there then not trade enough in the West?" came the swift question.
"Trade and to spare mayhap, your Majesty," replied John Newbery, "but not enough for Englishmen. We live by trade."
A faint stir of distaste rose from amongst the nobles, and Mân Singh muttered under his breath. "A Râjpût lives by his sword--would I had it in some wames I wot of!"
"And you?" continued the King, turning to the next adventurer. He was shorter, broader, and had an open face, matched by his bluff, frank manner.
"I am one Ralph Fitch by name, may it please your Majesty, citizen and trader of London town."
The answer passed the muster of Akbar's mind, and he repeated the same question to the third traveller.
Older by some years than his companions, his whole appearance suggested a more courtly breeding than theirs.
"May it please your Majesty," he said, dropping on one knee, "if indeed that be the proper form of addressing the mighty Jelabdim Echebar, Emperor of Cambay, I am one William Leedes, a jeweller. Native of England, educated at Ghent and Rotterdam. I have cut gems for royalty"--his eyes fixed themselves on the almost rough translucence of a huge diamond which Akbar wore ever in his turban as a fastening to the royal heron's plume, and then he paused to draw something from his breast--"like this, my liege."
He held out betwixt finger and thumb a small rose-cut diamond. Even in the growing dusk of the Audience Hall it showed its hundred pinpoints of light welded into one bright flash, and a low guttural "wâh" of admiration ran through the immediate circle round the throne. Akbar took the stone between finger and thumb also, and as he looked his eyes clouded instantly with dreams.
"A hundred suns where there is but one," he said, absently; "'tis like a many-sided life!" Then he held the jewel out toward Birbal, the young Princes, Abulfazl, Budaoni, and others of the inner court who were craning over to see it.
"'Tis better cut," he went on, "than the little one Pâdré Rudolfo showed us. Where did you learn the art?"
"At the fountain-head, my liege," replied William Leedes; "of old Louis de Berguein's son at Ghent."
"And you could cut such gems here?"
"Given the stones. 'Tis diamond cut diamond----"
"In all things!" interrupted Akbar, with a sudden smile. Then he turned to John Newbery.
"And what do you bring us in exchange?" he asked.
"Gold; and all that gold brings with it," was the ready reply.
Akbar shook his head. "We have gold and to spare already! Purse-bearer! Set forth the immortal money that they may see we lack it not."
In the brief pause, during which an old courtier stiff with age and brocade fumbled in a netted bag and set out a row of coins on an embroidered kerchief, Akbar sate silent, fingering the vellum of the Queen's letter, absorbed in thought.
"All is prepared, Most Excellent," petitioned the purse-bearer.
"Read out the legends, O Diwân!"
In obedience to the order Abulfazl, stepping forward, raised the first huge disc which contained a hundred pounds worth of pure gold, and read aloud from about the plain stamped semblance of a rose, these words:
I am a golden coin
May golden be my use.
So from the obverse, where it encircled a lily, came this couplet:
Golden it is to help
The seeker after truth
The Englishmen looked at one another. Their coin of the realm, despite its stamp "Defender of the Faith," held no such sermons.
So from the next largest disc worth just one half the s'henser came these words:
I am a garment of Hope
May hope be high.
and from the obverse:
God in His pleasure
Gives without measure.
"May it please your Most Excellent Majesty," interrupted John Newbery readily, "we ask but this; that following the divine example, your Majesty at your pleasure may grant our request without measure."
Akbar glanced round his court tentatively, first toward his sons. The eldest, Salîm, a big, handsome lad who looked years older than his age--eighteen--was asleep. Prince Murâd the next, tall, lanky, cadaverous, sate sulky, indifferent. The youngest, Danyâl, a mere boy of some twelve years, was carelessly munching sweetmeats. The King's glance shifted with a sigh to Birbal's face.
"Wanderers are always beggars," quoted the latter warningly.
"Has Akbar's purse no penny left as alms?" came the instant answer.
"If this slave's opinion be asked, as Keeper of the Most Excellent's regalia," spoke up Ghiâss Beg boldly, "I must protest against the jeweller."
Akbar's sudden laugh seemed almost an outrage on that decorous assemblage. "Sure Akbar's crown can spare a gem or two? What dost thou say, O Abulfazl?"
As he spoke, he sought the wide-open, tolerant, far-seeing eyes of the man on whom, more than on all the others, he was dependent for the capable grip on possibilities which changed dreams into realities.
The eyes narrowed themselves for the moment, their gaze concentrated on that somewhat forlorn-looking group of three, awaiting the verdict.
"They come, Most Excellent," he said slowly, "by their own showing from a nation of traders. 'Tis your Majesty's axiom--a true one--that where trade flourishes justice must lie, seeing that the greater principle of mind is needed for the control over the lesser principle of gold. Yet, ere your Majesty decides, it were well that these traders be made acquainted with your Majesty's law, which while yielding due profit to the dealer, denies to him greed of unearned gain; the law demands fair, frank dealing from both parties to every contract of sale." He turned to the trio, adding courteously, "Doubtless it is also the law of your land, and of your Queen; since the fame of the justice of both has echoed here to the East?"
The three wanderers looked at each other dubiously, and Ralph Fitch muttered under his breath, "Ours is caveat emptor and it works well."
Then John Newbery pulled himself together and made bold answer:
"We need no such law, for England while she trades free, trades fair. And by that just fame of our country and of our Queen we engage to do naught unbecoming of either----"
"And to abide by my laws," put in Akbar sharply.
"And to abide by such laws!" echoed John Newbery, adding to himself, "so long as they may last."
There was a pause. Once more Akbar's hand--that true Eastern hand, loose-knit, double-jointed, small, yet with sinews of iron--fingered the Queen's letter. At all times his mind went forth joyfully to any new thing, expectant, he scarcely knew of what; and this vellum, warming under
