INCONVENIENT LODGINGS. 203 



it, as there was no appearance of the king's sup- 

 plying us with another. In the morning I was 

 carried up to my new lodgings, which I found 

 clean and roomy in comparison with those I 

 had left. The proprietor of them was a widow 

 who was reputed to be rich, and she welcomed 

 me to them with much kindness. 



I had just time to congratulate myself on the 

 change, when Sarsfield came hurrying in with 

 terror and dismay in his countenance, saying that 

 the king had seized the goods that were left at 

 the other hut — that he had taken them all into 

 his own house, and was threatening vengeance 

 on us all for daring to change our residence 

 without his permission. This was confirmed by 

 my hospitable landlady being seized by some 

 eunuchs, and forthwith carried before the king to 

 be punished for receiving us. As I considered 

 all this a mere pretext for seizing our goods, I 

 determined on remonstrating with him person- 

 ally on this breach of hospitality and good faith. 

 I was accordingly carried down to his court, and 

 took my seat under the verandah, near my land- 

 lady, who was crying bitterly and tearing her 

 hair, having been put in irons preparatory to 

 being flogged. 



