ma, poured in a glib little oration in French,
somewhat to the astonishment of the Colonel, who began to think,
however, that perhaps French was the language of the polite world, into
which he was now making his very first entree.

Mrs. Newcome had left her place at the door of her drawing-room, to
walk through her rooms with Rummun Loll, the celebrated Indian merchant,
otherwise His Excellency Rummun Loll, otherwise his Highness Rummun
Loll, the chief proprietor of the diamond-mines in Golconda, with a
claim of three millions and a-half upon the East India Company--who
smoked his hookah after dinner when the ladies were gone, and in whose
honour (for his servants always brought a couple or more of hookahs
with them) many English gentlemen made themselves sick, while trying
to emulate the same practice. Mr. Newcome had been obliged to go to
bed himself in consequence of the uncontrollable nausea produced by the
chillum; and Doctor McGuffog, in hopes of converting His Highness,
had puffed his till he was as black in the face as the interesting
Indian--and now, having hung on his arm--always in the dirty
gloves--flirting a fan whilst His Excellency consumed betel out of a
silver box; and having promenaded him and his turban, and his shawls,
and his kincab pelisse, and his lacquered moustache, and keen brown
face; and opal eyeballs, through her rooms, the hostess came back to her
station at the drawing-room door.

As soon as His Excellency saw the Colonel, whom he perfectly well
knew, His Highness's princely air was exchanged for one of the deepest
humility. He bowed his head and put his two hands before his eyes, and
came creeping towards him submissively, to the wonderment of Mrs. Miles;
who was yet more astonished when the Moldavian magnate exclaimed in
perfectly good English, "What, Rummun, you here?"

The Rummun, still bending and holding his hands before him, uttered
a number of rapid sentences in the Hindustani language, which Colonel
Newcome received twirling his mustachios with much hauteur. He turned on
his heel rather abruptly and began to speak to Mrs. Newcome, who smiled
and thanked him for coming on his first night after his return.

The Colonel said, "To whose house should he first come but to his
brother's?" How Mrs. Newcome wished she could have had room for him at
dinner! And there was room after all, for Mr. Shaloony was detained at
the House. The most interesting conversation. The Indian Prince was s