He had good gift of the world’s gear, and now preferred the role of fox to lion. “She knows nothing as yet. I waited till I could see you. I dared not to tell her. She only fancies that this official visit of the General-Sahib from Calcutta will, of course, take up all their time at the marble house. But she begs me to watch them all, and she has given me some little presents--money presents.” Hawke winced, but in silence. His employer trusted him not. Here was proof positive. “How in the devil’s name did they get away without you knowing of it?” demanded Hawke. “If you are lying to me, Ram Lal, we may lose both our pickings from this fat pagoda tree. You see old Johnstone may slip away after the girl. He may leave here with Abercromby.” The jewel merchant’s eyes gleamed with a smoldering fire. “Johnstone Sahib will not leave Delhi. It is in the stars! He has too much here to leave. There are many old ties which bind. No, he will not go like a thief in the night.” Hawke was surprised at the old rascal’s evident emotion. “Then tell me what you think about the disappearance of these women,” said Hawke, watching him keenly. “I have seen all my friends in the station, even the mail clerks, telegraph men, and all,” began Ram Lal. “A train ‘on government service’--a special--came in that night from Allahabad at ten o’clock. Then two small trains were kept in waiting for some hours; one left for Simla before daylight, and the other drew out for Allahabad. There was a crowd of ladies, officers’ ladies, and some children and servants in the waiting-room. They like to travel at night in the cool shade. No one knew them. Now, at Allahabad, the east-bound train could branch off either for Calcutta, Madras, or Bombay.” “So you know not which way these women fled?” The old merchant seemed absolutely at sea. As Hawke shook his head the story was soon finished. “My men at the marble house tell me that a strange young man arrived at ten o’clock. He was admitted by Simpson, the private man of Johnstone Sahib. The Swiss woman talked with him alone a half hour in the library, and then Johnstone’s daughter came down there, but only for a few moments. My men watched him writing and reading papers in the library; then they all went away.”