THE GARDEN OF HEART'S DELIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13214, 27 June 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN OF HEART'S DELIGHT.

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.]

BY LOUIS TRACY. Author of " The Final War," " Rainbov Island," "The Albert Gate Affair." etc.. etc.. etc [COPYRIGHT.] (CHAPTER XlX.(Continued). One day, when Jahangir and the Embassy were met in durbar at Ajmeie. the conversation turned 011 this very art. of painting on ivory, in which the Delhi artists were highly skilled, and Sir Thomas Hoe's journal contains am effective sketch of the assembly to which the pictures of the two fair Englishwomen (Anna being then secretly married to Roe) .were brought for comparison with native parol nets'. When 1 came in I found him sitting crosse-legged on a little throne, all cladd i:i diamondes, Pea Hps. and; ru'oyes; before- him- a table of gould, on yt about 50 Peeces of gould plate sett all with stones, sonic very great and extreamlv rich, some of lesse valew. but all of them almost couered with small stones; his Nobilitye about him in their best equipage, whom hoe Commanded to drink froliquely, seuerall wvnes standing by in great flagons." There was some good-humoured dispute as to the ability of the Delhi craftsmen to copy Master Olliver's work, a.nd a bet was made, which both Roe and Mowbray discreetly lost when the originals were returned with the reproductions. Yet the native artists had achieved a better result than the Englishman expected, whilst Jahangir was puzzled by his wife's

eagerness to .see Nellie Roe's presentment, although she evinced no curiosity concerning her when first lie mentioned the projected marriage.

| But the Emperor, still devoted to his ■wife, it. is clear, soon ceased to question ' the why and the wherefore of Nur Mahal's actions. Each day of his life he fell more and more under her influence. ; Soon he practically made over the governj merit of the State into her hands. At ! that time, especially during Mowbray's I continuance with the Court, she exhibited | a. restless activity which found no seda--1 live save constant movement. Devoted I to sport, and showing much skill in us- ! ing a gun which Sir Thomas Roe gave : her, she shot many tigers with her own ! hand, and tigers, even at that distant • date, were to be found only in secluded 1 jungles.

A letter preserved in the Addlestone MS., from Sir Thomas Roe to Sir Thomas Smythe, refers to the Empress' passion for roaming iu remote districts. "I am yet following this wandering King," he writes, " oner Mountaynes and through woodes, so strange and unused wayes that his owne People, who almost know no other God, blaspheme his name and Hers that, it is sayd, Conducts all his actions."'

This same disturbing transition from place to place led to the departure, much against her will, of the Countess di Cabota to , Bombay. Her ladyship found out, what was oft rumoured in India, that the Dowager-Empress Mariam, mother of Jahangir, was really a Christian woman of Portuguese birth. The coun-t-ess met her, and spoke to her in her own language, and the incident incensed the Emperor, who feared that his claim to ha another Mahomet might be questioned by the imaums. Itoe, a. politic, negotiator, took : advantage of the hardships and difficulties of baggage-carrying, involved by the daily breaking-up of the camp, to despatch the countess to the nearest- Portuguese port.- , . .' , She took leave of Roger With copious tears, and wrote him long letters he could not read, so that Walter was obliged to order his face as 'he' made known her loving messages, and heard Roger swearing under his breath the". while. Soon she sailed for Lisbon, and the-: big man, thinking he would never see her again, did not know whether to be glad or sorry. Mowbray naturally rendered the greatest service to the English mission. The whole country was thrown open to British trade, special sites were granted for factories, and, indeed. Roe's embassy undoubtedly planted in India the seeds which have borne such million-fold yield. But Walter, to his great relief, found that Nur Mahal avoided him. He seldom exchanged a word with her, and then only by way of formal politeness. She-moved like a star, bright and remote. The sole instances of personal favour which she showed him consisted, in the first place, of the redemption of the box of diamonds for money and, secondly, m urging him and Roger to .invest two-thirds of their capital, in indigo, which, shipped to London, was worth live times what they paid for it in India.

During an uneventful voyage home Roger often spoke of his Matilda, and wondered how she fared. He was sorry a gale blew them past Lisbon, (hough it hurried them to the Downs, but his regret merged with other sentiments when lie learned by advices awaiting Walter from his mother that the Countess di Caboia was arrived in Wenslevdale, where she had won much popularity and was a special favourite of old Mistress Sainton's. "Ecod!" roared Roger, when the full effect of this amazing intelligence penetrated his big head, "that ends it. I am undone. Between them they'll lead me to the kirk wi' a halter, for my owd mother ever had an eye for t'brass, and Matilda will have filled her lug wi' sike a tale that I'll be tethered for lite."

Hi.s prediction was verified. The countess married him si week after lie reached Yorkshire. But the only halter she used was the chain of turquoises and gold which lie himself gave her. .Never did manhave more loving wife. Her chief joy was to find some wondering listener whilst she poured forth the thrilling recital of her husband's prowess, and " her only anxiety was lest his fighting instincts should prove too powerful to keep him at home during the troubled years of the next reign. But her wealth, joined to his own very considerable store, made him a rich man and a lauded proprietor. Several little Saintons, too, promised to be nearly as big as their father or a.s pretty as their mother, so. Roger stopped at Leyburn to look after them, siding with neither King nor Parliament, but making it widely known -hat he was yet able to break, heads if anyone interfered with him of' his. /

Of the wooing .of Nellie Roe by her constant lover much might be written of vastly greater interest than many things herein recorded. Yet such a history is neither new nor old, being of tile order which .shall endure a* long as mail seeks his mate. So they were wed, in the Church of St. Miles, at"Cripplfgate, and, by one of those pleasant actions which redeem his memory, King J mot; was graciously pleased to forget, the contumacy of his long-lost- subjects. On Roe's showing that Mowbray had done such good work for England that he well deserved the Royal favour, the King bade the newly-married couple invite him to the wedding, to which he came in great state. He asked lor the. Ambassador's sword, averted bis eyes, nearly clipped Walter's ear with the blade in delivering the accolade, and duly dubbed him a knight- Here, also, the English Solomon met Sainton. Though His Majesty was far too sagacious, in his own estimation, to'credit half he was told of the giant's performances at home and in the domains of the. Greait Mogul, he nevertheless asked Roger what he considered to be his most remarkable ' achievement.

" Gad !" was the grinning answer, "though T ' have lopped • heads by the 'score, and fought wi' strange beasts of monstrous size and fun-, I think the most wonderful thing I ever did was to get off scot-free when Your Majesty was ill disposed towards me." ' ' ■■

James rubbed his■ nose, dubiously. lie took thought, and found .that the retortpleased him. So Roger, too, was ordered to kneel, and aro.se, very red and confused, "Sir Roger Sainton, of Cabota Hall, in the County of York." A great deal of water flowed under London Bridge, and under the bridge that spanned the Jumna at Agra as well, when Sir

Roger rod tip the Vale of Ure one day to dine and sup with his friend Sir Walter. Willi him. in a carriage, came Matilda Lady (Sainton, and the special purport of the visit. was to hear sews lately received from India.

Fra Pietro had written, as was his yearly custom, giving them the annals of life in faroff Agra. The Franciscan would not abandon his people, and he-remained with those who elected to settle in the capital rather than return to Huglili. There, owing to he patronage of Jahangir and Nur Mahal, lie established a thriving colony. In course of time, by teaching his flock to eschew politico and stick to trade, ho made the Franciscans a greater power than the Jesuits.

Divested of the (plaint phraseology and varied spelling then in vogue, some portion of hi.s epistle is worthy of record..

Each year it becomes more established," lie said, " that- the Empress rules in •lahangir's name. Truly, she is a. good and wise woman. She- hath affected a beneficial change in his cruel disposition, and put a stop to his savage outbursts of temper. Not only does be drink less wine in the daytime, but he is ashamed to lie seen by her if his evening potations are too indulgent. She still retain.® her habit of going unveiled among ail classes; and, indeed, it would he a. wise reform were other women of the country to do likewise, for the Creator never intended one-half the human race to remain invisible to the other half. Herein, however, she has failed, though it is said, as a quip, that were her own features less noteworthy site would not be so free in their exhibition. ,

Nevertheless, she is the most accomplished woman of her age and clime. She rules this land with moderation and firmness, encourages education and good living, and gives freedom to all men to worship God as seemelh best to them. I am reminded, by these last words, that one who sought unfairly to impose his will upon others, Dom Geroninio to wit, died recently in the convent here. He had been partly demented for years, but you will be glad to lewn that his final hours were peaceful. IT is soul was restored to consciousness when the weak body failed, and he departed this life sincerely regretting the excesses to which ho was led bv unmeasured zeal. Perhaps I err in judging him thus harshly. ' Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall' (I. Cor. x. 12).

" Tin; Emperor kept his word touching the record of my good Roger's mighty deed in slaying the elephant. Within the Unimer Singh gate of the palace be hath erected' another gateway called the Hathiya Dar.waza, or ' Door of the Elephants.' It stands on the summit of a steep slope, a;nd bears on its two flanking towers life-size models of two elephants, one of which has a man's head. Fra Angelico, of the Blessed Order of »St. Francis, newly come hero from Barcelona,, has a gift in painting, and, at my wish, he lias made two oil drawings, which I send herewith, one of which shows the noble design of the structure. ''The other will he equally foreign to your eyes. You .will scarce credit that the splendid marble edifice drawn by my worthy brother in Christ is the tomb of Itirnad-ud-d»uls., father of the Empress, and erected by her on the site of the house in the Garden of Heart's Delight. Jahangir wished the place kept as an evening retreat for the days of spring flowers, but Nur Martial would hear of no other end than the. monument. So there stands the mausoleum, a noble building truly, yet a grave. Who knows what unfulfilled desires lie buried with the unheeding bones of theoldDiwan! I sometimes think the Empress, who, with all her wisdom, remains a, wayward woman, was not wholly swayed by filial piety when she moved the remains of her excellent father to that lovely garden. Once, by chance. 1 met her there. She spoke to me, and I gave her such meagre intelligence. of my English friends as 1 possessed;" She was pleased to hear tlmt Roger and you were honoured by the King. She sends 'her greetings. Jai Singh, leader of the bodyguard, also places his turban at your feet.

" And in this connection 1 am reminded of that verse in Proverbs xxv.: 'As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a. far country.' Write to me, therefore, my good Walter. May it pl?aso the Lord that these presents shall find you and * yolirs in good health and .abounding, in happiness! They tell me I am growing grey, and thinner than ever, so assure me, I pray you, that Sir Roger is adding width to his inches and thus adjusting that proper balance between the extremes by which nature at times leaves the common level. "It.will be of interest to his lady, best known to mo as the Countess di Cabota, to' learn that recently,' whilst on a journey to tho Nasirabad mission, I turned aside and visited the deserted city of Fa-tehpur-Sikri, built, as you know, by Akbar. In Queen Miriam's house I found wall-paintings representing the Annunciation, and other scenes in the history of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother, thus proving that the unhappy woman, long since dead, was an apostate. May she have found grace and repentance even at the. foot of the throne. It'would be a great delight to'me if I could win Nur Mahal to the faith. She and Jahangir are ready enough to reason the . matter, but they remain obdurate." Nellie, who had heard the letter when it reached her husband, listened to it again whilst he read it to Roger and Lady Sainton. "What an influence Nur Mahal seems to exert on all who meet her!" she said, thoughtfully, when Walter load down the last close-written sheet. "Was she really so beautiful?" : asked Nellie, and Walter felt that her eyes were on him, though her question was addressed generally. I "She was so beautiful;" he said, caressing her fair head with a loving ,hand, " that ! once, when I wished to be complimentary, 1 told her there was only one prettier woman in the world, to my thinking, and her name was Nellie Roe." "Gad! Was that wluit you said to her in the field of chick-peas?'' cried Roger. " Some words to that effect." '• But no woman would take that as a compliment," said Nellie, dubiously. "I could fashion no better at tho time," hr* answered, and he picked up Fra Angelico's sketch of the Garden of Heart's Delight. The cedars were there, and the smooth lawns, with the white marble pavilion shining from the green depths, whilst the artist-friar had cunningly depicted a gold-mohur tree, in all the glory j of its.' summer foliage, to cover one cor- ; ner of a tower where the sheer lines were lory harsh. P Roger rose ponderously, and looked over Walters shoulder. '"Tis a gaudy picture," he growled, " but 'tis noi the place I dream of at times when a pasty is too rich or the beer a, trifle ■ heavy." "I oft wish I had seen film garden as you--knew it, Walter," said his wife. "May the Lord'bo thanked your wish was not granted!" lie said, drawing her nearer and kissing her with a, heartiness that was unaffected. " 'Twas no fit habitation for you, Nellie, or for any Christian woman. A*k my Lady Sainton. She knew it only too weil. The Empress is right. li, * was best fitted to hold a tomb."

And, indeed, whilst the men went fort into an English rose-garden to indulge in the new fashionable habit of smoking to-bacco-leaf, Matilda assured her young friend for the hundredth time that, notwithstanding the undoubted charms and barbaric elegance of the Persian princess, Walter Mowbray treated her very cavalierly. So, . for the hundredth time, Nellie drove the wrinkles of thought from her brow, smiled delightedly when Matilda vowed that the man's face on the stone elephant was not a quarter as handsome as Roger himself, and thus effectually banished ■ the dim but lovely and ever-fas-cinating wraith of Ntir Mahal. ['rnK end.] There was a time not so long ago when, even men only smoked on sufferance and in banishment. In country houses the smoking-room wan 100 often a small dark hole on the sunless side of the house to which the rotary of the weed betook himself as to some dreary retreat, divided between his craving for a pipe and his desi! to get into more cheerful surroundings. To-day indiscriminate smoking prevail*.—Ladies' Field.