“Not quite at once. We must stick on until they send up a man to replace me, and carry out the new policy. The worst of it will be that Ashraf Ali will know why I am resigning, and unless I can get him to keep quiet, he will think himself free to break the treaty before our side does. If Bahram Khan once gets to know what’s on hand, it’s all up, for nothing will persuade the Sardars that we are not repudiating the treaty as the first step to an invasion and the annexation of Nalapur, and he will be there to lead them, if the Amir won’t. I hope to goodness that Burgrave will have removed the light of his countenance from us before then, but I suppose that’s sure to be all right. He would hardly like to look as if he was hounding his intended brother-in-law out of the province. Unfortunately it’s pretty certain that rumours of my impending departure will begin to get about in some mysterious manner as soon as his unfavourable report goes up, for his plans seem doomed to leak out into the bazaar. I’m inclined to think he has a spy about him somewhere. By-the-bye, Georgie, who is the sweetseller you’ve allowed to hang about the place lately?” “I, Dick? He told me you had said he might come.” “Something fishy there, evidently. But he must have an accomplice inside.” “One of the Commissioner’s Hindu clerks, perhaps.” “Possibly. Well, we’ll deal with him to-morrow.” CHAPTER XI. BEHIND THE CURTAIN. As soon as Dick awoke in the morning, his talk with Georgia recurred to his mind, and looking out of his dressing-room window, he called to Ismail Bakhsh, whom he saw in the compound. From his long connection with the family, the old soldier was regarded as the head of the household staff. “Has that sweetseller turned up yet, Ismail Bakhsh?” “No, sahib, I have not seen him this morning.” “Well, when he does, you can detain him. I want to ask him a question or two.” “The thing is done, sahib. If the protector of the poor would listen to a word from this unworthy one----” “Yes; what is it?” “It was in my mind yesterday, sahib, to examine all the verandahs, lest the storm should have shaken the pillars, and in so doing I found that the work of the rats under the floors has been great and very evil. Surely there are many places in which the planks are loose and easy to be moved, but on this side of the house it is the worst. Before the Kumpsioner Sahib’s rooms a man might even squeeze himself in and hide under the verandah floor.” “We shall never get rid of the rats until we have proper cement floors--and it’s no good thinking of that now,” added Dick, half to himself. “But are you sure there’s nothing worse than rats about, Ismail Bakhsh? I don’t like the idea of that hole.” “I also suspected evil, sahib, but having sent two of the servants’ sons in with lights, I was content when they found nothing.” “I hope you nailed the boards firmly into their places?”