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 "Rheim Khan was my father's brother-in-law, and they had been at bitter enmity.

"'Who takes the name of Rheim Khan?' cried my mother, 'may his tongue be blistered and rot in his mouth! May his end be like this!' pointing to the corpse; and again she resumed her howls and lamentations.

"'Did you hear the woman?' said one fellow close to me; 'she would not curse at that rate if Rheim Khan was free from suspicion.'

"'Silence!" said I, as loud as I could; 'I know who is the author of this, at least I have a right to have the strongest suspicions. Mahdoo Patel had no hand in it, he is a coward; Rheim Khan, though he hated the old man, could never have done or planned this; no, it is neither; it is one whom we poor people can never reach from his height of station, one whom the pleasure of Alla alone can bring down to the condition of him who is there; I mean Brij Lall, the accursed, the merciless.' I was exhausted with speaking, and sank down.

"'Who spoke?' said my mother raising her head: 'I surely heard the voice of my son!'