56 HAUNTS AND HOBBIES 



a Government appointment of some importance. He 

 had called to pay his respects, being in a way one of 

 my subordinates. In the course of conversation he 

 happened to mention that his family came originally 

 from Persia, and had only been settled in India for 

 three generations ; and then he proceeded to tell me 

 the reason of their coming. 



His grandfather, he said, whom I will term Ismael 

 Khan, had been a noble of rank at the court of 

 Nadir Shah, the king of Persia who in the last 

 century invaded India, captured Delhi, and carried 

 away the world-famous peacock-throne and countless 

 other treasures. He was besides one of the most 

 bloodthirsty tyrants that even Asiatic history records. 



One day, my visitor went on to relate. Nadir 

 Shah was holding audience. Nadir Shah, arrayed in 

 all his splendour, was seated on his throne. On his 

 right hand and on his left his nobles stood before him. 

 They stood in an attitude of reverence, their hands 

 folded, their eyes cast down. But his grandfather, 

 Ismael Khan, in a moment of forgetfulness, raised his 

 eyes. As ill-fortune would have it, at that moment 

 Nadir Shah happened to be looking towards where 

 Ismael Khan was standing. Their eyes met. "So you 

 stare at me ? " Nadir Shah exclaimed, and his voice 

 was angry. Nadir Shah said no more, but that was 

 sufficient. 



As soon as the audience was over Ismael Khan 

 returned in haste to his house ; he summoned his 

 steward, and bade him have saddled all the fleetest 

 horses in the stables, and to collect the most trust- 



