Early the following morning after this arrangement had been made, Jeipal was admitted into Ray Ruttun Sein’s cell. It was a small square apartment, extremely low and ill-ventilated, having no aperture but the doorway, which was secured by strong bars crossing the entrance on either side of the wall, about four inches apart. These bars were inserted into iron sockets, so constructed that the bolts could only be removed from the outside when entrance or egress was to be obtained. As Jeipal reached the Rajah, the latter cried suddenly, “Are you from the King?” “Gently! Jeipal stands before you.” “Jeipal! how came you hither?” “We have but a short time for parley. I have obtained admission in the disguise of a Jew, and under pretence of purchasing your jewels. My object in coming hither is to apprise you of my being near, and to ascertain the cause of the king’s severity.” “He made me an offer of liberty if I would give him my daughter to grace his harem, but I rejected his proposal, perhaps too haughtily, and you behold the issue.” “We must be revenged” “How?” “I came not here to be an idle spectator of the Mahomedan’s tyranny. You may yet be free. His death would put an end to your captivity.” “But how can your single arm accomplish this, when he is surrounded by guards, and you are alone and unbefriended in this great city?” “An arrow may reach a man’s heart, although surrounded by ten thousand guards.” “Well I care not what you do, so long as you obtain my freedom. To me the means are indifferent. If all other means fail, the tyrant must have my daughter.” “Never!” At this moment the keeper of the prison perceiving Jeipal’s energy, and suspecting that something more than mere bargaining was passing between the captive and his visitor, came forward and reminded the latter that it was time to close their conference. Jeipal retired, but his soul was stung at what he had heard. The thought of his beloved Jaya being delivered up to a Mahomedan prince in order to become an inmate of his harem, almost maddened him. He rushed from the prison to the astonishment of the bewildered keeper, who now began, too late, to think that he had been imposed upon. Finding however that his prisoner was secure, he resolved to be more vigilant in future, and thus the chances of the Rajah’s escape were considerably diminished. The Jew never again appeared before his dupe. Jeipal saw that it was high time to adopt some measures to frustrate the king’s determination of obtaining possession of Ray Ruttun Sein’s daughter. It was evident that her father, already disgusted with his confinement, was prepared to yield to the sovereign’s commands, and this the lover was resolved if possible to frustrate. He would willingly have sacrificed his own life to save her from pollution; for he considered that even by becoming the wife of a Mahomedan sovereign, he would receive a moral stain which nothing but the death of the polluted and the polluter could wash out.