Some men were bringing in a large cauldron of rice. The sentries offered no opposition to her passing out, as the officer with the palanquin had told them that a lady of the Rajah’s zenana would leave shortly. A similar message had been given to the officer at the main gate, who, however, requested to see her hand and arm to satisfy him that all was right. This was sufficient to assure him that it was not a white woman passing out in disguise, and Rabda at once proceeded to her father’s house. As she expected, he and Bathurst were away, for she had arranged to meet them at eight o’clock in the garden. They did not return until eleven, having waited two hours for her, and returning home in much anxiety at her non-appearance. “What has happened? Why did you not meet us, Rabda?” her father exclaimed, as he entered. Rabda rapidly repeated the incidents that had happened since she had parted from him the evening before, and handed to Bathurst the two notes she had received from Isobel. “Then she is in safety with the others!” he exclaimed in delight. “Thank God for that, and thank you, Rabda, indeed, for what you have done.” “My life is my lord’s,” the girl said quietly. “What I have done is nothing.” “If we had but known, Rujub, that she would be moved at once, we might have rescued her on the way.” Rujub shook his head. “There are far too many people along the road, sahib; it could not have been done. But, of course, there was no knowing that she would be sent off directly after the Nana had seen her.” “Is she much disfigured, Rabda?” Bathurst asked. “Dreadfully;” the girl said sorrowfully. “The acid must have been too strong.” “It was strong, no doubt,” Bathurst said; “but if she had put it on as I instructed her it could only have burnt the surface of the skin.” “It has burnt her dreadfully, sahib; even I should hardly have known her. She must be brave indeed to have done it. She must have suffered dreadfully; but I obtained some ointment for her, and she was better when I left her. She is with the wife of the Sahib Hunter.” “Now, Rabda, see if the meal is prepared,” Rujub said. “We are both hungry, and you can have eaten nothing this morning.” He then left the room, leaving Bathurst to read the letters which he still held in his hand, feeling that they were too precious to be looked at until he was alone. It was some time before Rabda brought in his breakfast, and, glancing at him, she saw how deeply he had been moved by the letters. She went up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “We will get her for you, sahib. We have been successful so far, be assured that we shall succeed again. What we have done is more difficult than what we have to do. It is easier to get twenty prisoners from a jail than one from a rajah’s zenana.” “That is true enough, Rabda. At the moment I was not thinking of that, but of other things.”