I felt from Stephen's manner that there was yet some disclosure which his nerve was scarcely equal to make. Painful or not, I again conjured him to tell me all. After much entreaty, I learned from him the dreadful truth that my wife had married again. It was many minutes before I recovered from the shock. My lost home stood before me, and I was an outcast wanderer on the wide earth. "They have been married about a twelvemonth," continued Stephen, "and although I can only feel what kind of a man he is, I don't think they are happy." was not fastened on the inside, and exposed the long, deep, narrow recess, closed in at the end with red curtains glowing with the fire and light within. "I will now go into the room," he said, " and deliver my keys; and while there, I will contrive to hook back the curtain." I thanked him with a silent pressure of the hand, and he went. Just then the deep churchbell struck nine, and every stroke sounded like a knell upon my beating heart. I watched-oh, how intensely I watched !-grasping the window-sill with my hands. At length the curtain was drawn "Is he kind to the child?" I inquired, almost back, and the vision of my lost home stood before sternly. "I don't think he is positively unkind; but he is very strict. He was a member of the chapel that your good lady used to go to, and he tries to mould little Margaret after his own heart. I fear they are not happy. Your good lady is less reserved before me, as I am blind, and I feel sometimes that, when she is reading, she is thinking of you." 'Stephen," I replied, sadly and firmly, "I have only one more request to make of you before I leave the country again for ever. Keep my secret, and let me for one minute see Esther and the child." "I will," returned Stephen, weeping bitterly, "that I will; and may Heaven sustain you in your trouble." me. They were engaged in evening prayer. My child-my dear lost child-now grown tall and graceful, was kneeling at a chair, her long golden hair falling in clusters over her slender, folded hands. Esther was also kneeling, with her face towards me. It looked more aged and careworn than I expected to see it, but it was still the old pale, statue-like face that I had cherished in my dreams, and that had nestled on my shoulder in the days gone by. He who now stood in my place as the guardian of my lost home was kneeling where I could not see his face; but I heard his voice faintly muttering the words of prayer. Did any one in all that supplicating group think of the poor, wrecked convict outcast? Heaven alone knows. The curtain closed, and shut out my lost home from my He threw the old wooden shutter back, which dimmed sight for evermore. P A VISIT TO A RAJAH. [From "My Diary in India." By WILLIAM HOWARD RUSSELL.] 3UTTIALA must be as large as Dublin. It contains many open waste places, where rubbish is shot without let or hindrance; then come nests of narrow tortuous streets, just wide enough for elephants to pass. Ladies in bright dresses greeted us from the balconies, and the families of the citizens who were seated on the house-tops at nearly our own level, rose as the Rajah came past, and saluted him. It seemed to me as if the turning and twining through those streets would never end, but at last we came out upon an avenue of trees, at the end of which appeared the tops of a fine palace, rising above battlemented walls. This is one of the summer retreats of the Rajah, which he reserves for English visitors, and to which he was now conducting us. The infantry and the bulk of the cavalry halted, the mummers filed off to the city palace, outside which we passed on our way, and the court officials had also retired, so that we arrived at the gate porch of the summer palace with comparatively few attendants. On entering it a pleasant garden lay before us, in the midst of which was a pretty kiosk, with turrets and long wings, in a sort of Hindoo-Italian style, such as is common about Lucknow. Here a guard of honour was drawn up. The elephants proceeded to the flight of steps and knelt down, the attendants ranged themselves in two rows by the steps; the Rajah descended, I followed. His Highness took me by the hand, and, with Mr. Melville on his left, walked up the steps into the carpeted hall, or anteroom, and having led me to the middle of it, expressed his hope that I would make myself quite at home, saluted us, and mounted his elephant, and retired to his palace, where it was arranged he would receive us in durbar at two o'clock. Many servants in the Rajah's livery now bustled around us, and led the way to the rooms prepared for us, from which there was a very rich, wide adjuncts-champagne, Worcester sauce, pale ale, claret, hock, bottled porter, pickled salmon, paté de foie gras, and sausages. The breakfast consisted of cakes, biscuits, tea, coffee, wine, fish, fried and boiled, curries of many kinds, roast fowl; the dishes were well made, by a cook whom the Rajah retains on purpose, and we were hungry and thirsty, so that ample justice was done to the ample repast. The rooms are provided with charpoys and sofas, chairs and mirrors; and as the day was exceedingly warm, we were glad to look forward to a short repose ere we got ready for the durbar. The servants retired; a little conversation and a cheroot followed, and then came a gentle sleep-not so much as the buzz of a fly disturbed us. But it soon drew near to two o'clock; the elephants were where tin and brass vessels, cotton cloths, and Manchester calico were exposed for sale. The city palace has not a very imposing exterior, though the gateway is lofty and richly-coloured and ornamented, and is flanked by two turrets full of jalousied windows. The walls are surrounded by the houses of the city people. Inside, there is a tolerably large, well-paved court, with a continuous line of buildings around it, in which are lodged the officers and servitors of the royal household. From this court we passed to a smaller quadrangle, on the left of which is a large hall, supported on pillars and open to the front, which is approached by a few steps. There is a fountain in the middle of the court. Here a guard of honour of the Rajah's horse was drawn up at one them, took that which was next, so as to place me | emerald, ruby, pearl, diamond. His courtiers and on his right hand. Mr. Melville sat on his left, and the officer next to him. Further on the left were several venerable-looking old men, probably the heads of Puttiala church and law. As soon as we were seated the Rajah asked many questions of a general nature, and gradually the divan became filled with one of the most picturesque and graceful assemblages I ever saw. I had often heard it said that the Sikh sirdars possessed exquisite taste in dress, and that the court of old Runjeet Sing was the most brilliant and gorgeous in the world, not only on account of the actual magnificence of the jewels and attire of the courtiers, but on account of the charming effect of colour and costume in which his people excelled. Having seen two very great officers sustained by their dress the glory of their chief. I never beheld such perfect harmony and combination, and play of delightful colourspale, subdued tints of rose, lavender, pink, salmoncolour, sky-blue, and delicate greens predominated, massed and contrasted with gold-embossed Cashmere shawls, and encrustations of precious stones. One wretched man alone offended the eye, and he wore an old-fashioned English infantry coatee, with huge epaulettes and aiguilettes of a distant period; his waist under his shoulders, and tight white pantaloons with a gold stripe down the sides tightly strapped down under his socks. As a matter of course, all the courtiers left their shoes or slippers at the door of the porch, and walked over the rich carpet in stockings or with naked feet. The divan in which we sat was brightly coloured in arabesque-the ceiling being particularly rich, and a line of glass chandeliers, packed as close as they could hang, reflected the colours from their long prisms in infinite variety. After a few minutes' conversation with the Rajah the great throng of courtiers on the right opened, and two little princes, boys of nine or ten years of age, walked towards the Rajah and saluted him. They were covered with chains of diamonds and emeralds, and had magnificently mounted miniature tulwars by their sides. The Rajah introduced one of them to us as his son and heir, the other was the intended husband of his Highness's daughter. The Prince is a very fine intelligent boy, exceedingly graceful in his manner-the intended of his sister is a delicate slender boy without much expression in his face, though his eye is quick and soft. The young Rajah took his seat in the chair on my right hand, his little friend sat next to him. The master of the ceremonies, I suppose, a very fine-looking, stately old gentleman, then advanced from the right and presented to me another equally stately person with a long-sounding name, as far as I could make out, the commander-in-chief of the Rajah's army. He held in his hands, on a napkin, a quantity of gold and silver coins, as a nuzzur, or offering, which according to etiquette, I touched with my hand, bowing at the same time. Then he salaamed, and passed on before the Rajah —made his salaams and nuzzur to Mr. Melville, and drew up on the left of the hall of audience. Viziers, vakeels, sirdars, zemindars, generals, captains, potentates, and powers followed in succession, each with his nuzzur and his salaam, whilst the master of the ceremonies recited their titles in a loud, eventoned voice. Then came gold and silver sticks, and the officers of the household, till the whole of the brilliant assemblage which had been on the right-hand side, had passed over to the left, and only a few of their attendants were left on the right, standing near the pillars of the outer porch. I was aware during the ceremony, that behind a latticed window, high up on the same end of the hall, there were eyes peering through, and a gentle, susurrous whispering; but that was all we were destined to see or hear of the court ladies. Not, indeed, but that we were to be permitted to look upon some of the attachées of the Rajah's state; for just as the presentations were over, a party of nautch girls made their appearance on the steps of the outer porch in front of the divan, and began to dance for us to the music of the performers who accompanied them. But the ceremonial which followed distracted my attention. On the right once more appeared a great band of domestics bearing trays covered with the most gorgeous bracelets, necklaces, bangles, amulets, beads, shawls of cashmere, embroidered work, who, on a given signal, advanced in succession and laid their treasures at my feet, whilst the Rajah requested I would oblige him by taking whatever I liked. The first servant brought up a tray, on which lay a sort of coronet and necklace of emeralds and diamonds, which I was subsequently told were worth £30,000. I asked Mr. Melville previously, what I was to do, and he said that as I was not in the service of the Crown or the Company, in either a civil or military capacity, I might do what I pleased. And here was £30,000 at my feet! I felt myself obliged to refuse the crown, though I knew it never would come to me again. I bowed, and it was borne away. Some time before this, a gallant officer who visited the Rajah, was offered the same magnificent present, and he felt very much inclined to take it; but he was told he must make a return present of equal value, and on learning that the jewels were worth three lacs of rupees, he denied himself the gratification. It would be hopeless and tedious to attempt to describe the contents of the trays which were laid before me, gradually diminishing in value till some quiet trays of turban-pieces and silk and kinkob closed the list of offerings, from one of which I selected the plainest-looking square of kinkob, which was at once taken from the tray and handed to a servant to give to an attendant. Mr. Melville and his friend took two plain turban-pieces to fasten in puggree-fashion round their hats. I must not omit to mention that, among other things, a very fine Arab was brought to the steps, and that the Rajah requested I would accept him just as he stood, in order that I might be reminded of Puttiala when I was riding among the Poorbeahs. The horse was snow-white; of the finest breed, over fifteen hands high; his tail, mane, and fetlocks were dyed red; the saddle-cloth was of gold brocade set with pearls and other stones. The trappings were equally rich; the stirrups were gold, or silver-gilt; the saddle seemed to be almost a block of the same material. It went to my heart to refuse that horse. But if I was not in the service of the Queen or Company, I felt I was in a position which forbade me to accept such gifts. All this time the nautch girls, relieved by new dancers, were singing and dancing unheeded; but I could see that two, at least, were very pretty and graceful, in spite of betel-stained teeth and nose-rings; and they certainly did their best to attract our notice, but I must confess that for me the charms of the nautch are fades, if not inappreciable. Now came a difficult little negotiation with the Rajah. It appeared that he expected us to remain at Puttiala for several days, and that he had prepared fireworks and illuminations—for which his artificers are famous-to be exhibited at our palace, and on the piece of ornamental water, which on such occasions is the scene of most elaborate pyrotechnics. I was, however, bound to lose no time on my way to Allahabad, and more particularly not to lose the dak, for which I had already paid Mr. Parker, for it was hard to say when I could get another, inasmuch as the post relays had been secured for several days to come by officers and others going down country. Accordingly, Mr. Melville had to request that the Rajah would permit us to leave Puttiala that evening; and the request was by no means palatable, but it was made so well that it could not be a ground of offence; and after many expressions of regret at the necessity imposed upon us to go away without seeing the feux d'artifice which were specially prepared in our honour, or availing ourselves of a larger share of his hospitality, the Rajah resigned himself to our departure. The durbar was about to close. Pages bearing salvers of gilt pawn and betel, and boxes of perfume, now made their appearance. Etiquette forced me to take a leaf of the former dreadful preparation, with some aromatic spice, and a sort of confection of roses, which I found it very difficult to dispose of. Then the Rajah stood up, took a bottle of some strong Indian scent, poured a little on his hands, and rubbed it and sprinkled it on my coat; did the same to the other visitors; took me by the hand and led me to the steps, where he bade us adieu. Our carriage, with an escort of horse, was waiting for us. We bowed, made our salutations, and retired, just as the sun was beginning to sink in the west; and in a few minutes more we were driving rapidly on the way to Umballah, which we reached about half-past eight in the evening. HERE was a man in Arkansaw His name was Tuscaloosa Sam; And often he would say: One morn, a stranger passin' by When down he scrabbled from his hoss, He sorter kinder shut one eye, And spit into his hand, And put his ugly head one side, "My boy," says he, "it's my belief, That I kin make you screech, and smell "I'm thar," says Tuscaloosa Sam, He thundered on the stranger's face, They clinched like two rampagious bears, They swore a stream of six-inch oaths, When Sam would try to work away, And on his pegs to git, The stranger 'd pull him back; and so Then, like a pair of lobsters, both And yet the varmints used their teeth, The sun of noon was high above, And hot enough to split, But only riled the fellers more The stranger snapped at Sammy's nose, And then they both swore awful hard, The mud it flew, the sky grew dark, First Sam on top, then t'other chap; Fit is American for the verb "to fight," in all its tenses. |