red from my
purpose?" I asked. The Durweish replied, "Out of pure compassion for the
fatigue and pains it would have given you, had you come so far on such a
night of rain and tempest. My pity for you altered my wishes, and thereby
your purposes. I only wished you to be convinced, and perhaps you are so
now."'

Meer Eloy Bauxh often speaks of this circumstance, and declares he has
full confidence that the Durweish in question possessed the power of
influencing the minds of others, or attracting them by his wishes to
appear before him.

'This Durweish was once applied to by a Mussulmaun, who went regularly for
many days in succession, to watch a favourable moment for soliciting
advice and assistance in his then uneasy state of mind. The Mussulmaun's
name was Hummoon[16], since designated Shah, a native of the Upper
Provinces of Hindoostaun, in the Lahore district. Hummoon occasionally
passing near the river, had frequently observed, amongst, the number of
Hindoo women, on their way to and from the place of bathing, one young
female whose charms riveted his attention. He sometimes fancied that the
girl smiled on him; but aware of the strong prejudices of her caste, which
prohibits intercourse even, much less marriage, with men of another
persuasion, he loved therefore without hope; yet he could not resist, as
the opportunity offered, of again and again watching for a glance at the
beautiful Hindoo whose person had won his entire affections. Not a word
had ever passed between them, but he fancied she sometimes returned his
looks of love in her smiles.

'The passion of Hummoon increased daily; he could with difficulty restrain
himself within the prescribed bounds; he longed to address her, and in
vain puzzled his imagination for the proper means to adopt, for he knew
the edict of her caste had placed a barrier between them of an
insurmountable nature. For months he endured all the torments of his
perplexing state, and at last resolved on applying to the good Durweish
for advice and assistance, whose famed powers had been long the subject of
admiration among the Mussulmauns.

Hummoon went daily to the threshold of the Durweish, and seated himself
among the many who, like him, had some favour to ask of the holy man, at
the propitious moment when he chose to be visible and disposed to look
round upon his petitioning visitors. All waited for a look with the most
intense anxiety (for a Durweish does not always notice his cou