Rajput dame," she said, "but few as shrewd in the trade as thou art. Dost tell me this tinsel bracelet is worth thirty pieces of gold? I should scarcely value it at ten. And Amber bracelets are cheaper now, my dear, after peace has been concluded in Rajasthan."

"Peace didst thou say, great Queen? A river of blood flows between Amber and Mewar which no peace will bridge over for long; wait till Raja Man Singh returns from Bengal. And real Amber enamelled work sells not so cheap as modern tinsel work—may be thou hast seen no better than cheap jewellery. Go to some other stall, fair Queen, thou mayst find wares suited to thy purse."

"The jungle woodcock thinks he is a fine bird till he meets a peacock, and Amber men and women are vastly proud of their enamelled gold-ware till they see what real jewellery is when they come to Agra. But Agra and Amber have been friends, and I deny not that Raja Man Singh of Amber has served us well. What sayst thou to twelve pieces, dame?"

"Ay, ay, thou wilt require the Raja of Amber again when the new Rana marches to Chittore in force, as his fathers have done before. The feud lives in the blood of Amber and Mewar, though the Prince of Bikanir and the Chief from Bengal may have patched up a temporary truce. Twenty-five gold pieces thou shalt count down, noble Queen, if thou hast them in thy purse, which looks rather light, before thou wearest this bracelet. Twenty-five pieces well told, and that scarcely leaves me half a gold piece as profit."

"Why, what a perfect cheat thou art, my dear. Half a piece as thy profit, didst thou say? Methinks