She faced the ready weapons defiantly, but Sher Singh, who had been sitting drooping upon the edge of the palanquin, apparently too weak either to defend himself or to interfere to prevent a massacre, now summoned strength again and interposed. "The army has spoken truth," he said. "I am Rajah, grievous as is the cause that brings me to the _gaddi_, and evil as shall be the fate of the murderers of my brother. Against Jirad Sahib I bear no malice for his doubts of me, for he has been led astray by the bitter tongue of a woman crazed with grief. She demands vengeance; I will be her avenger, as is fitting, since my father was her husband. In my house she will receive due honour as his widow, and it will fare ill with any man who speaks of shame in connection with this day. Let her Highness be conducted back to her elephant and carried into the fort, where a suitable reception awaits her." "Not unless she wills it," said Gerrard firmly. "Where does your Highness choose to dwell?" he asked of the Rani, who stood waiting impassively. "I have no desire to live save for vengeance, but my life would last but an hour or two within those walls," she said calmly. "Where would your Highness prefer to go?" "I would fain entrust my son's ashes to Mother Ganga, and visit Kashi in pilgrimage. That is my desire." "It shall be done. Will your Highness permit Lieutenant Charteris to escort you to Ranjitgarh?" He looked round for Charteris, intending to present him, but he had slipped away a moment before. "At Ranjitgarh the Resident will charge himself with your safety." "What Jirad Sahib suggests is impossible," said Sher Singh with determination. "My _izzat_"--a convenient term, covering most things from self-esteem to family honour--"would be destroyed if my father's wife wandered away from my house." "The choice lies with her Highness," said Gerrard. "Let her servants decide whether they will serve her or Sher Singh Rajah." The Rajputs stepped over to their mistress's side at once, and so did Rukn-ud-din and most of his troopers, but some even of these who had accompanied the Rani from Agpur preferred to worship the riding [Transcriber's note: rising?] sun. Sher Singh smiled unpleasantly. "Since I am so many, and he so few, Jirad Sahib will not force me to defend my _izzat_ with the sword?" "I begin to think that it needs a good deal of defending," said Gerrard meaningly, "but that will not be done by attacking me. I shall attend the Rani Sahiba to Ranjitgarh myself." [1] Starving oneself to force a debtor to pay. [2] Fixture. CHAPTER XII. THE ONE WHO WAS TAKEN. "Have you cleared out a tent for the Rani, Bob? I was going to ask you to do it, but when I looked for you, you had disappeared." "Yes, she and her women are safely secluded. But what I really made myself scarce for was to secure the guns." "Old boy, you are a genius! They won't dare to try and stop us now."