I could not find it in my heart to blame the Amîr. Wearied out with months of suffering, he lacked the keen judgment that is his characteristic. Nevertheless, in a matter of such vast importance, the fact, that _any_ condition could place one at the mercy of an obscure intriguing Hindustani, gave such a shock to my confidence that I never entirely recovered it while I was in the service of the Amîr. Once in a lifetime was enough for such an experience as I had been through; for had the illness of either Amîr or Sultana terminated fatally, while they were under my care, _my_ fate would have been sufficiently appalling. I was to visit His Highness daily, although he was under the care of the Hakims. His manner to me was never so kind as now. I examined his condition as before, and he described to me the treatment the Hakims were subjecting him to. They had no specific medicine, but administered drugs that produced frequent and copious alvine evacuations. I said one day--in my anxiety--that I feared they were, in His Highness’s feeble condition, overdoing this line of treatment. His Highness rebuked me and said, “When I am under the care of Hakims, I do as Hakims say; when under your care, as you say.” I continued attending the Sultana. She was much better and was very kind. She read poetry to me, and commenced teaching me to talk Persian. One day she said in Persian, “Say this ----” and she repeated some sentence. In my weariness, for it was in the middle of the night, I mechanically repeated after her, “Say this ----” and I gave the sentence. At once the Page boys and the girls behind the curtains burst out laughing. As we came away I said to the Armenian, “Why were you so sulky to-night?” He had sat very glum in the Harem Serai. He said-- “Sir, you European, and, perhaps, no harm come for you--but for _me_, Amîr Sahib blow me from gun if Her Highness laugh while I there.” I was considerably taken aback. Meanwhile, I was working down the chloral: I had got fifteen grains less; but I couldn’t stop the chillim. There was no longer any necessity for me to live in His Highness’s Pavilion, and he gave orders for quarters to be prepared for me in the Prince’s quadrangle near by, so that I could be on the spot in case of necessity. The room was curtained and carpeted, and wood for the fire provided. My servants came to wait upon me. An arm-chair of His Highness’s was sent, a table, and candelabra. My friend, Shere Ali, came to see me frequently; and the Page boys at all hours. I visited the Amîr twice a day. Sometimes, he invited me to sit on the very couch he was lying on, and he told me many interesting stories of his adventures in Russia. For a few days His Highness continued about the same. The albumen had nearly cleared away (sp. gr. 1012), though crystals of lithic acid were deposited, and occasional tube casts could be seen. [Sidenote: The Amîr’s Relapse.]