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148 Where is Dalani Bibi?" The tone and manner of Kulsam made Amir Hossein apprehensive, and he left the place bowing.

“You shall soon go where that vile sinner is,” said Mir Kasim.

“Yes, I and you too I suppose," said Kulsam, “I have come here for that purpose. On my way I heard that a rumour had been going round that Dalani Begum has committed suicide. Is that true?”

“Suicide!” cried the Nawab. “No, she has been punished under royal warrant. You are the abettor of her crime, you shall bedevoured by dogs.”

Kulsam ﬂung herself on the ground and set up anagonized wail of lamentation. She abused the Nawab with whatever came uppermost. At the noise, soldiers, ministers, attendants, guards and all the rest, rushed in. One of them tried to lift Kulsam by her hair but the Nawab stopped him—he had been amazed. The man let go his hold of her. Then Kulsam began, “It is well, you are all here. I will unfold a strange tale, listen. I know the order for my death will be soon passed, but after I leave this world no one will know of it. Therefore, listen to it now.”

“Listen; over the Provinces of Bengal and Bihar, reigns a fool of a Nawab named Mir Kasim. He had a Begum named Dalani; she was the sister of Gurgan Khan, the Commander-in-Chief of the Nawab’s army.”

No one made any further attempt to seize her after that. Every one began to look at one another’s face. Their curiosity grew apace. The Nawab also did not speak. Kulsam went on,

“Gurgan Khan and Dalani concerted a plan and left Ispahan for Bengal in search of employment. When Dalani entered Mir Kasim’s household as a slave, the