reason to feel
the insecurity of his position. The two elder Princes, sons of a former
Queen, had been for some time in confinement, and the Ranee now attempted
to induce Jung to put them to death, in order to secure the throne for
one of her own sons. This he positively refused to do, and his refusal
brought upon him the wrath of this vindictive woman, whose vengeance had
already been so signally wreaked on his uncle by his own instrumentality.

He had not played so prominent a part on that occasion without profiting
by the lesson he had learnt; and knowing well the character of the woman
with whom he had to deal, he took care to obtain accurate intelligence of
all that transpired at court.

Information soon reached him that a plot was formed against his life, and
that the post of premier had already been promised to his intended
murderer, as a reward for so dangerous a service. Once more the command,
which had proved so fatal to Mahtabar Singh, issued from the palace,
desiring the immediate attendance of the minister; the messenger was the
very man at whose hand Jung was to meet his doom. He had scarcely
delivered his treacherous message, when he was struck to the ground by
one of the attendants of the prime minister. Jung then proceeded on his
way to the palace, where he at once demanded of the Rajah to be dismissed
from office, or to be furnished with authority to order the destruction
of all the enemies of the heir-apparent. The King could not refuse to
grant the authority demanded; and it was no sooner granted than Jung
seized and beheaded all the adherents of the conspirator.

As the Ranee herself was the most inveterate enemy of the young Prince,
the Rajah's order was at once carried into effect against her, and, to
her infinite astonishment, she was informed by Jung that she was to leave
Nepaul immediately, accompanied by her two sons. It was of no use to
resist the successful young adventurer, whose indomitable courage and
good fortune had triumphed over the plots and intrigues of his enemies,
and who thus saw himself freed from every obstacle to his quiet
possession of the government.

The Rajah accompanied the Queen to Benares. Meantime the heir-apparent
was raised to the throne, and the whole administrative power vested in
his minister.

Upon hearing of the installation of his son as Rajah, the old Monarch
seemed to evince, for the first and last time in his life, some little
interest in proce