given the Seths to fear him, and on his
violent character, I said I understood clearly enough what
they meant, and that they certainly wanted to set up another
Nawab. The Seths, instead of denying this, contented themselves
with saying in a low voice that this was a subject
which should not be talked about. Omichand, the English
agent[92] (who, by the way, cried 'Away with them!' wherever
he went), was present. If the fact had been false, the Seths
would certainly have denied it, and would have reproached
me for talking in such a way. If they had even thought
I intended to thwart them, they would also have denied
it, but considering all that had happened, the vexations
caused us by the Nawab and our obstinate refusals to help
him, they imagined that we should be just as content as they
were to see him deposed, provided only the English would
leave us in peace. In fact, they did not as yet regard us as
enemies."

Law was, however, ignorant that Clive had already promised, or did
so soon after, to give the property of the French Company to the
Seths in payment of the money the French owed them; but he now for
the first time fully realized the gravity of the situation. The
indiscretion of the Seths showed him the whole extent of the plot,
and the same evening he told the Nawab, but--

"the poor young man began to laugh, not being able to
imagine I could be so foolish as to indulge in such ideas."

And yet, whilst he refused to believe in the treason of his
officers, the Nawab indulged at times in the most violent outbreaks
of temper against them.

"Siraj-ud-daula was not master of himself.[93] It would
have needed as much firmness in his character as there was
deceitfulness to make the latter quality of use to him. At
certain times his natural disposition overmastered him,
especially when in his harem surrounded by his wives and
servants, when he was accustomed to say openly all that
was in his heart. Sometimes this happened to him in full
_Durbar_."

The same evening, also, Mr. Watts came to the _Durbar_, and the
matter of the neutrality was talked over. The Nawab wished the two
gentlemen to pledge their respective nations to keep the peace, but
Mr. Watts skilfully avoided giving any promise, and suggested the
Nawab should write to the Admiral. Law, seeing that further delay
was aimed at, exclaimed that the Admiral would pay as little respect
to this letter as