Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-28
CHAPTER XV-Continued.


ne have commanded them. If he had
found no argument wherewith to per-
suade Salig Singh@ he found none where
with to refute the claim of this golden
faced woman who recognized him for her
husband. He was wholly dismayed and
aghast. But while he fingered in indie
ctsion, staring in the woman's face. her
look of petulance was replaced by one of
divine forgiveness and compassion. And
she gave him no time to think or to avoid
her: in twinllling she had thrown her
self upon him again, was in his arms and
crushing her lips upon his.
Nay. she murmured. ''but l did wrong
thee, Beloved. Perchance. she told him
archly, thou didst not think to see me
so soon, or in this garden? Perchance
surprise hath robbed thee of thy wits
and thy tongue as well, Q. wordless one?
Or thou art overcome with JOY, as l am
overcome and smitten dumb by it. as
am not? Aho, Lalji. was ever a woman
at loss for words to voice her happi-
ne.z? And nesting to him she laughed
quietly. with note as tender and sweet
as the cooling of a wood dove to it's mate
Nay. but there is a mistake He re-
covered the power of speech tardily, and
would have put her from him, but she
held tight to him. Il am not thy hus-
band. nor yet Rajput. / come from
America, the far land where thy husband
died Nay. it doth pain me to hurt
;hee SO. Rance, but the mistake is not OF
my making. and it hath been carried too
Ear Thy husband died in my pres
ence---'
1T is So them she cut him short And
his were suddenly empty, to his
huge relief. Indeed they had warned
me that thou wouldst tell this story and
deny newly. l know not, unless it be
that thou art unworthy of thy lineage a
coward and weakling." Her small foot
stamped angrily and on every limb of her
round body bracelets and anklets clashed
and shimmered. And so thou hast re-
turned only to forswear me and thy king
dom, O, thou of little SPIRIT! The scar
let lips curled and the eyes grew cold
and hard with contempt. IF that be SO.
tell me. why hast thou returned at ali?
To die? For that thou must surely come
to. If it be in thy mind to defy the be-
hests of the Voice. thou king without
kingdom. = Why, then, art thou here,
rather than running to hide in some far
place. thinking to escape with thy worth
less ife.worthless even to thee, who art
too craven to make a mans use of it
from the Vengeance of the Bodyo
Dost think l am to be tricked and hood
winked--I. in whose heart thine image
hath been enshrined these many weary
vearS?"
Il neither think nor know, nor greatly
care, Rance Amber interposed, YEARLY.
Doubtless I deserve thine anger and
thy scorn, since / am not he who thou
youldst have me be. If death must be
ny portion for this offense, for that | re-
,emble Har Dyal Rutton . then it is
written that 1 am to die. My business
mere in Khandawar hath concern neither
with thee, nor with the state. nor yet
with the Gateway of Swords-of the very
and his mouth settled IN lines of unmis-
taxable resolve Il will go; nor do l
think that there be any here to stop me-
He wheeled about, prepared to fight his
way, out of tie palace, if need be. In
deed, it was in his mind that a death
there were as easy as one an hour after
sunrise. for he had little doubt but that
he was to die If he remained obdurate,
and the hospitality of the Rajput would
cease to protect him the moment he set
foot upon the marble bund of his bunga-
low.
But the woman sprang after him and
caught his arm. ''Of thy pity" she beg
ged. breathlessly, hold for a space until
| have taken thought. Thou knowest
that if what thou hast told me be the
truth. then am I widow before my time
widowed and doomed!
"Doomed?"
"Aye.' And there was real terror in
her eyes and voice. Doomed to sati
For. since I am widow-since thou dost
maintain thou art not my husband-then
my face hath been looked upon by a man
not of mine own people. and / am dis
honored. Fire alone can cleanse me of
by flannel
Good God, you don't mean that! Sure
ly that custom has perished''
Thou shoudst know that 1t dieth not.
What to us women in whose bodies runs
the blood of royalty is an edict ef your
English government? What, the Sirkar
Itself to us in khandawar?" She laughed
bitterly. Il am Rohilla, a daughter of
kings-my dishonor may be purged only
by flame. Are. that I should live to
met with such fate--I. Naraini. to perish
in the flower of my beauty. For l
am beautiful. am l not?" She dropped
the veil which instinctiyely she had
caught across her face. and met his gaze
with childish coquetry, torn though She
seemed to be by fear and disappointment.
Thou art assuredly most beautiful.
Rance" Amber told her. with a break in
his voice. very compassionate. And he
spoke simple truth. 'Of thy kind there
is none more lovely in the world -
There was tenderness then in your
tone, my lord!' she caught him up quick
ly. us there no mercy in thy heart for
me? - Who is this woman across the
seas who hath won thy love? Aye,
even that / know-that thou dost love
this fair daughter of the English. Ddst
thou not lose the picture of her that was
taken with the magic box of the sahibs?
: " Is 1t for her sake that thou dost
deny me, Q. my husband? Is she more
fair than I. are her lips more sweet?''
Il am not thy husband he declared.
vehemently, appalled, by her reversion to
that delusion. IT'LL this hour / have
never seen thee, nor is the sahtba of any
concern to thee. Let me go, please"
But she had him fast md he could not
have shaken her off but with violence.
He had been a strong man indeed who
had not been melted to tenderness by her
beauty and her distress. She lifted her
glorious face to him. pleading, insistent,
and played upon him with her voice of
gold. Yet moment gone thou didst
tell me was greatly gifted with beauty.
king? Canst thou look upon this poor
beauty and hear me tell thee of my love
and indeed l am altogether thine. Laiji.
and harden thy heart against me?
What though it be as thou hast said?
What though thou art of a truth not of
the house OF Rutton, nor Yet a Rajput?
Let us say that this is SO, however hard
it be to credit-even SO, am / not reward
enough for thy renunciation?'
Il know rot thy meaning, Rance, /"
Come. then. and l will show thee, my
king. Come thou with me. Nay,
why shouldst thou falter? There is
naught for thee to fear-save me-" She
tugged at his hand and laughed low, in a
voice that sang like smitten glasses.
Come. Beloved
Unwilling!y. he humored her. This
could not last long. The woman half
led, half dragged him to the northern
boundary Of the garden, where they en-
tered little turret builded out from the
walls over an abyss fully three hundred
the verge of the parapet. with naught
but foot-high coping between her and
the frightfu fall. utterly fearless and I'M
utterably lovely, Naraini flung out a |
bare. jeweled arm in an eloquent gesture. |
See. my king she cried, her voice