an who had a sword, spear, musket, or matchlock, flourished it
in the air amidst a thousand torches. A scene more strange and wild
it would be difficult to conceive.

In the midst of all this the Resident and his Assistants remained
cool under all kinds of foul abuse and threats from a multitude so
excited, that they seemed more like demons than human beings, and
resolved to force them to commit some act or make use of some
expression that might seem to justify their murder. They fired
muskets close to their ears, pointed others loaded and cocked close
to their breasts and faces, flourished swords close to their noses,
called them all kinds of opprobrious names, but all in vain. The
Resident, in the midst of all this confusion, pointed out to the
Begum the impossibility of her ultimately succeeding in her attempt
to secure the throne for the pretender, since he was acting under the
orders of his Government, who had declared the right to be another's;
and if he and all his Assistants were killed, his Government would
soon send others to carry out their orders. "I am," she said, "in my
right place, and so is the young King, my grandson, and so are you.
Why do you talk to me or to anybody else of leaving the throne and
the baraduree?" But some of her furious followers, afraid that she
might yield, seized him by his neckcloth, dragged him towards the
throne, on which the boy sat, and commanded him to present his
offerings of congratulation on the threat of instant death. They had,
they said, placed him on the throne of his ancestors by order of the
Begum, and would maintain him there. Had he or either of his
Assistants lost their temper or presence of mind, and attempted to
resent any of the affronts offered to them, they must have been all
instantly put to death, and a general massacre of all their supposed
adherents, and the pillage of the palace and city, would have
followed.

The Begum's Wakeel, Mirza Allee, seeing the life of the Resident and
those of his Assistants and attendants in such imminent peril, since
he so resolutely refused to give any sign whatever of recognition to
the pretender, and aware of the consequences that would inevitably
follow their murder, seized him by the arm, and in a loud voice
shouted out that it was the Begum's order that he should conduct him
out into the garden to the south. He pushed on with him through the
crowd, followed by all his small party, and with great difficulty and
danger