0,000 tumans(66) from him and did not
repay one penny, for she died soon after. The Il-_Kh_an, 'Ali-Quli _Kh_an,
was another debtor; another was Sayfu'd-Dawlih, a son of Fath-'Ali _Sh_ah;
another, Valiyyih, a daughter of Fath-'Ali _Sh_ah; these are only a few
examples out of many, from among the Turkish amirs and the great of Persia
and 'Iraq. All these debts remained unpaid and irrecoverable.
Nevertheless, that eminent and princely man continued to live exactly as
before.

Toward the close of his life he conceived a remarkable love for
Baha'u'llah, and most humbly, would enter His presence. I remember him
saying one day, to the Blessed Beauty, that in the year 1250 and something
over, Mirza Mawkab the famed astrologer visited the Shrines. "One day he
said to me," the Haji continued, "'Mirza, I see a strange, a unique
conjunction in the stars. It has never occurred before. It proves that a
momentous event is about to take place, and I am certain that this event
can be nothing less than the Advent of the promised Qa'im.'"

Such was the situation of that illustrious prince when he passed away,
leaving as heirs a son and two daughters. Thinking him to be as wealthy as
ever, the people believed that his heirs would inherit millions, for
everyone knew his way of life. The Persian diplomatic representative, the
latter-day mujtahids, and the faithless judge all sharpened their teeth.
They started a quarrel among the heirs, so that in the resulting turmoil
they themselves would make substantial gains. With this in view they did
whatever they could to ruin the heirs, the idea being to strip the
inheritors bare, while the Persian diplomat, the mujtahids, and the judge
would accumulate the spoils.

Mirza Musa was a staunch believer; his sisters, however, were from a
different mother, and they knew nothing of the Cause. One day the two
sisters, accompanied by the son-in-law of the late Mirza Siyyid Rida, came
to the house of Baha'u'llah. The two sisters entered the family apartments
while the son-in-law settled down in the public reception rooms. The two
girls then said to Baha'u'llah: "The Persian envoy, the judge, and the
faithless mujtahids have destroyed us. Toward the close of his life, the
late Haji trusted no one but Yourself. We ourselves have been remiss and
we should have sought Your protection before; in any case we come now to
implore Your pardon and help. Our hope is that You will not send us away
despairing, and tha