plendidly brave throughout."

There was a short silence. Both men felt that the crux of the interview
was at hand; and each, in his way, was preparing himself for it.

"Well?" It was Cheniston who spoke first. "The night wore on, I suppose,
and you saw no hope of escape? But didn't you guess your absence would
be remarked upon?"

"Of course. And we hoped against hope that someone would remember the
Temple."

"They did--in the end?"

"Yes, and made all possible speed to reach it. But by that time we had
been taken away, there was no one to be seen, and of course all traces
of us had absolutely disappeared."

"Then how did they find you in the end?"

"The native servant who had talked of the wonders of the Temple to Miss
Ryder was aghast when he found what harm his talk had done. It seems she
had cured his little boy of some childish illness, and he simply
worshipped her in consequence. So he was wild to rescue her, and after
dispatching parties of searchers in every likely direction he suddenly
recollected hearing of some mysterious High Priest in a tiny village in
the hills, which was so securely hidden from observation that very few
people knew of its existence."

"Colonel Godfrey said he would never have reached it without the
guidance of some native," said Cheniston thoughtfully. "Would that be
the man himself?"

"Yes. It seemed his father had known the way and had told him in direst
secrecy how to reach the village; and when the officers were ready to
start he went with them, and by some stroke of luck hit the right road
at once, although the directions were fearfully complicated."

"If only you had known----"

"Do you think I don't say that to myself day after day?" Anstice's brow
was pearled with sweat. "If I had had the faintest idea there was any
chance of a rescue----"

"I know, I know!" The other man moved restlessly. "Good God, man, I'm
not condemning you"--Anstice flushed hotly--"I'm only saying what a
pitiful mistake the whole thing was ... the tragedy might have been
averted if only----"

"It's no use talking now." Anstice's tone was icy. "The thing's
happened, the mistake is made and can't be unmade. Only, if you think
_you_ could have let her fall into the hands of those fanatics--well, I
couldn't, that's all."

"She ... she asked you to ... to save her from that?" He hung on the
other man's answer as though his own life depended upon it.

"Yes. I shouldn't have ventured to shoot her