"I'll be candid with you, Miss Daleham, and tell you that if I could I would. For it's my duty to go on and report. But I'm stranded without my elephant, and even if I had him it wouldn't be much good unless I had Payne's car. And what has happened here must have happened on the other gardens. Without the motor I'd be too late with my news. So I'll stay here and take my chance." Then he laughed and added: "But cheer up; we're not dead yet. If only I'd Badshah I'd take you both up on him and we'd break through the whole Chinese Army." The girl shook her head. "We couldn't go. We couldn't leave those poor women and children and the servants." "I forgot them. No; you're right. Well, I haven't lost all hope. I have great faith in old Badshah. I shouldn't be surprised if he got us out of this scrape, as he did before." "Oh, I forgot him. I believe he'll help us still," cried the girl. "Where did you leave him?" "He left me. He's quite able to take care of himself," replied Dermot grimly. "Now, Daleham, please take me round the house and show me the defences; and we'll arrange about the roster of sentry-duty with the servants. Please excuse me, Miss Daleham." Through the weary night the two men, when not taking their turn on guard, sat and talked with Noreen in the drawing-room. For the girl refused to go to bed and, only to content them, lay back on a settee. When she and Dermot were left alone she sighed and said: "Ah, my beautiful forest! I must say good-bye to it. How I have enjoyed the happy days in it." "Some of them were too exciting to be pleasant," he replied smiling. "But the others made up for them. I like to think of you in the forest best," she said dreamily. "We were real friends there." "And elsewhere, I hope." "No. In Darjeeling you didn't like me." "I did. Tonight I can be frank and tell you that I was glad to go to it because you were there." She looked at him wonderingly. "But you wouldn't take any notice of me there," she said. "No. I was told that you were engaged, or practically engaged, to Charlesworth, and disliked any one else taking up your time." She sat up indignantly. "To Captain Charlesworth? How absurd! I suppose I've Ida to thank for that. I wouldn't have married him for anything." "Is that so? What a game of cross-purposes life is! But that's why I didn't try to speak to you much." "Did you want to? I thought you disliked me. And it hurt me so much. Do you know, I used to cry about it sometimes. I wanted you to be my friend." He walked over to her settee. "Noreen, dear, I wanted to be your friend and you to be mine," he said, looking down at her. "I liked you so much. At least, I thought I liked you." "And--and don't you?" she asked, looking up at him. He knelt beside her. "No, little friend, I don't like you. Because I--" He paused. "What?" she whispered faintly. "I love you, dear. Do you think it absurd?"