the next moment at Murray, as if to apologise for having
listened to the prince's words, while the Englishman bit his lip till it
bled.

Meanwhile the attendants glided about silently, plying each of the
guests with wine, fruits, and sweets, to all of which Frank helped
himself liberally; and the guards and attendants, dimly-seen in the
feebly-lit place, looked like so many statues cast in bronze.

"I say," whispered Frank, as he cut open a mangosteen, "do you notice
anything?"

"Yes. Uncle looks horribly cross. He can't bear to be ordered about."

"S'pose not. No man does. But I say, don't you notice anything else?"

"No."

"Well, I do. Strikes me we are going to have a storm."

"Are we? Well, I want to look at the lightning."

"Nonsense! I mean a row. My father looks as if he had been getting
into trouble with the rajah, and the ladies are all on the fidget. So's
the doctor. I can't make it out."

"I fancied they looked as if they were not enjoying themselves."

"So did I, but then I wasn't sure, and it was such a beautiful supper,
and I did enjoy it so. You did pretty well."

"Yes," said Ned, "I liked it."

"I know," whispered Frank; "they think it's time to get up and go to the
drawing-room, and leave us gentlemen to our coffee and cigars, and there
is no drawing-room that they can go to, and they daren't get up for fear
of offending the grand panjandrum."

Just then the rajah, clapped his hands, and coffee was brought in,
another attendant bearing a tray with some clumsy-looking cigarettes,
and others bringing great pipes with water receptacles, and charcoal
pans to supply lights.

The men bore pipes to the doctor and Mr Braine, and then to Murray, who
took one of the clumsy-looking cigarettes, formed by so much tobacco
crammed into the dry sheaths of a peculiar palm. Then the attendant
came on to where the two lads were seated together, and offered them
pipes.

"Go on, you ugly brown-nosed animal," said Frank; "what would they say
if I tried to smoke?" Then, uttering a negative in the man's tongue, he
let him pass on.

"Wasn't it tempting, Ned?" whispered the boy. "Offering a pipe to us
like that. I don't see why we should not have a try. Pass those
sweets, and let's have some more of that lemonady stuff. I want a
durian, too, and I don't see any. Wonder whether old Pan would mind if
I asked for one."

Just then the Tumongong came to where they were seated, and with a grave