r promised, but instead of performing, the
degenerate Muhammadan returned to his confederates and sent a
despatch to Clive, informing him of all that had passed, and begging
him to push on immediately, or, if that were impossible, not to fail
to attack during the night. His letter did not reach Clive till late
in the evening. Meanwhile other influences had been at work to bring
about a similar result.

[Footnote 7: Mir Jafar had married the sister of Ali Vardi Khan, the
Nawab's father.]

It is impossible not to feel sympathy for the youthful prince,
surrounded by traitors, his one true adherent killed. Scarcely had
Mir Jafar quitted him when there came to him another traitor, Raja
Dulab Ram, who commanded the army corps nearest to the position
{101}he had taken. The Raja found his master in a state of great
agitation. The English were showing themselves in the open; his own
men were giving way; hope was vanishing quickly. Instead of
encouraging the Subahdar to fight it out, the treacherous Raja gave
fuel to his fears, told him the day was lost, and urged him to flee
to Murshidabad. In an evil hour for his dynasty and for himself,
Siraj-ud-daula yielded to his persuasions, and, ordering his troops
to retire within the intrenchment, mounted a swift dromedary, and
fled, accompanied by 2000 horsemen, to his capital.

It was then two o'clock. The first hour since Clive's conference had
been marked by the heavy rain; the second by the repulse of the
Subahdar's horsemen; the following up of the repulsed attack; the
conversations of the Subahdar with his two treacherous generals. By
two o'clock the enemy's attack had completely ceased, and they were
observed yoking their oxen preparatory to withdrawing within the
intrenchment as the Subahdar had ordered. There remained only on the
ground that body of forty gallant Frenchmen under St. Frais, whom I
have described as occupying the ground about the larger tank, that
nearest to the grove. The post was an important one, for from it the
English could have taken the retreating enemy in flank, and have
inflicted heavy loss upon them. St. Frais was nearly isolated, but
he, too, had seen the advantage the English would derive from
occupying the position, and, faithful amid the faithless, he, with
the gallantry of his nation, {102}resolved to defend it until it
should be no longer defensible.

There was with the army a very gallant officer, Major James
Kilpatrick, who had greatly di