“Well, the poor wretch was very useful to me, and I never had any reason to complain of him. Of course he’s done for himself now, but I’m glad I haven’t got to hunt him to earth. Why shouldn’t he get away if he can? Now, don’t look horror-struck and reproachful. It isn’t as if I had helped him off, even. He was gone long before I got there, and I left orders that he should be arrested at once if he showed his nose about the place. What more could I do? You women are so vindictive. You’re as bad as my uncle. He rode out to meet me with Colin, and his language was quite disgraceful when he heard the Mirza had decamped. I knew Colin would feel called upon to testify in another minute, so I told him to ride ahead with the escort, while I had it out with my respected relative.” “But I don’t understand. What made him so angry?” “Why, of course he wants the Mirza caught and punished, lest people should say he had employed him to trump up a false charge against Keeling. And so he turned regularly nasty to me, and said I had got him into a most unpleasant position, and in future I might go to the dogs in my own way, for he washed his hands of me. When he became offensive like that, I thought it was time to open his eyes a bit, and I did. I told him he had ruined my prospects here by coming and trying to make a tool of me to satisfy his grudge against the Chief, and I wasn’t going to be thrown aside now. It was all very well for him to fall into Keeling’s arms and swear eternal friendship; but if that friendship was to remain unbroken, my mouth would have to be shut. He had got me to bring charges against my commanding officer, promising me protection, and if I chose, I could show up a very pretty little conspiracy for getting Keeling out of the province----” “But surely”--gasped Penelope--“you believed in the charges yourself? and Mr Crayne too?” “Of course we did. It was the Mirza who played us false, but that has nothing to do with it. It’s my uncle’s business to cover the retreat of his own forces, and so I told him, and he swore he’d never lift a finger to save me from being hanged. So then I tried him with you. He’s taken rather a fancy to you, you know, and I gave him a hint last night how things were. So I told him I knew you’d never drop me, whatever happened, and asked him how he’d like to see you sticking to a disgraced man, and marrying him upon nothing but debts. Of course he said if you were such a silly fool as to do it you’d deserve what you got, but I could see he was a bit waked up. He cooled down by degrees, and at last we came to an agreement. He’s to put matters right with Keeling, so that I can stay on here for the present, and as soon as possible he’ll put me into an extra-regimental appointment of some kind. He may be able to get me sent as envoy to Gamara. What do you think of that?” “Gamara--that dreadful place? Oh no!”