in the out-of-door service, carries on any
little affair that the khanum may have with other harems, and is also
supposed to be a spy upon the actions of the doctor. Such as we are, our
days are passed in peevish disputes; whilst, at the same time, some two
of us are usually leagued in strict friendship, to the exclusion of the
others. At this present moment I am at open war with the Georgian, who,
some time ago, found that her good luck in life had forsaken her, and
she in consequence contrived to procure a talisman from a dervish.
She had no sooner obtained it, than on the very next day the khanum
presented her with a new jacket; this so excited my jealousy, that I
also made interest with the dervish to supply me with a talisman that
should secure me a good husband. On that very same evening I saw you on
the terrace. Conceive my happiness! But this has established a rivality
between myself and Shireen, which has ended in hatred, and we are now
mortal enemies: perhaps we may as suddenly be friends again. I am now on
the most intimate terms with Nur Jehan, and at my persuasion she reports
to the khanum every story unfavorable to my rival. Some rare sweetmeats,
with _baklava_ (sweet cake) made in the royal seraglio, were sent a few
days ago from one of the Shah's ladies, as a present to our mistress;
the rats ate a great part of them, and we gave out that the Georgian was
the culprit, for which she received blows on the feet, which Nur Jehan
administered. I broke my mistress's favourite drinking-cup; Shireen
incurred the blame, and was obliged to supply another. I know that she
is plotting against me, for she is eternally closeted with Leilah, who
is at present the confidant of our mistress. I take care not to eat or
drink anything which has passed through her hands to me, for fear of
poison, and she returns me the same compliment. It is not, that our
hatred amounts to poison yet, but such precautions are constantly in use
in all harems. We have as yet only once come to blows: she excited me to
violent anger by spitting and saying, "_lahnet be Sheitan_," curse be
on the devil, which you know to the Yezeedies is a gross insult; when
I fell upon her, calling her by every wicked name that I had learnt
in Persian, and fastening upon her hair, of which I pulled out whole
tresses by the roots. We were parted by Leilah, who came in for her
share of abuse, and we continued railing at each other until our throats
were quite dried