"You heard what Asoka done, miss? 'Tweren't his fault. He was behaving gentle as a lamb. That there holy feller went and beaned him with a raft o' snakes that would have made a temple statue throw a fit. And mind you, it was done a-purpose. Some one laughed. Maybe you don't know the kind o' laugh I mean! There's Brahmins at the bottom of it, them there temple Brahmins. I've been home to clean up, miss, and my Eurasian servant Moses had an earful for me. They've been bragging to him--told him now you'll have to order out the Maxim squad to shoot Asoka first thing to-morrow morning." "Have you any suggestions to offer, Mr. Quorn?" "No, miss--excepting, if you will pardon me, miss, and no insolence intended--I'd as soon they'd shoot me first. I couldn't tell you, miss, how much that critter means to me. And he weren't guilty. No, miss, he didn't even throw a tantrum. He was same as me or you if we'd had poison snakes thrown at us. "And the devil who did it had time to get out o' the road, too. He was one o' these here fanatics. He chose that way o' dying. Miss, it wouldn't be fair to shoot Asoka--not for that." "Where is Asoka now?" she asked him. "Miss, I've got him hid." Because she was young and not yet spoiled by life, the Ranee did not sigh relief, she smiled it. It was Blake who sighed. Rana Raj Singh grunted. "I have heard of hiding needles in a haystack," said the Ranee. "Are you sure that no one knows where you have hidden him?" "No, miss, I ain't sure of nothing. But I'm reasonably sure." "How will you feed him? Can't they follow you when you come and go?" "That's just exactly it, miss. I want leave of absence, please, and some money." "My steward shall give you money. Yes, you may have leave of absence." "There was something else, miss." Quorn glanced sidewise at Bamjee, whom he trusted at any time about half as far as he could see him. But the Ranee had a trick of trusting untrustworthy people in the same way that some people skate on thin ice, going where others don't dare to go. It pays if you can do it; and if you can't you only drown, so it doesn't matter. "Listen to this, Bamjee," she said. "Listen well. It would do your credit with me no harm if you should happen this once--this first time--to be loyal and secretive." * * * * * Bamjee smirked a protest of his loyalty. He bowed acknowledgment of trust. He opened his eyes and snapped his mouth shut, symbolizing secrecy. He threw a chest. Manfully he held his hands behind him. He deceived the Ranee as thoroughly as a child deceives its nurse at hide-and-seek. "I will order the treasurer to hold up for the present all the money due you for commissions," continued the Ranee. "And now, Mr. Quorn, what is it?"