The days that followed brought their own burden ... visits, morning and evening, to this lady or that at the Palace, and visitors calling all day, each one with some tale against his neighbour, some story of Court intrigue.... “Where all is unknown, best be on the safe side and accuse” was their motto. And silent patience in the hearer led to this much knowledge at least, that there was one man’s name held in detestation by all alike.... And when the sun set there was solitude, and I walked in the Temple Garden, a garden which was a wild bed of Indian jasmine and other sweet-scented flowers loved of the gods, or played with the children of the old Priest at the Monkey Temple; or anon, sat still, in the cleft of some low branch, while the Priest himself told legends of the country-side--quaint tales of miraculous cures, or gruesome tales of living corpses.... And once an old Mutiny soldier recited Persian verses to me in a voice that should have reached his old battlefield at Delhi, many miles away; and once again, on a dark night of stars, they showed me the King’s games of by-gone days--little green parrots turning somersaults in circles of fire, and torch-bearers dancing a wild tattoo.... So the days passed.... Of what account was Time to the believers in Eternity? They would not be hurried. But every day we gained ground, and at last all was ready for the great peace. Etiquette of the strictest was imperative: it needed some care to secure this without friction. As a personal favour the old Grandmother promised to come with me to the Ranee’s apartments; likewise the little daughter clinging tightly to my hand for fear of those same mustard demons. As a personal favour also, the Ranee agreed to welcome her Mother-in-law in orthodox fashion. Five o’clock of an afternoon, and a long dark room lined with waiting-women standing erect and silent, each waving a huge glittering fan planted like a flag in front of her ... _flap_, _flap_, went the fans, like an elephant’s ears; and the serving-women’s ornaments shone like stars on arm or forehead. I had just arrived, the first and third generations in either hand, myself a little fearful as to possible backsliding. The old lady I seated; then going across to the Ranee at the other end of the room, “Your Mother-in-law,” I said, “has come to visit you. May I take you to her?” It was thus, you see, we adjusted reconciliation, met each other half way, without too much sacrifice of pride ... and, as I led my Ranee forward, “I want to see,” I whispered, “if your ‘falling at the feet’ is as pretty as ours in the West Country.” “Prettier,” she said. “Look!” And, covering her face, she fell three times at the feet of the old dame, who stood there stern as an irrevocable sin. And she? She might have blessed the prostrate woman, but, at least, she cursed not; and so as not to strain forgiveness too far, I made excuse of heat and else, and had her conveyed back to her own courtyard.