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work was a trait of his character, and his night
vigils left no trace upon his face, which was always
fresh and ruddy. He was known to be over-
sensitive, and was easily annoyed with those who
failed to show the respect due to him. I had not
much to do with him officially except once in 1902
when he acted as Prime Minister at the time of
the Delhi Durbar during the absence of Maharaja
Sir Kishen Pershad, who had accompanied H.BL
the Nizam to Delhi. As officiating Minister
Nawab Shihab Jung used to receive Government
Secretaries on fixed days, not at his own house
but at the Aftab Mahal in the Chow Mahal Palace,
by special permission of His Highness, I was
officiating for Mr. Faridoonji as Private and Poli-
tical Secretary and so had the opportunity of
seeing and getting to know Shihab Jung Bahadur
from week to week for over a month. Under his
grand and pompous exterior I discovered kindly
and gracious qualities ; and when the time came
for us to part, he had the goodness to assure me
that all the time I had worked with him he had
been very pleased with me. After some years
I again had the opportunity of working under him.
It was in 1909-10 when I was Home Secretary,
and from the Home Secretariat papers relating
to the Police Branch had to be submitted to him
as Police Minister. In 1910 a rumour was heard
that a change was likely to take place in the
Home Secretariat, and I received from him a
letter in his own handwriting expressing anxiety
and concern on account of the impending change.