Tara: A Mahratta Tale

by Meadows Taylor

  CHAPTER XXXIX.

  "Lady," said Goolab, again entering suddenly, "there is a boy in thecourt who says he must have instant speech of you. He will tell no onewhat he has to say, except that he has come from the master."

  "A boy, Goolab? how old is he? can I see him? Quick, woman, myveil--anything to cover me," exclaimed Lurlee.

  "Take this, mother," said Zyna, unfastening her scarf; "what need ofconcealment with a boy? I will go aside. Admit him, Goolab; he may havenews of them."

  The lad entered and prostrated himself before the Khanum. "Take thesepapers," he said. "My lord the Khan hath sent them; you are to keepthem, and no one is to see them. He and his son are well and safe, andwill go to the King in the afternoon."

  "Prophet of God, what is this?" cried Lurlee. "Mahratta, too? Well, noone shall take them from me;" and, so saying, she stuffed them intothat most convenient and unapproachable of all lady's hiding-places,her bodice.

  "I am going, lady," said the lad, who had observed the action; "theyare safe with thee now."

  "Not before thou hast eaten, boy. There is some kicheri ready"--he willnot mind its being burnt, she thought--"thou must be hungry."

  Ashruf was, to say the truth, hungry enough; but he resistedtemptation. "No, lady, let me go," he said; "I have another errand formy lord. May your house prosper."

  "Thou art right," returned Lurlee, as he saluted her and departed."Go; God speed thee; thou art a good lad. And now, Zyna, let us attireourselves in fitting garments, and go to the palace, for time presses,and it is already past noon."

  This, however, promised to be no easy task; and if Lurlee Khanum hadhad time to consult her tables in a fitting manner, the colour andparticular kind of garment which would suit that period of the day, andin which the wearer would be lucky or unlucky, must have been decided.Goolab, too, and the other women, to whom the idea of the ladies goingto the palace could be no other than an occasion for the display ofthe utmost magnificence, had laid out costly dresses of cloth-of-gold,brocade, muslin, satin; and a petticoat of gorgeous purple Italianvelvet, trimmed with broad silver ribbon, with purple flowers upon it,a recent acquisition to the wardrobe, was especially tempting.

  "Pardon me, Khanum," said Kurreem-bee, the "Moghulanee," or householddressmaker and mistress of the robes, "but on an occasion of this kind,and when a petition is to be made, we should know something of the moodher highness the Begum is in, and the garments should agree with it.Yellow or red, with gold or silver, might excite bile--blue or purplewould create phlegm; and when my lady Chand-bee, the wife of J[=a]neeSahib D[=a]gtoray, went to visit----"

  "Now, in the Prophet's name, cease, Kurreem-bee!" cried Lurlee,interrupting her; "are we not in haste? and thou standest pratingabout Chand-bee, who never could dress herself except like a publicdancing-girl. Peace, I say. Give me the green satin petticoat lacedwith silver, and the plain white scarf with gold flowers; these, with ashawl, will be enough."

  Meanwhile Goolab and some other women-servants had made theirpreparations. The old dame was aware that her red satin petticoat, oneof the Khanum's presents, would be much in her way, flapping abouther legs as she ran by the litter; and as the ladies were settlingthemselves in their seats, she tucked it up, forming it, as it were,into a very efficient pair of baggy breeches, reaching to her knees,which could be shaken out when she arrived at the palace: and at thesame time tied her clean muslin scarf about her waist and shoulders,in such a manner as to display a considerable amount of rotundity indirections otherwise perhaps not remarkable.

  "Ah, you may laugh, impudence," she cried, aiming a blow at a finesturdy lad, who, with others bearing spears, had just entered thecourt--"you may laugh, but that's the way to run;" and she kicked outfirst one leg, then the other, by way of proving whether the petticoatarrangements were firm. "I have run ten coss a-day when my lord wasin the field, and carried my lady's hooka into the bargain. Peace,impudent knaves!" she continued to the men, as the laugh against herbecame more general when the bearers entered. "Take up the palankeenand let us go. Bismilla!"

  There was no time for further colloquy, for the men, who had beenturned out of the court while the ladies took their seats, now tookup the palankeens: and the band of spearmen, arranging themselves infront, were joined in the outer court by a strong body of the Khan'shorsemen, and the little procession quickly traversed the city, andarrived at its destination. There the litters, being carried into thewomen's court of the Palace of the Seven Stories, were set down at thefoot of the stairs leading to the apartments in which the King had heldhis night council.

  Goolab, having shaken out her petticoat, and put into her ears andabout her neck, the gold ornaments she carried with her, appeared oncemore in her proper character: and received the salutations of the royalMamas, who were to conduct the ladies to the chamber of audience.

  We have before described this apartment; and the broad daylight, whichpoured through the now open casements, fully displayed its richness andbeauty. Soft quilted cloths had been laid over the floor, and whitemuslin sheets tacked to them, covered the whole. Large pillows hadbeen placed round the walls; and in the deep bays and oriel windows,numerous groups of ladies and their children were sitting conversingtogether merrily, and spread, as it were, upon every available spaceexcept the centre, which was kept clear.

  Lurlee Khanum was not prepared for the display of rich dresses whichhad to be encountered, but assured by the kind tones in which she waswelcomed by the Queen, sailed up to her with measured steps, causingher ample satin garment to swing in heavy folds from left to right, andback again, after the most impressive and courtly fashion.

  Fyz-ool-Nissa, the King's wife, was as yet a girl, not, indeed, mucholder than Zyna herself. She could not be called beautiful, but therewas a frank pleasant expression in her fair countenance which wasirresistibly pleasing. The delicate hands and arms, sparkling withjewels, were all that could be seen of her person, buried as it wasamidst the cloud of drapery which shrouded her as she sat on the King'sseat in the oriel, and seemed an earnest of its grace; as also, indeed,her small graceful head and neck, which were loaded with costly pearlornaments.

  "The wife and daughter of the noble Afzool Khan are always welcome,"said the Begum, in her low sweet voice. "Come and sit here by me; 'tisa fair sight to see all the gallant people assembling, and they say itwill be a great Durbar. And this is Zyna-bee? Ah, girl, they have oftentold me thou wert fair, but----Well, I had better not say it. Comehere, child, I am thy mother too; they tell me I have many children,"she said, laughing. "O, so many!"

  "May God fill your lap with them, may they climb about you, and may youlive a hundred years to see them!" said Lurlee, earnestly.

  "And here is one already," said the Begum, seating Zyna beside her."Ah, girl, we will have such a marriage for thee soon----"

  As Zyna bowed down blushingly, Lurlee seized the opportunity ofpressing her suit.

  "Lady," she said, putting up her hands in a respectful attitude, "thineear for a moment. I had a petition----"

  "Ah, Khanum!" returned Fyz-ool-Nissa, with a look of disappointment;"I had marked this day for rejoicing; for the heavy cloud which hashung over my head so long is gone, and thou hast brought me a petition,and I hate them. I never get matters arranged as I like, and amvexed----To-morrow, lady?"

  "Only for my husband would I speak," replied Lurlee, firmly. "He andhis son were decoyed to the Kotwallee early to-day, and they cannotget to the King. It must not be that Afzool Khan is counted a laggard.O lady----!" and here Lurlee, unable to contain herself longer, burstinto tears.

  Fyz-ool-Nissa looked to Zyna, and saw a confirmation of Lurlee's talein the face--in those great eyes brimful of tears, and quivering lips.

  "Hush!" said the Begum, "this must not be known. O that there were anyone to write!"

  "I--I can write," said Zyna, timidly.

  "Thou, girl? well done! Now," she continued, as an attendant brought awriting-case, "write what thou wilt, but be quick."

  It was
soon done. A few words, but enough for the purpose.

  "Canst thou sign it, lady?" asked Zyna.

  "Yes, child, 'tis all they could ever teach me," replied the Begum,laughing; "and here is my seal, too. Ah! thou art a little clerk."

  "Her father makes her write his letters," said Lurlee, apologetically,as the Begum clapped her hands, and an old eunuch, who had beenstanding at the foot of the room, advanced.

  "This must go to my lord instantly," said the Queen; "some one thoucanst count on must take it, Daood, for me."

  "Myself," he replied; "no other can do this errand. Fear not, lady," hecontinued earnestly to Lurlee, "thy noble lord hath friends he knowsnot of, and it is needful he should be in the Durbar to-day. Inshalla!thou wilt soon see him? Is any of the Paigah here to-day?"

  "Yes," returned Lurlee, joyfully, "more than fifty men; they will bewith the troops without."

  "I will return presently," said the man, bowing over his crossed arms;"and if ye will watch your men ye will see whether the errand be doneor not."

  So the ladies sat and looked out. Bright flashed the sun's rays fromspear and sword, morion and gauntlet, matchlock and shield, of thetroops gathering before the hall where the King sat: while the gayturbans, vests of cloth-of-gold, satins and brocades, glowed in thebright sunlight like a bed of gorgeous flowers.

  "There are ten thousand brave hearts throbbing for my lord!" cried theyoung Queen, clapping her hands. "Look, lady! O Alla, such an array ofarmed men is fearful, yet beautiful!"

  "Ameen!" said Lurlee, earnestly. "A thousand times ten thousand are athis call, if he will only lead them! Why shouldst thou fear, lady? Ihave ridden with my lord in the battle and felt no fear. But look! athousand thanks and blessings be upon thee! Yes, they go, Raheem Khanand all the spearmen. Dost thou not see them, Zyna?"

  "Yes, to bring my father and Fazil," cried Zyna, in her turn clappingher hands exultingly. "Yes, they will repay thee, O my queen--mymother; they will repay thee with their lives."

  "Nay, no tears now, girl," said Fyz-ool-Nissa gaily. "Look out over thecavaliers yonder, and wait patiently. Inshalla! your people will returnspeedily."

  So they sat, silently now, praying inwardly for their safety, thoughthe time seemed terribly long, as they looked over the gathering massesof men: over the gardens, mosques, and palaces of the nobility: andover the country beyond, where, in the quivering noonday light, and nowfervid heat, the blue distance seemed melting into the sky.