Page:Wanderings of a Pilgrim Vol 1.djvu/536

 under the shamiyāna, and sang and attudinized the whole night, one set relieving the other. The Prince seated himself on his gaddī, and the contract of marriage was read to him; it was written in Persian on beautifully illuminated parchment, for which Colonel Gardner paid duty 450 rupees, that is, £45.

Previous to the signature, it was necessary to gain the formal consent of the bride; for which purpose, Mr. James Gardner took the kāzī (native judge), and two of his native officers, with Mrs. B and myself, into the zenāna. We stood in an empty room, adjoining that in which were the bride and the Begam, her grandmother; between us was the parda; we could hear, but not see. The kāzī said, "Is Shubbeah Begam present?" "Yes." "Does Shubbeah Begam give her free consent to marry Mirza Unjun Shekō?" An answer was made, but in so low a tone, it was more like a murmur.

Mr. Gardner said, "You are witnesses, and have heard her give her consent." I replied, "No; I heard a murmur, but know not what it meant."

The Begam then said, "It is the custom for the bride, from modesty, to be unable to answer; but I, her grandmother, say 'Yes' for her."

The kāzī said, "Mirza Unjun Shekō will settle seven lākh of rupees upon her."

The Begam answered, "We forgive him two lākh, let him settle five."

A lady laughed, and whispered to me, "The young Prince has not five cowries of his own."

If the bride were to give her consent in words, she would be disgraced for ever as an impudent good-for-nothing; after repeated demands, and sometimes pinchings, her voice is heard in a sort of hem, which, it is taken for granted, means "Yes."

A certain number of lumps of sugar were then sent from the bride to the Prince, and we returned to see him sign the contract.

The kāzī having taken off the veil of gold tissue, and the fillet, that were around the head of the bridegroom, requested him to repeat after him, in Arabic, a portion of some of the