Part 17 (1/2)

Now out of this arose a plan which ca Humayon's head, as so ht; for he was full of kindly, not over-wise fancies And this one was that little Prince Akbar should choose his own mother!

It would be rather a hard task for a child who had not seen her for two years and a half, and as but a baby of less than eighteen months old when he had parted from her! But Humayon was convinced that _his_ son would remember; and anyway, even if he did not, no hariven for a huge entertainment in the Arta Gardens just outside Kabul They were the lish gardens, but ide, bare,les of widespread roses and jasardenia And here Humayon's fancy set up a Mystic Palace of three Houses: The House of Pleasure; The House of Fortune, and the House of Power Never was such a beautiful Palace By day it shone with the reflected light of thousands and thousands of looking-glasses, by night it rose outlined in every detail by thousands and thousands of little lamps Every marble path was spread with priceless silken carpets, the very fountains were scented with attar-of-rose All the lers of Kabul were coher hills to ice the drinks, and cooks worked day and night to prepare the ,” re with his little ate ”None of your skinflints like ku Roy's look of surprise and distaste, ”I have done what I said I would--fought for ku to be done And now, like His Gracious Majesty King Hu myself I want noby, turned on hishi+p Roy and I do In his country Kings ride and shoot and play polo, and--and do things

Besides,” he added, ”I want hness will have to choose her then, so I hear,” began the sentry almost rudely, and Roy started to rebuke him, but Prince Akbar was first

”Of course I shall choose my own mother, slave She is quite different, you know, from any one else in the world Isn't she, Roy?”

The Rajput lad passed his hand over his forehead ”Mine was, Most noble!

I should know her again if I ever saw her, but I never shall”

”Say not that, boy,” said the sentry, who, despite his roughness, had a kind heart and was touched by the sorrow in Roy's voice ”I have an old comrade down Suryamer way and I will speak to him of thee and see what he says; then who knows but----”

Little Akbar interrupted hiravely ”It is as God chooses Roy always says that Don't you, Roy?”

”By , ”you are a proper pair of Kings”

There were to be three days festival On the first, that of Pleasure, everybody was to be dressed in white, on the second day of Power all were to be in scarlet, and on the third, the day of Fortune, the day on which little Prince Akbar was to choose his reen Head-nurse and Foster-ns for their darling's dresses, and Humayon himself added ination, and this festival, which was to welcoive her back her little son, occupied all his thoughts

The queen arrived on the first day, but, according to custoht to the secluded balcony arranged for the royal ladies, whence she could see without being seen So she had the advantage of her little son, who, in athat Queen Hu him

”Has my Amma-_jan_ come?” whispered the little Prince to his father, ”is she up there behind the lattice of roses?”

”Yea! she is there sure enough, little rogue,” laughed Huh the flowers”

”No!” said little Akbar, ”I've got to shut my eyes; then I can see her withthe festival to hear what he said

So the first day passed on and everybody thought it was the very finest entertainment that ever was seen But the second day surpassed it The crowds, all in scarlet, filling the gardens, looked like bright roses aolden truesse_, the stately processions of soldiers made it, indeed, a marvellous show of power; and this was increased by the arrival of ambassadors fro Huratulations on success So, nothing was lacking; and at night, lit up by red fires, the scene was one never to be forgotten But with the dawn everything changed! A thousand servants set to work, and in one short half hour the garden showed green Green carpets, green trees, green water falling froreen crowds, every shade of greenin harmony And inside the arched pavilion of the house of Good Fortune were green rustlings of silk, green shi+s of satin as three hundred ladies of the Court, all veiled with green veils, took their seats in a sereen all dressed alike!

Which was Queen Humeeda? _That_, it was the part of a child of four to tell, a child who had not seen his mother for two and a half years!

The crowd outside, pale green, sage green, e; but fro birds, deftly concealed in cages behind the leaves, filled the air as Humayon and his little son advanced to take their places The king was dressed in green also, a fine figure in royal robes ens He took his seat on a golden throne

And little Prince Akbar!

He was the one spot of colour! He was the flower of the whole garden!

Dressed in rose satin of various shades, he looked indeed what Head-nurse had called hi of titles, ”The Rose of the World”

And now the great moment approaches! The little fellow takes his stand fearlessly below his father; before hireen veiled ladies; a hundred in the first row, a hundred in the second row, a hundred in the third row