he Subah's
aunt, but the Subah had an eye on it and he's furious at losing it. That
wasn't enough. Mr. Watts at Cossimbazar had warned the Council here of
the new Subah's unfriendliness; they talk at Murshidabad of our weak
defenses and how easy it would be to overcome us. He advised Mr. Drake to
keep on good terms with the Subah; but what must he do but turn out of
the place a man named Narayan Das, the brother of the new Nawab's chief
spy."

"Sure you don't allow the enemy's spies to live in Calcutta?"

"Sure we can't help ourselves. The place is full of them--spies of the
Subah, and of the French too. We can't do anything. We may suspect, but
if we raised a hand we should stir up a hornets' nest, as indeed Mr.
Drake appears to be doing.

"But that isn't all. The Company's ship Delaware came in a fortnight ago
with the news that a French fleet is fitting out under Count Lally, at
Brest; 'tis supposed war will break out again and the fleet is intended
to attack us here. So that we may have the Subah making common cause with
the French to crush us. He'll turn against the French then, but that
won't save us. On top of that comes a fakir from Murshidabad demanding in
the Subah's name that we should stop work on our fortifications; the
insolence of the wretch passes all bounds. Mr. Drake properly refused the
demand; he said we were repairing our defenses in case we needed 'em
against the French; but he undertook not to start any new works, which
was a mistake.

"Altogether, Desmond, things are in a pretty mess. I'm afraid Mr. Drake
is not the man to cope with a grave situation; but he has the majority of
the Council with him, and we can't alter it. Now I think we had better
turn in; perhaps I shall feel better after a good sleep; I am certainly
far from easy in mind."

Desmond slept like a top on his light mattress, enveloped in his mosquito
curtains. In the morning he accompanied Mr. Merriman to his daftarkhanah
{office}, where he found a large staff under the superintendence of the
muhri {chief clerk}, Surendra Nath's father. He returned to the house for
tiffin, spent the afternoon indoors over his novel, and after the three
o'clock dinner accompanied his host in a walk through the English
quarter.

As they returned, Mr. Merriman suggested that they should walk down to
Mr. Watts' house near the river to see if any news had arrived from
Cossimbazar. On the way they passed a large pakka {substantial} house,
surro