242 



HAUNTS AND HOBBIES 



informed me that the mohunt had arrived, and that he 

 had arrived on foot, and desired to see me on a matter 

 of great importance. The servant had hardly finished 

 speaking when the mohunt entered. He entered leaning 

 on the arm of his confidential priest, and followed by an 

 attendant. 



The mohunt's countenance wore an expression of 

 much distress. The priest and the attendant con- 

 ducted him to a chair. Sighing deeply, he sank on 

 it, and then by a motion of his hand he signified to 

 the priest to address me. On this the priest, stand- 

 ing by the chair, commenced a most elaborate and 

 complicated narrative. The narrative was rendered 

 the more complicated by the mohunt's many inter- 

 ruptions and suggestions. In the end, and only after 

 considerable questioning, I made out the following 

 story. 



There was a dispute between the mohunt and one of 

 his monks as to the ownership of a house in the town, 

 one of those houses that belonged to the monastery. 

 The mohunt had gone that morning to claim the rent 

 or to perform some other act that would indicate 

 possession. The monk presently followed for a similar 

 purpose. As a matter of course, an altercation ensued ; 

 other monks and some bystanders joined in. Both 

 sides became excited. The monk had a stick in his 

 hand ; he raised it and struck the mohunt a violent 

 blow with it on the side of his head. The mohunt had 

 come to me for redress. 



At this point of the narrative the mohunt directed 

 towards me an appealing look ; his eyes filled with 



