to do, and had done nothing, he had
only contempt. But the important matter was, how to convey information
of these designs to Hodson Sahib? The gates of the city had long been
shut; to pass out by one of them would be impossible. Should he go to
Fazl Hak and ask his advice? He dismissed that idea at once; he would do
without Fazl Hak; the maulavi should learn that he was not
indispensable. He must trust to his own wits. First of all he had to get
safely from the house, and that might prove difficult and dangerous
enough. He was a prisoner under the divan until the meeting broke up;
when the visitors had gone the door would be bolted; Ahmed began to feel
alarmed lest he should have to remain all night in the house, and be
prevented from giving the sahibs warning.

Some time elapsed before the three officers rose to depart. Minghal Khan
accompanied them to the door; Ahmed heard the bolts shot, the voice of
Minghal giving the servants orders for the morning, then the shuffling
of his feet as he ascended the staircase and passed along the passage to
his bedroom. Presently the khansaman came in, lifted the remains of the
repast from the table, put out the light, and went away. Ahmed lifted
the edge of the flounce to watch him. From his position he could see
across the landing, through the door which the khansaman had left open,
into the opposite room, where a lamp still burned. He saw the khansaman
cross the room with the tray in his hand and set it down on one of the
shelves of the almirah. Then a strange thing happened. The khansaman
pushed aside a panel in the back of the almirah where there were no
shelves, and the wall behind opened inwards, as of itself. He went into
the hole, turned round and replaced the panel, and was shut from view.

What did this mean? What was the explanation of the stealthy, furtive
manner in which the khansaman had acted? Ahmed would have liked to
follow him; it crossed his mind that the man might have a secret hoard
of valuables belonging to his late master; but the urgency of his duty
to Hodson Sahib forbade any delay. He was in a quandary. How was he to
get out of the house? He had heard the bolt of the front door shot; it
was too much to hope that he could descend the stairs, draw back the
bolt, and open the door without attracting the attention of the darwan,
whose shed was close by, and who might not yet be asleep. There was no
doubt a back entrance; could he discover that without making