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and in my opinion the provocation was too slight
to have been allowed to produce such a serious
result. A letter was handed to him by some
officious gentleman who had returned from North
India, and its contents caused him serious annoy-
ance. It had been addressed to the editor of
some petty newspaper by one of the members of
the Executive Council, as an explanation regarding
some financial matter in a tone of apologetical
self-justification. It might be surmised that some
blame was intended to be thrown by implication
on the^ Council, of which Sir Ali was President;
but he took the insult to heart, and was over-
powered by its effect. It did not seem to occur
to him that the insult (if such it really was) could
easily be ' snubbed ;' a little contempt would
have done it or a mild reprimand. But Sir Ali
exaggerated its importance and told His Exalted
Highness with some warmth that it was a ques-
tion of honour with him, and that either
'X' must leave the Council, or he himself. This
attitude was hardly reasonable and the Nizam
could not understand it; and though I had several
talks with Sir Ali by command of His Exalted
Highness, it was all to no purpose ; he had taken
the trifle too much to heart. So, instead of
remaining on to put Council members in their
proper places—as a cooler man of power would
have done—he decided to resign. Finding him
determined—I will not say obstinate—His Exalt-
ed Highness asked me what I thought of the
situation. Much as he and I would have liked