Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 308: New Series, Saturday, November 24, 1849Various
General
Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, No. 308: New Series, Saturday, November 24, 1849
Various
Periodicals
'Next day there are several candidates for the honour of the
treasurer's office, who eagerly offer to serve. "The salary is 200
rupees a month," says the rajah; "and I hate accounts. Constant
attendance and implicit obedience are all I require." After rejecting
some, his highness fixes upon Lalla Umbeka Sahaee, who receives a
well-worn shawl as a _khillut_,[13] and an immense key. He ventures
to ask where the treasury is? and is told to wait until the _huzrut_
has leisure to show it to him. In the meantime the rajah suddenly
recollects that he has an immediate occasion for 1000 rupees, and he
shouts out, "Here, Bahadoor, take one thousand rupees from Lalla Umbeka
Sahaee, and give it to Bisheshur Singh, and be sure to take a receipt
for the money. Tell him it is the price of a ring I bought of him for
my favourite Goolbehar." Bahadoor asks the treasurer for the money. The
poor man looks aghast, and shows a huge key as all he has received of
the rajah's treasure. But Bahadoor tells him that Rajah Guchpuch Rae
never fails to cut off the ears of a disobedient servant. So the hint
is taken, and Lalla gives an order on his _shroff_ in the city for the
amount; and Bahadoor at once proceeds to realise the money. As evening
approaches, shawl-merchants and jewellers again appear, and press their
wares on the rajah. They see Lalla Umbeka Sahaee figuring as treasurer.
They are old acquaintance, and they ask him the amount of Guchpuch
Rae's treasure; in reply to which he simply shows _the_ key, about a
foot in length. The merchants open out their wares to entice the rajah,
but he says he will wait until all his things arrive. They offer to
leave their bundles for the rajah and his ladies to choose, which is
agreed to with apparent indifference. The song and dance proceed, as
usual, until midnight, when the torches are extinguished.
'Next morning, what a change has taken place! One old man is seated
at the doorway, dozing over a _chillum_ of _ganjah_. No other sign of
life is visible in Rajah Guchpuch Rae's palace. The treasurer arrives
first, opens and rubs his eyes, and asks the old man where the rajah
and his people have gone? He replies that they decamped before dawn.
In due course the Muhajuns, the jewellers, and birds of song arrive,
but nothing of the rajah is to be found; and smoke-stained walls, and
filth, and litter about the rooms, alone betray that revelry _had been_
there! The jewellers and Muhajuns turn in wrath upon Lalla Umbeka
Sahaee, and tax him with having aided to cheat them. They proceed
first to abuse, and then to beat him. In vain the poor man shows the
huge key, and laments his thousand rupees lost for ever. They drag
him to the _kotwal_, and charge him with having cheated them; and the
defrauded treasurer remains in durance vile for a week at least, and
gets off at last on proving himself to be one of the victims of this
system of swindling, and after feeing the police myrmidons pretty
roundly.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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