fully at her brother's
feet and begged his favour in a little piping voice, that stern believer
in court etiquette was perfectly enchanted.

"It will be a real boon to the First-Gentleman-of-the-World, the
Courtly-one-of-Courts, etc., etc., to have the society of his equals,"
she said with a darkling look at Princess Sultanum's Head-nurse, who had
brought Prince Ibrahim and Baby Amina to welcome their cousin.

But, after all, Bakshee Bani Begum did not turn out so demure as she
looked! Indeed, when Head-nurse was not by, she was a regular tomboy;
and after a whole morning spent in most lady-like fashion either playing
with her dolls, or stringing beads, while Down, the cat, on her lap
blinked and purred and stared out on the world with her big blue eyes
and her little white feet tucked well inside, she would, when the women
retired to get ready the mid-day meal, spring up like a squirrel,
scattering beads and cats as if they were of no account! Then the
garden would re-echo to children's laughter.

And she would let Mirak, as she elected to call her brother, swing her
for hours, but she obstinately refused to tumble down!

"But, Bija," expostulated the little lad, "the princess did tumble down
in the story."

"I am not a princess _in a story_," said Bija calmly, "I am Her Royal
Highness Princess Bakshee Bani Begum."

CHAPTER X

THE NIGHT OF RECORD

So the summer days passed and winter set in once more. Though more
satisfied, Foster-father felt still that safety depended on King
Humayon's success or failure.

So, whenever one of the long files of camels tied together in a string,
head-and-tail, showed on the hill road above Kandahar, he was off to the
halting-place outside the city to see what news it had collected in its
march from Hindustan; for caravans in those days were the postmen.

And sometimes he heard one thing, and sometimes another, but as often as
not he returned as he went, without any remedy but patience.

"Anyhow the child grows in stature and strength," Head-nurse would say,
"and our present lodging is better than our last!"

Which was true; for the old house of three stories which they now
inhabited was full of little rooms leading one out of the other like a
rabbit-warren. And if there was no furniture in them, so much the better
for the children's games of "I espy" and "Touch who Touch can."

For Bija and Mirak played such games with infinite zest. As Head-nurse
had foretold, t