import; for he started back, and only recovered himself when Clive ran forward and embraced him, saluting him Nabob of Bengal, Behar, and Orixa.

This meeting was followed by a private conference in the Colonel's tent; after which Meer Jaffier returned to his troops, and hastened with them to Muxadavad, to prevent the escape of Suraja Doulah, or the plunder of the royal treasuries, which the fallen tyrant, knowing matters to be desperate, would doubtless endeavour to empty of all portable wealth.

Colonel Clive did not advance his troops immediately to Muxadavad, eager though they were to enter the royal city. The army marched in the afternoon of the 24th, and halted in the night at a place called Sydabad, about six miles from Daoodpore; while Mr. Watts and myself went on with our attendants to the capital, where we were charged with the delicate duty of inquiring into the state of the treasury, and keeping our eyes generally open to the aspect of current affairs in the interests of our honourable masters.

We arrived shortly after midnight, and found the city in extreme confusion. On going at once to Meer Jaffier's palace we heard that Suraja Doulah had fled just two hours before, under circumstances as ignominious as those that attended the flight of that parallel monster who fled from imperial Rome before the prætorian guards of Galba.

Disguised in a menial's dress, and attended only by a couple of venal favourites, male and female, the late sovereign of Bengal, Behar, and Orixa had let himself out of a window, and stolen secretly away, carrying a casket of jewels in his bosom. He did not thus abandon himself to ignominy without some waverings. A midnight council had been held after the battle, and the Lamp of Riches had sought the advice of his servants. Some had bid him throw himself upon the honour of the English; but these he set down as traitors. Others urged that he should encourage the army by great rewards, and appear again at their head in the morning. This he seemed to approve, and ordered an instant distribution of three months' pay to the troops; but the craven wretch had no sooner returned to his seraglio than panic again seized him, and at daybreak next morning he sent away his women, and fifty elephants laden with their furniture and necessaries, and a considerable portion of his jewels. There is little doubt that he had ere this resolved upon flight, and waited only for nightfall to cover his departure.

The tidings of Meer Jaffier's arrival in the city struck the last blow to this dastard spirit, and at ten o'clock the grandson and grandnephew of that dauntless soldier Allaverdy had crept in secret from the capital where his predecessor had reigned so prosperously.

Next morning beheld the city in supreme confusion. The hapless Lamp of Riches was not permitted to depart to safety. Meer Jaffier, who owed his advancement in life to the favour of Allaverdy, was quick

to despatch pursuers on the track of his dead benefactor's adopted son. Mohun Lall and other low favourites of the fallen despot were seized at noon while trying to escape from the city, where their profligate pleasures and undeserved exaltation had been so vile a scandal. The women and the elephants were stopped next day, some fifteen miles from the capital.

On the 25th, Colonel Clive entered Muxadavad, attended by a hundred sepoys, and paid a state visit to Meer Jaffier, on which Mr. Watts and I had the honour to accompany him. The inhabitants of the city, who until now had been doubtful to whom they should look as their ruler, perceived by this visit in which quarter the wind lay; and Meer Jaffier, supported by his British allies, now ventured to proclaim himself Nabob. Early next day was held a solemn conference between Meer Jaffier, Roydoolub, and Mr. Watts, attended by me, at the house of those great Gentoo bankers, the Seths. And now was revealed to us the somewhat unpleasant fact that the entire contents of the Nabob's treasury would not suffice for the performance of those splendid promises which we had obtained from our Mahometan ally: The restitution of confiscated fortunes at Calcutta, with the donations to the squadron, army, and committee, amounted to near three millions sterling; a heavy demand upon even a princely treasury.

A period of doubt and some apprehension followed this discovery, and next day a rumour reached us that a midnight council had been held between Roydoolub, Meer Jaffier's son Meeran, and an officer of distinction, in which it had been proposed to assassinate our colonel. Whether this dark report was true or false I dare not say; but as it was in no manner inconsistent with the oriental character, I rode off at once to Mandipoor, where the army had halted on the 25th, and went straight to the commander's tent, where I related the story. Clive heard me with a smile of contempt. "Upon my soul, Mr. Ainsleigh, I believe these fellows capable of anything. Now that our arms have won Meer Jaffier a throne, I have no doubt he is inclined to grumble at the price he has to pay for it, and would perhaps consider a bullet through my brain the shortest way to cancel his debt to us. You did wisely in bringing me this news. I was to have entered the city to-morrow, but will now defer my visit for a little, in order to discover whether there is any plot hatching against me. That youth Meeran has a brutal truculent countenance that indicates a natural bent for murder."

The next day brought us no further hint of the plot, though we had our spies on the watch for any indication of danger; and on the morning of the 29th our English hero entered the city with an escort five hundred strong, and rode at once to the palace that had been prepared for him, which, with its gardens, was spacious enough to accommodate all the troops.

Here came Meeran to visit and welcome our conqueror, and im

mediately conducted him to Suraja Doulah's palace, where Meer Jaffier awaited his ally, surrounded by his officers of state, and with all imaginable pomp and splendour. To assist at such a scene seemed to me like a dream of the Arabian Nights, rather than one of life's realities; and as I stood amongst the little knot of civilians, at a respectful distance from the hero of the day, I could scarce convince myself that I was awake.

The musnud or throne was fixed in the hall of audience, and this seat of power Meer Jaffier avoided with somewhat demonstrative humility until Colonel Clive, perceiving this, conducted him to the spot where it stood, and in a manner installed him in his royal office. This done, he beckoned to me, and bade me speak to the great men in Persian, bidding them rejoice in the downfall of so black a tyrant as Suraja Doulah, and the elevation of so good a prince in his stead. So here stood I, Robert Ainsleigh, the waif and castaway of cruel Fortune, by the side of a throne, interpreting the desires of this modern king-maker, Robert Clive; and I could but think, as this great English soldier installed the Moorish usurper on the throne our arms had won, it would have been as easy for him to have seated himself there, a new Tamerlane, conqueror and ruler of this Paradise of nations, Bengal, a wealthy centre from which he might have extended his power wide as the dominions of Aurungzebe.

Sure I am that no such ambitious thought ever flashed across the brain of Robert Clive. From first to last he was a faithful servant of those obscure English traders whom he called his honourable masters. The time came when he told them that the hour had arrived in which they might sweep away the shadowy royalties that were supported only by their arms, and reign by themselves alone; but of personal aggrandisement, or the brilliant possibilities of an independent career as ruler of those native forces he so well could wield, I am convinced he never thought. As an apostate to Leadenhall-street, he might have been the Cæsar of this eastern world; as a faithful servant, he was the object of malignity and suspicion to the end of his days.

On the day after this installation of Meer Jaffier another meeting was held at the house of the Seths. Colonel Clive, Jaffier, Meeran, Roydoolub, Mr. Watts, Mr. Scrafton, and myself were all present; and with us came Omichund, who had hastened back to the city on hearing of our success, and who hung with fawning affection upon the steps of the Colonel, in whose favour the fond, deluded wretch believed himself firmly established. Arrived at the banker's house, however, he found himself excluded from the carpet where Clive and the rest sat in conference, and perforce withdrew to a distant seat, whence I saw him watch us with eager eyes throughout the council. All went smoothly. The treaties, in English and Persic, were read; and after some little discussion it was agreed that one-half of the money-stipulations should be paid immediately,-two-thirds of this half in coin, and the remaining