; but there was no escape.
+
+How beautiful she looked when Zeenat-bee came and dressed her. The
+cloth of gold, the delicate scarf of brocaded muslin, and all beside
+seemed, indeed, as the natural costume of the sweet girl; and as she
+entered the assembly of ladies with a modest yet dignified grace, there
+was not one present who was not struck with her beauty more than they
+cared to acknowledge. Nor would her kind friend receive the clothes
+back from her. "If my Shere Khan cannot see thee in them," she said,
+"you will need them for your Queen, and they will remind thee of me,
+Zora. I see thou canst not come with us, for thy grandfather's business
+with the King is urgent, so I will send thee away, though my heart
+aches as I do so."
+
+And when the time came, for the day of the Rujub-ool-Ghyb was Thursday,
+for the march southwards, they took leave of all with much emotion;
+and, after paying for what they had used, the balance was invested
+in an order by a local banker on Beejapoor, for they had been warned
+of robbers, gangs of whom frequented large assemblies like that at
+Gulburgah, and dogged the footsteps of the returning pilgrims.
+
+Nothing was wanting on the part of the local authorities to do honour
+to "Luteef Shah Wallee," the humble Syud and Dervish of Juldroog, now
+the new and accepted saint of the faithful, to be worshipped whenever
+he might give up his spirit to the angels of death, and henceforth to
+live in Dekhan history, as many as humble as he had done before. With
+all his yearning for Beejapoor, he had yet longings after Golconda, and
+should his petition be rejected, there was at least that refuge to be
+looked to for Zora as well as himself. Well! they would soon see, and
+it could not be many days before he knew his fate. As before, the four
+baggage ponies were laden by Ahmed; and as the "Geesoo Duraz" insisted
+on supplying one palanquin and the Governor of the town another,
+besides a few horse and foot soldiers as far as Almella, where there
+was a station of Beejapoor troops, they were to travel in comfort and
+security. But the old man said to Zora, as she was making her last
+preparations to depart, "Child, we have been dazzled by our prosperity;
+may Alla forgive us for having neglected our duty as Fakeers. This we
+must resume, and therefore keep our old dresses ready for us."
+
+"I have already prepared them," she said; "and whenever thou wilt we
+will sing the invocation again." Then they set out for Afzulpoor, near
+the river Bheema.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+DANGER.
+
+
+The journey from Gulburgah to Afzulpoor was altogether a pleasant one
+to the travellers. The morning they left the city was cloudy and cool,
+and the soft south-west wind blew refreshingly in their faces as they
+proceeded. The plain, after the stony environs of the city was passed,
+was rich and fertile, lying on a gentle slope towards the river Bheema,
+which ran through its broad valley in a tortuous course; but unseen,
+as the floods had declined, on account of its high, steep banks. The
+soil was rich and fertile, and luxuriant crops of jowaree, bajree, and
+other cereals, with pulse, oil seeds, and mustard, now in bright yellow
+flower, were pleasant to behold, while the air resounded with songs
+of the cultivators, who were ploughing and otherwise preparing their
+fields for the autumn sowing of cotton, the larger jowaree, and other
+products. With the husbandmen it was the busiest time of the year, and
+to travellers almost the pleasantest, for the rains had given place to
+occasional light showery weather, which did not affect the roads, while
+the fleecy clouds tempered the sun's rays, and the climate was hardly
+warmer than that of an English summer day. Larks were singing in the
+air, birds were chirping in every tree, flocks of mynas and paroquets
+flew cheerily about, and the whole face of nature was joyful. Our old
+friend was very happy. His excitement was gradually subsiding, and his
+thoughts were assuming the serenity of his ordinary life. Though he
+had been raised to the highest spiritual dignity he could receive, yet
+there was nothing of the zealot or bigot in his nature. If it pleased
+God, he prayed mentally, to let him remain at Beejapoor, he might by
+his teaching temper some of the fierce intolerance which he knew used
+to exist there, and might still continue. He could select some quiet
+place in which he might make a garden and build a dwelling sufficient
+for his small requirements; and by services at the great mosque, by
+public alms, and the donations of the King and nobles of the city,
+he hoped even to build a small mosque, and establish a school and
+college, in which he could teach himself, and thus employ his spare
+time pleasantly and profitably to others. Possibly, also, some quiet,
+respectable family might propose marriage with Zora. "They tell me,"
+he murmured to himself, "that she is growing up and is beautiful; but
+when I asked her whether I should accept the Mushaekh's offer on behalf
+of his nephew at Golconda, which, indeed, appeared to be an offer in
+every way worthy of her and of me, she wept, and said, 'No! no! no!
+Abba. Not away from you; I could not leave you. But if it be the will
+of the Lord that thou stay not at Beejapoor, then do with me as thou
+wilt.' No, she hath no tie to Beejapoor, no expectation there; so let
+the issue be as the Lord willeth!"
+
+Perhaps, however, the fair Zora's thoughts were of a different
+character. Beejapoor had to her always seemed the goal of her desires.
+Every one around her, even at the old fort, had always spoken of the
+city as though they belonged to it. She knew that her father had
+been an officer in its army, and she had gathered enough from her
+grandfather to believe that he had once served there, though in what
+capacity she knew not, and she dare not risk the chance of vexing
+him by asking. He had promised that one day he would tell her all,
+and she had left the time to his own inclination; now, however, that
+they were going there, he might break, perhaps, the long and painful
+silence. But this was not all. Despite of apparent hopelessness, and
+no knowledge whatever of Abbas Khan's circumstances, her heart was
+with him always; and from the news of him she had heard at Gulburgah,
+she appeared to have gained new hope. He was evidently a man of rank;
+he was near the King, and if her grandfather went to the King, Meeah
+would hear of her and inquire about her. She had no idea that he could
+have forgotten her; that the excitement of war, possibly of some other
+attachment, might have driven her from his thoughts altogether; or
+that he might already have been betrothed in his youth. Any or all of
+such contingencies never occurred to her, and she still believed that
+she was not forgotten. If it were so, indeed, she would continue as she
+was, and in the vow of the green dress would be her refuge. Had she not
+seen others take it at Gulburgah? And Maria, too, she might be there,
+and be able to direct her. In short, more than ever her goal appeared
+to be Beejapoor; and though anxious and excited, Zora was full of hope;
+which, if it was vague and undefined, still was hope at her heart, that
+had of late grown more vivid than before.
+
+Mid-day was past, and near a small village there was a garden field,
+and a well, overshadowed by a huge peepul tree, where the party halted
+for rest and refreshment. Zora and Ahmed drew the Syud's small mattress
+and carpet from the palanquin, and spread them in the shade; and from
+her stores old Mamoolla produced a cold refection she had prepared at
+Gulburgah over night. The cool, fresh air and the easy journey had
+made the old man hungry, and he enjoyed what had been provided very
+heartily. Zora had not seen him so cheerful for a long time past, not,
+indeed, since they had left Juldroog; and it was evident to her that as
+he neared Beejapoor his hopes grew brighter and clearer; but of what?
+
+"They say, Huzrut," said the leader of the little party of horsemen,
+"that the ferry-boat at Afzulpoor makes only two trips across the
+river on each day; one from this side, when travellers arrive about the
+third watch, and the other from the further side before noon. Now as we
+cannot reach the town in time to-day, I have, therefore, sent on two
+of the horsemen to arrange that the boat should wait till you arrive
+to-morrow, and to send word by the first basket boat crossing that you
+are coming, and that lodgings are to be prepared for you in Sinnoor, a
+considerable village, where you will be very comfortable."
+
+"Then we had better move on, perhaps, sir," returned the old Syud. "I
+am grateful for your thought of me, and the mid-way stage cannot be far
+distant now."
+
+"It is only a few miles; there is no need to hurry, my lord," was the
+reply. "It will be only my infinite regret that I shall not be able to
+take the whole of my party with you to Beejapoor; but it is difficult
+for horsemen to cross the river when it is full, and we belong to a
+different Government; the foot soldiers will, however, accompany you.
+You can get them relieved at Almella, which is customary."
+
+"Once I am there, sir, I think I can send your men back, for I am
+known, or--or--used to be."
+
+At Almella, thought Zora; who can remember him there?
+
+"Zora," said her grandfather, when they were alone, as Ahmed and the
+old woman were packing up what had been used, "Zora, listen to me,
+child, for it will relieve me to tell you. We have not preserved our
+faith with the Lord; we have been exalted by spiritual pride; we seem
+to be no longer humble Fakeers, but to have changed into princes.
+Though I cannot see, yet I feel that everyone salutes me. I am called
+'Your Holiness,' or 'My Prince,' or 'My Lord,' and this I regret. We
+have not begged alms as we should have done, and as I vowed to do; and
+I fear that the Lord will punish me for this great omission."
+
+"True, Abba," said Zora, laughing, "we have not begged every day,
+for at Gulburgah you said you could not take me among the crowds, it
+was not safe; but did I not spread the sheet for you at the gate of
+the Prince's palace, when the worshippers were entering, and in the
+cemetery, near the grave of the old saint? And when Ahmed spread it for
+you in the mosque, was it not always full? and when people came to the
+house to get charms or amulets, and ask for your blessing, did they not
+leave alms? Then, grandfather, we have much money, much more than we
+need, besides the order on Beejapoor. Why should we beg for more? Is
+it not avaricious to do so? Thou hast only to say Luteef Shah Wallee
+wants, and riches would be bestowed upon thee. But, O Abba, we do not
+want them; we were quite happy when we were poor."
+
+"Nay, I am not avaricious," returned the old man, humbly; "but for
+my breach of vow I fear. Let us resume our wonted habit, Zora, from
+this evening where we rest for the night, and give all we get in the
+wallet to the poor; and to-morrow, as we wait for the boat, we may
+as well sing an invocation, and spread the sheet, and we can make a
+distribution there also."
+
+So it was arranged, and they went out to beg that night, and proceeded
+next day to Afzulpoor. The people came out in crowds to see the new
+saint, whose fame had preceded him, for there were many Mussulman
+weavers and husbandmen at the little town, and some of them had heard
+the Syud preach, and been witness to the wondrous excitement when he
+was taken up and carried in procession. They would fain have had him
+stay with them and preach, for the next day was Friday, the Sabbath;
+but he could not be persuaded to break his journey, and must go on as
+had been arranged. When he came to the river side, and his sheet was
+spread on the green turfy bank, he addressed the people for awhile
+in his own homely way, and the sheet was rapidly covered with small
+contributions. Then he took a kind leave of all, and delivered the
+amount of the collection to the Patell and authorities of the village
+to be distributed in charity to all the poor, and applied to the
+expenses of the festival which he knew was at hand. Thus his mind was
+assured that he had at last done right, and he would continue the
+custom; and when he landed on the other side, it was with a silent
+prayer that thenceforth to his destination nothing might interfere with
+the tenor of his vow.
+
+The men who had been sent forward had been able to make arrangements
+for our friends, and they were soon comfortable. They had arrived
+before the time for evening prayer, and their dwelling-place adjoined
+the mosque, where most of the men and some women of the village had
+assembled; and now, too, came an opportunity of saying a few kind words
+to them all, and the lights were being lighted in the village before
+they got up, and Zora led her grandfather back to their apartments. He
+was quite cheerful then and quite satisfied with what had been done.
+Zora and old Mamoolla pressed him to take his dinner, but he laughingly
+said he had eaten so much of the old woman's good kabobs at the well
+that he needed no more, and as soon as the cattle had all come in he
+would go with Zora, as the streets would be quiet.
+
+Gulburgah during the festival had been full of thieves of every
+description; indeed, the place had an evil reputation for robbers
+at all times. There were not only the ordinary cut-purses and
+pick-pockets, pilchers, and night prowlers of such gatherings; but
+there were Thugs from the neighbouring counties of Allund, Gunjooty,
+and Kullianee, as well as those who lived in the city itself, carrying
+on apparently honest trades and occupations, who marked parties for
+plunder, joined with them as they departed homewards, and slew them
+when they had gone a little distance with them. For miles, indeed, in
+every direction were the unhallowed graves of hundreds, and thousands,
+perhaps, of those who had been thus decoyed and destroyed. There were,
+too, Dacoits who attacked the lodgings of pilgrims, or waylaid them on
+the high roads, and plundered with little regard to consequences. Among
+the latter were many Jutts and Kaikarees, peaceful-looking people by
+day, but terrible by night.
+
+Our readers will not have forgotten, perhaps, the attack on the old
+Syud's house at Kukeyra, with the intent to carry away Zora; and some
+of that gang who had escaped, and who lived in small villages somewhat
+to the south of Almella, were pursuing their usual avocations in the
+festival; by day selling small prayer-mats to pious Mussulmans, or
+their women worked bodices, new and old, or made winnowing fans for
+cleaning rice and other grain; but both by night and by day pursuing
+their hereditary avocation of thieving. Among these was the boy who
+had been released by Burma Naik and sent back to his people with the
+grim notice already recorded. He had seen the old Syud at the public
+mosque on several occasions; also at the gate of the Prince's palace,
+when Zora and her grandfather spread the sheet at night, and had dogged
+them to their lodging. There nothing could be done, for they were well
+guarded; but the determination to exact a heavy revenge for their
+leader's death and the execution of their comrades had not lessened;
+the only point undecided being how it was to be carried out. Some of
+the gang were in favour of a sudden attack in a village where the Syud
+should rest for the night; but when they found out that the old man
+was proceeding to Beejapoor, their plan was formed rapidly. They would
+not rob the holy man; that would be a sin, and bring misfortune on
+them; but they could carry off Zora, and give her up to Osman Beg, whom
+they believed still to be at Juldroog, and demand from him the reward
+he had promised. Some of the gang had crossed the river by a basket
+boat early in the morning, with a small litter they had prepared, and
+which could be easily carried. Several actually crossed in the great
+ferry-boat (who could have suspected them?), and watched our travellers
+to their resting-place. Their habit of begging through villages on
+their journey in the evening was the best opportunity afforded to the
+robbers' plans, and they were determined to follow them up, even to the
+gates of Beejapoor, rather than forego their chance. The village had
+one large gate to the south, that which opened on the Almella road,
+and was in a direct line with the centre street. Two men had usually
+charge of this gate, who could be easily overpowered. It would be
+impossible to make a rush through it so long as the village cattle were
+coming home; but, after that, there would be no obstacle, and it was
+with secret satisfaction that the scouts watched the old man and Zora,
+dressed in the Fakeers' garb, leave their lodging alone, and wander
+about the streets, singing their appeals for alms, receiving such as
+they were given, and so passing on. At first they had walked through
+side streets, Zora always leading her grandfather, and warning him of
+stones and other obstacles; and at last they emerged into the broad
+way, not far from the gate, where there was a space without houses,
+which appeared to Zora very lonely and desolate, and there were no
+persons moving about as in other parts of the village.
+
+"I do not like this, Abba," said Zora; "it is so lonely, and you would
+not let me bring Ahmed with us. Let us turn back towards our home. The
+wallet is already heavy with meal and rice."
+
+"Why fear, child?" returned the old man, gaily. "Who ever molests the
+Fakeer?"
+
+The words were scarcely out of his mouth when about twenty men, some
+of them carrying a small litter, emerged from behind a wall which
+concealed a narrow lane, and came running towards them, crying out,
+"Clear the way for the bride!" Zora thought they were part of a village
+marriage procession, especially as there were two torches lighted; and
+drew her grandfather aside to let the people pass; but almost before
+she could think, she found herself seized, a gag thrust into her mouth,
+and her grandfather prostrated by a severe blow from a staff. She was
+then swathed in a saree and lifted into the litter, the bearers of
+which hurried on at their utmost speed. No noise had been heard of the
+slight scuffle; no alarm was given. The two door-keepers were in the
+act of shutting to the ponderous gates, which required their utmost
+strength, and were taken completely unawares. One of them tried in
+vain to stop the foremost of the robbers, and was pierced by a spear
+before he could cry out; the other, who attempted to gain the bastion,
+was struck down on the first step, and there died. Then the whole gang
+extinguished their torches, rushed on down the main road till they came
+to a side path which turned more to the east, among the tall fields of
+jowaree, pursuing their way in utter silence for the most part, only
+interrupted by occasional whispers among the gang.
+
+Poor Zora was utterly helpless. The gag which had been stuffed into her
+mouth nearly choked her; the cloth by which she had been swathed up
+to her throat prevented her moving her hands. She remembered when the
+slaves of Osman Beg took her up at Juldroog they had done it gently,
+and she could at least breathe freely and scream for help; but this
+attack on her had been more savage, more determined--was this also her
+enemy's contrivance? She could not but think so; and his emissaries
+must have followed her even from Kukeyra. Whither were they taking
+her? She could see nothing, for the cover of the litter was of black
+coarse blankets, and was tightly fastened down. Without, too, the night
+was dark, and a drizzling rain had set in. She felt stupefied by her
+position, and her thoughts could take no coherent form whatever. For
+several hours the gang pursued their first rapid pace, not halting to
+relieve each other under the pole of the litter, but one displacing
+another, as necessary. The men were not professional bearers, with
+their regular step; but persons unaccustomed to carry loads, and, in
+consequence, the poor girl was sorely shaken and bruised against the
+sides of the narrow crib. She could breathe, but that was all; and any
+chance of making herself heard was impossible. At last they stopped and
+set down the litter. Zora could hear the gentle rushing of water, and
+supposed the gang had halted to drink, as one of them, slightly opening
+the side of the litter, felt about until he found her face, and, to her
+infinite relief, drew the gag out of her mouth. To her surprise the man
+was civil, and said in good Canarese,--
+
+"You will be thirsty, lady, and here is water; drink. But if you
+attempt to call out, I cannot answer for your life; you must die. Do
+you understand?"
+
+"Where am I?" she asked, faintly; "and what have you done with my
+grandfather?"
+
+"Make yourself easy about him," said the voice; "he is safe where you
+left him. Ask me no questions, for I cannot answer you; and you will
+know the rest in time. No harm will come to you, and we dare not injure
+a hair of your head; but you must save yourself by being perfectly
+passive. If you cried out so as to cause alarm, my brothers would spear
+you, and leave you as you are."
+
+Zora drank eagerly of the water, and felt refreshed and strengthened.
+The gag was not renewed, and with her teeth she contrived to bite
+a small hole in the blanket covering. She saw the gang at a short
+distance sitting together, and their hookah passing round among them.
+It was too dark to distinguish individual figures, but the sound of
+the gurgle of the hookah, and its bright light when drawn, showed her
+their position, and occasionally flashed upon the water which flowed
+by. Again the man who had before spoken said, "Wait till daylight, and
+I will bring you some roasted corn. The grain is full and sweet now.
+You are likely to get little else for two or three days, and if you are
+quiet you may be let out for a few minutes."
+
+Zora could not reply. With the drink of water her senses had revived,
+and the agony of her position became more and more clearly realised.
+She did not lose her presence of mind; but the impossibility of
+escaping from so many active and unencumbered men was not to be
+thought of for a moment. All she could do was to commend herself to
+the merciful Alla, who alone could effect her deliverance. Strange to
+say, she had still hope, which her faith served to increase; and if she
+sobbed and wept almost unceasingly, there yet seemed to be something
+whispering at her heart, "Fear not, for I, the Lord, am with thee!"
+
+Presently the men took up the litter and moved on, but more slowly than
+before. They were unaccustomed to carry such a burthen, and already
+some were complaining of chafed shoulders. Would they put her down
+and disperse? Then daylight broke; but the rain did not cease, and the
+fields of corn and cotton, through which they held their way, grew
+muddy and soft, and the men could proceed with difficulty.
+
+"We must seek for some shelter," said a voice, which appeared to have
+authority among the gang. "We are now on the lands of Kohutnoor, and we
+may find a shepherd's hut somewhere; and two of you run to Hippurgah
+and see if some of our people will come, for we must go on again at
+nightfall."
+
+After this speech Zora found her litter put down, and the opening of
+the covering was untied; then she was taken out, and carried into
+a rude field hut and laid on the ground, but the bandages were not
+loosened. There we must leave her for the present, and relate what had
+befallen her grandfather.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+Deliverance.
+
+
+As we have already stated, there was no alarm at the gate of the
+village when the Syud was struck down. Of the two watchmen, one was
+dead, the other senseless from loss of blood. Ahmed and old Mamoolla
+were, however, now anxious about their master and Zora, and Ahmed went
+to the village Chaoree to ask if they had passed that way. "Yes," said
+the watchmen on duty for the night; "we heard them singing a long
+time ago, and supposed they had gone home, as the singing ceased all
+at once; but we will come and look--some one has doubtless asked them
+to remain." But they could not be found or heard of, and all were in
+much fear and perplexity. Could Zora have stepped incautiously into a
+well, and drawn her grandfather after her? But no, there were only two
+wells in the village, and though lights were lowered into them nothing
+was seen. At last a cry was heard near the gate, and then someone,
+who had wished to go out to his field, gave the alarm that murder had
+been done; and Ahmed and the rest ran with lighted torches, saw the
+two bodies of the watchers, and looking about, found the old Syud,
+lying where they supposed he had fallen, near the wall. At first,
+as blood had issued from his head, they all thought he had died, and
+they took him up reverently and carried him to his lodgings, where
+they discovered signs of life; still he had no perception of anything,
+and was not able to speak. The barber, who had been summoned, said
+the wound was slight, but that the blow had caused insensibility, and
+fomentation must be continued.
+
+So the night passed, and the whole of the village was disquieted and
+alarmed. The idea of so holy a person as Luteef Shah Wallee, the
+new saint, being killed in the place, and his granddaughter carried
+off, was almost beyond belief. Several parties of the villagers,
+accompanied by the Gulburgah escort, went out to search in the fields,
+but returned. What could be done in the darkness and rain among the
+tall heavy crops? They must wait till morning; and in the morning
+consciousness came to the old man, though it seemed to those around him
+that it would have been more merciful if he had died. Who could console
+him? Who could satisfy him about Zora? Who had taken her, and why? Not
+for her ornaments, for she had put on only those she usually wore, of
+small value, all the rest were packed up. When the day dawned some
+light was thrown on the affair by the tracks of a number of men in the
+corn-fields, and by broken stems of the corn, and they continued as far
+as the boundary of the next village, through which they evidently went;
+but it was no concern of the watchmen of that village to trace the
+thieves unless they were well rewarded; and who was to pay them?
+
+Meanwhile the old man raved, and called on Zora without intermission.
+At times he even became frantic, and with difficulty could be
+restrained from attempting to proceed on foot. "Take me to Zora! Take
+me to the child! Take me to Almella! Lay me at the feet of Chand
+Beebee, she will give me justice for my child. Oh, Abbas Khan! she
+watched by thy side; go to her, save her, and give her into my arms. Am
+I not Luteef Shah Wallee now? and my blessing or my curse are at least
+powerful. Yea, I will bless thee!"
+
+"It is no use keeping him here," said the barber; "his case is beyond
+my skill. They have a surgeon and a doctor with the soldiers at
+Almella, take him thither;" and the litter was soon made ready, and the
+sad procession departed. It was nearly evening when it reached Almella,
+where it was met by a crowd of people who had heard of the outrage;
+and a comfortable lodging had been prepared, where the old man was
+reverently deposited. He was now calmer, but grief lay heavy on him,
+very heavy; and what could console him? When he could think coherently,
+he accused himself of neglect of his vows; he accused himself of
+incautiousness; and if she returned not, he prayed for death, Here,
+whence the Lord had taken him in his prosperity to blindness and
+poverty, would be the fitting place for him to die. Towards evening he
+became calmer, and asked if any of the people of Almella were present,
+and the Patell, and the Putwari, and the Moolla of the mosque came to
+him.
+
+"Are any of ye old?" he asked; "as old as I am?"
+
+"No!" replied the Moolla; "but my grandfather, who is very old, can be
+sent for."
+
+"Ay, that will be Sheykh Oomur, perhaps; yes, send for him." They
+wondered why the name should be remembered, but sent for him. When he
+arrived, the Syud, taking his hand, said, "If thou art Sheyhk Oomur,
+thou wilt not have forgotten Syud Ahmed Ali."
+
+"Syud Ahmed Ali, the physician!" cried the Moolla, peering into the
+other's face, for he was nearly blind himself. "Yes, it is he! it is
+he! Oh, master! I, thy pupil, have not forgotten; and to see thee here,
+and in this sore plight. Ah! it is the Lord's will."
+
+"Tell them all--all," cried the old Syud, with fresh vigour, "that I am
+here once more. God, the Highest, hath brought me to recover my child
+and my honour. Go! arouse all to bring Zora back to me or I shall die."
+
+"It is the Syud, surely," said many old people who looked on the aged
+features with compassion, and well remembered them; and the authorities
+of the little town and of the detachment of soldiers sent out parties
+in search, one of which found the track, many hours old, as they
+knew from the state of the broken herbage and corn, and returned
+unsuccessful. And the old Syud, becoming hopeless in his grief, though
+relieved of much of his pain by the doctor who had been summoned, was,
+they thought, going to turn his face to the wall and die. But still
+he had not asked for the prayers for the dying to be recited, and was
+constantly crying out, "He will not take her to shame or death; he will
+restore her to me. Zora! Zora! come soon, else I die; and I have told
+thee nothing." Once he said to the Moolla and others who sat nigh him,
+"Oh, friends, if I die, bury me here; but take my child to the Court,
+lay her at the feet of Queen Chand, and say I, Luteef Shah Wallee, sent
+her for justice." Then, as if he had no more to say, he turned on his
+side and appeared to sleep.
+
+Just as day was breaking he sat up suddenly, but with vigour, and
+putting his hands to his ear, said, in a strong voice, "I hear a
+Beydur's horn; I hear the Beydurs' drums; and they bring me my Zora!
+Oh, my child, come quickly, lest I die of joy!" At first those who
+heard him--the kind doctor, Ahmed, old Mamoolla, and others--thought
+what he had said was part of his delirium; but Ahmed rushed out, ran to
+the top of the house, and looking southwards, saw the blaze of torches
+and about fifty dusky forms approaching at a rapid pace, while the
+creaking of the gate of the town showed that it was being opened. As
+the procession approached nearer, the sonorous drums of the Beydurs
+beat a joyful march, their horns blew a victorious blast; and Ahmed
+ran down again to the apartment, and cried out, "It is true! it is
+true! Rejoice!" and fled forth to meet the lost girl, weeping like a
+child. And onwards came the body of men encircling a good palanquin,
+and the town musicians had mingled with the Beydurs, and the din and
+clamour were deafening. Then, as they put down the litter at the steps
+of the house, Zora stepped from it, and standing erect on the highest,
+cried out, "The Lord bless ye all, friends, for I am safe. By your aid
+ye have saved me from dishonour and from death." But she could hardly
+speak, and her cheeks were wet with tears, which glistened in the
+torchlight. In an instant more she had crossed the little courtyard,
+reached her grandfather's bed, and exclaiming, "Abba! Abba! God has
+saved me, and brought me to you again when I had no hope left!" But the
+old man could not speak coherently; indeed, the revulsion from a dim
+hope to a blessed reality had almost cost him his life.
+
+They sat together the whole day, Zora scarcely stirring from his side,
+and only urged by pressing hunger to leave him at all; for Mamoolla had
+said, "Poor dove, they only fed it with green corn and milk, and that
+was not food fitted for her; and the best I can cook shall be hers and
+the master's, who, after all, has only a broken head; but then he is
+not a wrestler or a sword-player." Zora's story was not a long one.
+When she was put into the hut with only two men to guard her, the rest
+of the gang dispersed into the corn-fields to hide themselves, as the
+husbandmen would soon be abroad. Now the hut was nearer to Kokutnoor
+than Hippurgah, and a shepherd boy who had been watching sheep all
+night had seen the procession, and saw where something, he could not
+tell what, had been deposited. Over night a large body of Beydurs, on
+their road from the King's camp by Sholapoor to their homes, had put
+up at Kokutnoor; and the lad, well knowing their habits, went to the
+leader and told him that Dacoits had halted in the fields and hidden
+their booty in a solitary hut. "They are Kaikarees and Jutts," said the
+lad, "and the brother of Kulloo Naik, who was killed at Kukeyra, is
+their leader."
+
+The Beydur chief who was in command of the party was soon aroused, and
+among his men were some of Runga's and some of Burma Naik's people;
+and it was at once determined that the Dacoits should be surprised and
+their booty captured. So, through the cover of the tall grain fields,
+they were guided by the lad until they came close to the hut. The two
+men who guarded it were speared without mercy, and, said Zora, "I
+expected no less than death, when several of the men who had served at
+Juldroog found me, bound as I was, and were distraught with joy. They
+took me into the air, unbound me, and chafed my arms and my legs. They
+carried me into Kokutnoor; then bearers were sent for from Hippurgah,
+and I was fed, and had milk to drink, and I am quite well, and it is
+like a new birth to see your dear face once more."
+
+What could he reply? What more could Zora say? And so they sat without
+speaking much till the day waned, and the fatehas they had ordered
+were ready, when Zora arose to distribute the money offerings to the
+poor, and the alms that had been in the wallet were part of her liberal
+donation.
+
+The next day, the Beydurs having remained as their guests, and enjoyed
+a great feast, all those that belonged to Runga and Burma's divisions
+declared they would attend the Syud to Beejapoor. Runga would never
+forgive them if they did not; and there was no hurry about moving, as
+the King was yet detained north of the river. In the evenings, then, as
+the old Syud sat in the porch of the house, under pretence of begging,
+for he was weak still, and could not walk, the Beydurs came and told
+him tales of the war, and how Abbas Khan, Runga Naik, and his men had
+carried by storm the great battery of Ahmednugger guns, and Runga had
+been made a noble on the spot, while the blood was yet wet upon his
+sword. Poor Zora! how her heart swelled at the narration, and how hope
+was revived, which for a time had appeared dead.
+
+When the time came they moved from Almella, and reached Allapoor the
+day before the King was to enter the city. Thousands were passing on
+horseback, thousands were going to meet friends long absent, and no one
+noticed the blind old man and a girl, dressed in pilgrims' clothes,
+who, as they entered the gate of the great city, kneeled down, and
+gave thanks to God. The old Syud's face beamed with gratitude and joy.
+As to Zora, the splendour of what she saw almost overpowered her; but
+she led her grandfather forward in the direction of the citadel, and
+on a piece of close green sward, near the open road by which the King
+would pass, they spread their sheet, and began at intervals to sing the
+best of their holy chants; and passers-by threw alms to them liberally
+and freely, begging the old man's blessing. Gradually the booming sound
+of the King's kettledrums, and the huge pair which were carried by the
+standard elephant, were heard, and the old man remembered them, and
+said to Zora, "They are near now; let Ahmed keep the sheet, dear, and
+you will see the King." Not long afterwards the people on the towers
+of the gates, the bastions, and in every available place they could
+get to, began to shout and wave scarves; and every house within sight
+hung out costly shawls, cloth of gold, and rich garments out of windows
+and over the parapets of their houses, till the city was like a garden
+of tulips. Following the procession were hundreds of war elephants,
+dressed in their richest caparisons, their bells jangling with a
+strange clamour, and the music of the nobat playing a march of victory.
+
+These, however, were of little interest in comparison with the King's
+own circle, which occupied nearly the centre of the procession, and
+having entered the gate, advanced more slowly. In the midst rode the
+young King, wearing, like the Queen, a tunic of dazzling white cloth
+of gold, and a morion with a crown of flashing jewels. He was smiling,
+as he greeted the people with constant waves of his hand, while his
+beautiful horse caracoled beneath him. Near him rode Abbas Khan, and
+other officers of rank; and Zora could see Runga Naik in his new
+uniform of cloth of gold. The horses pranced and curvetted, tossing
+their heads and neighing; and the King, drawing rein for a moment,
+pointed out the Syud and Zora, asking apparently who they were, when
+Abbas Khan, who now saw them also, dashed up to the King, and said, "It
+is Syud Ahmed Ali, of whom I spoke." At the same moment the old man,
+who had been standing, rushed forward over the sheet, and with a loud
+cry of "Daad! Daad!" tottered and fell on his face, nearly across the
+Royal path.
+
+"Bring him on with you, Abbas," cried the King; and the young man
+turned at once to his old friend, throwing a glance at Zora, which
+rested on flashing eyes bedewed with tears of joy, and cheeks burning
+with excitement, as he cried to her, "Zora! is it thus we meet? Fear
+not now, for all will be well!"
+
+
+    End of the Second Volume.
+
+
+    _Spottiswoode & Co., Printers, New-street Square, London._
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Notes
+
+
+Obvious errors of punctuation and diacritics repaired.
+
+Hyphen removed: waist-band (p. 14), waist-belt (p. 231), white-washed
+(p. 226).
+
+Hyphen added: horn-blower (p. 72).
+
+P. 7: "chesnut" changed to "chestnut" (a big chestnut horse).
+
+P. 28: "obesiance" changed to "obeisance" (making an obeisance to the
+Queen).
+
+P. 47: "to" changed "too" (that she had done too herself).
+
+P. 69: "irrruption" changed to "irruption" (resist any irruption of
+marauders).
+
+Pp. 75-76: "Shekh" changed to "Skeykh" three times.
+
+P. 139: "a" added (might have been a matter of accident).
+
+P. 160: "seiges" changed to "sieges" (through several separate sieges).
+
+P. 186: "villany" changed to "villainy" (undertake any villainy).
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Noble Queen (Volume II of III), by
+Philip Meadows Taylor
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A NOBLE QUEEN (VOLUME II OF III) ***
+
+***** This file should be named 44583.txt or 44583.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/4/4/5/8/44583/
+
+Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive)
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.