"It is useless," he said at last. "A lost cause."

I sat frowning and thinking that he did not understand Englishmen yet,
or he would not talk of our cause being lost.

"Well," he said at last, "I am very glad to see you getting so strong.
In another fortnight you will be well enough to come back to the city."

"What city?" I asked.

"Mine. To my palace," he replied proudly; but he turned off his haughty
manner directly, and continued. "I have had rooms set apart for you,
and a certain number of servants, so that you will be quite free, and
not dependent upon me."

"Free!" I cried, catching that one word; it had such a delightful ring.
"Then you will let me go as soon as I have visited you at your palace."

"To be cut down--slain, after I have taken such pains to save your
life?" he said, with a smile.

"Oh, I am very grateful for all that," I cried hastily; "but you must
feel that even if they are unfortunate, my place is with my own people."

"No," he said quietly, as he went on smoking and gazing straight away at
the densely foliaged trees. "I cannot feel that. For I know that it
would be folly for you to return to meet your death. It would be
impossible for you to get across the plains to the nearest place where
your people are trying to hold out. Even if you could get there, the
army besieging them would take you, and no one there could save your
life."

"Let me try," I said.

He shook his head.

"It would be madness. If I let you have your horse now, you would try
some such folly."

"You call it a folly," I replied. "I call it my duty."

"To rush on your death? Look here, my friend; why do you want to get
back? To take up your old position as a junior officer?"

"Yes, of course!"

"I thought so," he said, with animation, and his eyes flashed as he went
on. "You are young and ardent. You wish to rise and become the chief
of a troop of artillery?"

"Of course," I said.

"And some day a general, to command others?"

"I hope so--a long way ahead," I replied, smiling.

"Of course. I knew it," he said, as he let fall the tube of his pipe,
and grasped my arm. "It would be long years before you could command a
troop?"

"Oh yes--long, long years."

"And you would be quite an old man before you became a general?"

"Perhaps never," I said, wondering at his eagerness, and yet feeling
something akin to a suspicion of his aim.

"Then why wish to go?" he said, with a smile.

"Wh