MUBARAK THE WORTHLESS 123 that; hide this, but don't hide that; eat this, but don't eat that; sell such as this, but don't sell things like that; act like this, but don't act like that.' " Every- one took his ease and indulged his tastes like his sov- ereign. The wine-shops were reopened and all the world drank. Prices went up, the new tariff was for- gotten, and the bazar people, rejoicing at the death of their persecutor, cheated and fleeced as they listed. Labourers' wages rose twenty-five per cent.; bribery, extortion, and peculation flourished. The Hindus, re- lieved of the recent exactions, were " beside them- selves with joy. They who had plucked the green ears of corn because they could not get bread, who had not a decent garment, and had been so harassed and beaten that they had not even time to scratch their heads, now put on fine apparel, rode on horseback, and shot their arrows." In short, every one did as he pleased and enjoyed himself to the full, and India was her old happy-go-lucky self again. The Sultan set his subjects a bad example. Utterly careless and unspeakably depraved, he threw himself heart and soul into all the wretchedness of unclean living. Openly by night and by day he displayed his contempt for decency. So eager was the demand at court for mistresses that the price of a pretty girl, who could be bought in the late reign for a couple of pounds, ran up to as much as 200. Like his father, the young Sultan had a vile favourite, a Hindu Par- vani, a pariah of the lowest caste from Gujarat, whom he styled Khusru Khan, and under his corrupt influ-
