e English
produced a letter in the handwriting of Ranjit Rai, purporting to be
written at the dictation of the Seths under instructions from the
Nawab. The latter denied the instructions, and the Seths promptly
asserted that the whole letter was a forgery of their agent's.

"The notorious Ranjit Rai was driven in disgrace from
the _Durbar_, banished, and assassinated on the road. It was
said he had received 2 lakhs from the English to apply his
masters' seal unknown to them. I can hardly believe this.
This agent was attached to the English only because he knew
the Seths were devoted to them."

This incident warned the Seths to be more cautious, but still the
plot against the Nawab was well known in the country. Renault, who
had been at this time a prisoner in Calcutta, says:--

"Never was a conspiracy conducted as publicly and with
such indiscretion as this was, both by the Moors and the
English. Nothing else was talked about in all the English
settlements, and whilst every place echoed with the noise of
it, the Nawab, who had a number of spies, was ignorant of
everything. Nothing can prove more clearly the general
hatred which was felt towards him."[99]

M. Sinfray had returned to Murshidabad, but could not obtain an
interview with the Nawab till the 8th of June, when he found him
still absolutely tranquil; and even on the 10th the Nawab wrote to
Law to have no fears on his account; but this letter did not reach
Law till the 19th.

"I complained of the delay in the strongest terms to
Ramnarain, who received the packets from the Nawab, but it
was quite useless. The Nawab was betrayed by those whom
he thought most attached to him. The Faujdar of Rajmehal
used to stop all his messengers and detain them as long as
he thought fit."

This officer was a brother of Mir Jafar.[100] The Seths and the
English had long found the chief difficulty in their way to be the
choice of a man of sufficient distinction to replace Siraj-ud-daula
on the throne. At this moment the Nawab himself gave them as a
leader Mir Jafar Ali Khan, who had married the sister of Aliverdi
Khan, and was therefore a relative of his. Mir Jafar was _Bukshi_,
or Paymaster and Generalissimo of the Army, and his influence had
greatly contributed to Siraj-ud-daula's peaceful accession. He was a
man of good reputation, and a brave and skilful soldier. It was such
a person as this that the Nawab, after a long course of p