"Of course not," I said, smiling. "It is long healing. I'm better now. It was very weak and cowardly of me to turn so. There," I cried, with an attempt at being merry; "you see what a poor officer I should make." "You cowardly!" he cried. "It is wonderful how you have recovered so quickly. But, come, it is getting late, and we have a long journey back. Go and put on your uniform." "I cannot," I said sadly. "I am not asking you to say `Yes' now," he continued calmly. "I only wish you to appear before my people worthily dressed as my friend, and ready to enter my city." "You want to take me with you?" I said quickly. "Yes; you will share my howdah. It is you I care for as my friend. I do not care for your clothes; but my people would think it strange." I sat frowning and thinking of Dost and Brace, but I was helpless. "If I put on the uniform you have brought, it is accepting your proposal and promising to serve you." "No, I shall want a better promise than that, Gil. I shall wait. You do not know Ny Deen yet. Some day you will come to me and say `Yes. I know you now as a brave, good man, who is seeking to do what is right.' You think of me now, and judge me by what savage men have done everywhere at a time when I only wished that they should fight as soldiers. When you know me well, you will place your sword at my service. I am going to wait." "Then leave me here," I said eagerly. "I cannot. You must come with me to-night; and I promise you that at present you shall only be my guest." "You promise this?" I said. "I do. You do not wish for my guest to look--there as you do now?" "No," I said, for I felt that I must yield. "Go, then, and come back, not as my officer, but as the friend in whom my people's rajah delights." He held out his hand again, and weakly, or diplomatically, whichever it may have been, I grasped his hand, rose, and went into the outer tent, to find Salaman and one of my attendants patiently awaiting my arrival. CHAPTER FORTY THREE. As I saw the two attendants waiting there, and by the light of a lamp caught sight of a glittering uniform wonderfully like my ideas as given to the rajah in conversation, I felt as if I must retreat and go back to the other tent and announce my determination, but I had several thoughts to combat now--shame and inclination among others, for I felt as if I could go back to the rajah and argue with him again; and I tried to convince myself that wearing the clothes spread out before me need make no difference. I should no doubt be armed, and that would help me in my escape; besides, he had promised me that I should go with him only as a friend. To sum up, I was compelled to own that resistance was out of the question, and I had better appear before these people dressed in a way worthy of a British officer than reduced to the slight, well-worn shirt and trousers I had persisted in wearing all through my sojourn in the tent.