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The king's foster-brother, Cocaltash-khan, was promoted to the highest offices, and his name was changed to that of Khan-jehan-bahadur. The king's mistress, Lal-koor, received the title of Imtiaz-mehel-begum (the most accomplished of ladies), and was distinguished with the privilege of riding close to her sovereign on an elephant covered by a canopy, an honour reserved for princes of the royal blood. The king's foster-brother was eventually raised to the office of Amir-ul-omrah, which was now the third dignity in the empire, and he obtained every day some addition to his influence and emoluments. The king's partiality for Lal-koor was boundless; he seemed solely intent on pleasing her. Her brother Khoshal was made a commander of seven thousand horse, and her uncle Niamet-khan received the command of five thousand; not content with this he intended to dispossess an illustrious nobleman of the viceroyalty of Acberabad, in order to bestow it on Khoshal-khan, but here the emperor's partiality met with an unexpected check. The vezir on casting his eyes over the patent, refused to affix the seals unless he also brought the fees of office, which, in derision of the new governor's former occupation, he fixed at five thousand guitars and seven thousand timbrels. Khoshal-khan stung to the quick by so severe a sarcasm, imparted his resentment to his sister, whose influence over the