Evening star., 1911-05-25

necessity an unforgivable opponent. The
more the men laughed at her quick and
occasionally rather pointed observations
the more an obvious admiration shone out
OF their criticisms, the more determined
the hatred became. Among themselves
they had already fulfilled Travers' proph-
ecy and had christened her 1.-The adven-
turess' for no other reason than that she
was a woman with the same ambitions
as themselves, but better accoutered for
success. Truly. she had made no bid for
their favor. choosing to stand alone and
without their support: but even had she
done SO it would have been useless. She
wore an enemy's color in her face. and
keen, pitiless eyes had already probed
into the innermost depths Of her plans
and found them dangerous.
In the middle of the dinner the colonel
broke the news that the whole of the
English community had been invited by
the rajah to reception in the palace
grounds. He made the announcement
with evident reluctance, and Beatrice was
her. stiffened and frowned. The sense Of
opposition and disapprOval on the part Of
the man whom she had set out to con-
quer put her on her metal, and with the
verve and sang froid of woman too
sure of her own power to know fear she
related her adventure in the temple Her
hearers listened, according to their SEX
with amusement. curiosity and pious hor-
ror. Some were unreservedly delighted,
others-such as the colonel and Stafford
struggled between a certain admiration
for her and a decided disapproval Of her
action and Its results. Yet Stafford, at
least, was a soldier before he was a
conventionalist, and her bold. well played
comedy in the Temple Of Vishnu, told
simply, but with fire and energy. could
not fail to stir to flame the embers of his
own daring. From that time he ceased
to rivet his attention to the other end OF
81
Beatrice was conscious that she had won
the first move in the great game which
she had set herself to play.
The next day the whole station was
made aware of the startling change in
the rajah's attitude and the means by
which 1t had been brought about, but no
one, not even those who were disposed to
judge the matter in its most serious light
guessed what passed within the palace
previous to the sending out OF the now
famous invitation. For the greater part
OF the English community the whole
thing was rather q bad joke. with the
rajah for its victim. That pretty woman
should have unbarred the gates which no
other force, diplomacy or cunning, had
been able to stir was a matter for light
somewhat contemptuous laughter. RaJah
Nehal Singh was nicknamed the impress
sionable Swain. He and Beatrice Cary
were linked together either in good
natured chaff or malicious earnest and
curiosity. thanks to the dullness OF the
season. strained itself in expectation.
Thus. beyond the marble gates the
world laughed. and inside life and death
| had faced each other and for q moment
hung in the balance
1t was toward the coof OF the evening.
Behar Asor and the prince paced slowly
backward and forward in the chief en-
| trance hall Of the palace. plunged In q
conversation which was to mark q final
stage in their relationship toward each
other. Both knew It, and ON both faces
was written the same determinations
| determination curiously tempered and
nodded by the character OF the man him
| self. On Behar Asor's furrowed, with
| cred face it was resolve, armed with
| treachery and all the hundred and one
weapons OF oriental cunning. Nehal
Singh's head was lifted in calm, un-