"Certainly," said my father; "I am ready; I will not refuse anything in reason; but so large a sum--I was quite astounded at the impertinence of the demand, and lost my temper, like a fool." Mohun Das stood all this time with his eyes and mouth wide open, looking from one to the other, every word that was uttered increasing his astonishment and disappointment. "Do you pretend to say," screamed he at last, "do you pretend to say that I am not to get my money, my fifteen hundred rupees, for which I have toiled night and day? And do you pretend to say I came to you first? did you not take me with you from the Char-Minar?" "Nay, here is the Char-Minar again; for the sake of Alla," said I to the clerk, "if you really know this fellow, advise him to be quiet; what have I, who am a soldier, to do with his filthy traffic; he may provoke a patient man once too often, and people with weapons in their hands are not safe persons to play jokes with;" and I twisted up my mustachios. I have told you, Sahib, what a coward the fellow was: he fell instantly on the ground and rubbed his forehead against the floor. "Pardon! pardon!" he cried, "most brave sirs! anything, whatever you choose to give me, even ten rupees, will be thankfully received, but do not kill me, do not put me to death;--see, I fall at your feet, I rub my nose in the dust." "You fool," cried the clerk, holding his sides with laughter, for he was a fat man; "you fool; ah, Mohun Das, that I should have seen this! In the name of Narayun, who will do you any harm? Are you a child--you, with those mustachios? Shame on you, man; dullal as you are, be something less of a coward; get up, ask for your money boldly, ask for whatever these gentlemen please to give you, though indeed you deserve nothing for your impertinent attempt at deception." He got up and stood on his left leg, with the sole of the right foot against the calf, his hands joined, his turban all awry, and the expression of his face most ludicrously miserable. "Ten rupees, my lord," he faltered out; "your slave will take ten rupees." We all once more burst into a peal of laughter; the Gomashta's sides appeared to ache, and the tears ran down his cheeks. "Ai Bhugwan! Ai Narayun!" cried he, catching his breath; "that I should have seen this; Ai Sitaram! but it is most amusing. Ten rupees! why man," said he to the miserable dullal, "you just now wanted fifteen hundred!" "Nay," said my father, "let him have his due; you said one hundred and fifty,--that he shall have; do you, Meer Sahib, go with this worthy sahoukar to his kothee, and bring the money; I dare say he will give you a guard back, and you can hire a porter for the gold and silver."