offices in each hand and decorated therewith Raja Narendar and Salar Jung respectively at one and the same time."
"This is not true" replied the Nawab, "The very fact of the Peishkur having always given nusur to the Minister clearly shows that the Peishkar has ever been under the Minister and not equal to or independent of him. Now about the Rajah of Anagondy: He owes all that he has to Sir Asmanjah. A little before Sir Asmanjah became Prime Minister, Mr. Dunlop, at the head of a Committee appointed to inquire into the Raja's affairs, had decided that his estate should be confiscated. This decision would have been carried into effect if only Sir Asmanjah had taken charge of the administration a month later than he did. Sir Asmanjah showed respect to what the Rajah of Anagondy at one time was, when he used his influence and prevented the above decision from being carried out. So then, you see the Rajah is under obligations to the Minister and has no grounds for any legitimate complaint against him.
"So then, you think" I asked, "that if these people have suffered they have suffered but rightly?"
"All that I can say is that the Government's action with regard to these, has been suggested not by any ill-will but by considerations of expediency."
"While holding office in the Aurangabad District, some years ago" I said, "you wrote to the Government to say that these were among the few families in the State which represented oases in a vast waste, and as such they must be "kept up" at any cost. Now that you are in power, you look on unconcerned while they are drifting downwards to obscurity if not to ruin, How is this?"
After some hesitation the Nawab said, "Then I could ex- press my personal views freely. Now that I am confidential Secretary to the Government, I could not do so. People would do well to recognise where power is centered. It is no use allowing false notions of dignity and thoughts of a power and a
