Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 1.djvu/271

 elephant servant, who is now pensioned on thirty rupees a month, and kept in surveillance at Sandee; some time after her marriage the lady proved naughty, and was next acknowledged as the chère amie of an itinerant barber; she left him, and took service with Mirza Jewad Ali Beg's family as a servant-of-all-work, on eight anās a month and her food. She was next heard of as a gram-grinder at serai, where her eldest son, by name Tillooah, was born; her next child was a daughter.

"At this time Moonah Jāh (Feredooa Buckht) was born in the palace; and, amongst others who sought the situation of nurse, Ramzanee's wife attended; she was approved of by the hākims, and was installed nurse to the heir-apparent.

"Her age was then near forty, her size immoderate, her complexion the darkest; but she soon obtained such influence over the King, that he married her, and gave her the title of—(the daughter of the Emperor Furrukshere, and the wife of the Emperor Mohummud Shāh,)—Mulka Zumanee! Well may she exclaim, 'Oh Father! I have got into a strange difficulty, I have left off picking up cow-dung, and am employed in embroidery !'

"She has a jagheer of 50,000 rupees a month, and the power of expending 50,000 rupees more from the treasury monthly. Her son Tillooah was about three years of age when she was entertained as nurse, but such was her power, that his Majesty publicly declared himself the father of the boy, and he was in consequence recognised as heir to the crown, with the title of Khema Jāh!"

The King has five queens, although by Mahummadan law he ought only to have four. His Majesty of Oude possesses, to a considerable extent, that peculiarly masculine faculty of retaining the passion, and changing the object.

He heeds not the proverb, "Do not put your beard into the hands of another ."

As far as I recollect the history of his last and favourite wife, it is this:

The Nawāb Hakīm Mehndi, finding his influence less than usual, adopted a Nāch girl as his daughter, because the King