As the wax-cloth covers were withdrawn, there appeared several letters in the bundle,--large, and the paper covered with gilding, such as are sent to persons of the most exalted rank only. Eagerly, most eagerly, did the practised eye of the Secretary run over each superscription, and each was narrowly scrutinized. One by one he passed them to the King, and Fazil could see that, whatever they were, they caused the deepest expression of interest in both their countenances. Suddenly the Meerza came to one which, having examined even more narrowly than the others, he passed on, with a deep sigh, to the King. It was taken eagerly, and at once opened and read, while the Lalla turned from one to the other with an intense expression of curiosity, fear, and hope blended together, marked on his features. "Does that Jogi understand Persian, thinkest thou?" asked the King of the Lalla. "Not a word, I will answer for it with my head," returned the man confidently. "How should he?" "And thyself?" "Surely, excellent sir; I have long served in the royal Dufter, else how should I have known what to take and what to leave?" He spoke now in Persian, and the conversation continued in that language. "If there were more, why didst thou not take all, Lalla?" asked the Meerza. "All, Meerza Sahib? that the theft might be discovered before I had time to get away? Ah, no, good sir! A Mutsuddee may be a rogue, but he should have discretion," and he quoted the Persian proverb to that effect; "and to all appearance the royal desk still holds the same packet which I made up with other papers, and sealed with the private signet as it was before. No; the theft is not suspected yet, unless that packet have been opened by the Emperor when I was missed----" "And thou knowest the contents of this letter, Lalla?" inquired the King. "I could say them to you, for I have them by heart, noble sir; perhaps they are somewhat remarkable, for when I read them, I thought Ali Adil Shah would like to hear them, so I committed them to memory. I will even repeat the letter to you if this worthy Meerza have no objection. I presume," he continued to the Secretary, "that your friend is in the King's confidence as much as yourself." "Surely," was the reply. "I may say that he is more in it than I am myself, else I had not brought him." "Enough," said the Lalla; "I am satisfied. Now, open the letter and compare it with what I repeat. There is no Alkab." "True," said the King, "he has drawn a Mudd at the top." "Proceed after the Mudd, then," continued the Lalla, "the letter runs thus:--