This minstrel combined the whole affair in a most simple manner.
He was Verdi, Costa, and orchestra all in one.

He was a thorough Macaulay as historian, therefore I had to pay the composer as well as the fiddler.

I compromised the matter, and gave him a few dollars, as I understood that he was Mek Nimmur's private minstrel; but I never parted with my dear Maria Theresa (* The Austrian dollar, that is the only large current coin in that country.) with so much regret as upon that occasion, and I begged him not to incommode himself by paying us another visit, or, should he be obliged to do so, I trusted he would not think it necessary to bring his violin.
The minstrel retired in the same order that he had arrived, and I watched his retreating figure with unpleasant reflections, that were suggested by doubts as to whether I had paid him too little or too much.
Taher Noor thought that he was underpaid; my own opinion was that I had brought a curse upon myself equal to a succession of London organ-grinders, as I fully expected that other minstrels, upon hearing of the Austrian dollars, would pay us a visit and sing of my great deeds.
In the afternoon we were sitting beneath the shade of our tamarind tree, when we thought we could perceive our musical friend returning.

As he drew near, we were convinced that it was the identical minstrel, who had most probably been sent with a message from Mek Nimmur.

There he was, in snow-white raiment, on the snow-white mule, with the mounted attendant and the violin as before.