t once the distasteful alternative upon which it was based recurred to
him.

"A quick radiation illumined his mind, and subsided to darkness as
promptly.

"Ram Lal!

"It was he who had indicated the substitution. But the merchant could no
more enter the room in which the prince was seated at this moment than
the most abject menial in the palace.

"Still, the merchant had been able to predict the disaster.

"Some sort of association existed, but what it was, considered with the
impracticability of unobserved entrance and exit, was beyond his
comprehension.

"The incredible condition existed.

"In the light of its outrageous improbability, and the insuperable
obstacles in the way of its accomplishment, the prince found himself
compelled to dismiss every hypothesis.

"Still, he could subject Ram Lal to an investigation that would, at
least, extort a confession as to his ability to allude to the episode in
advance.

"In the meantime, with true Oriental craft, the prince determined to say
nothing of his loss, and present an impassive demeanor to those by whom
he was surrounded.

"With this purpose the prince proceeded to the apartment beyond, and was
about to strike the gong to summon the servant charged with the
preparation of his morning repast, when his attention was attracted to a
slip of folded paper fluttering from the edge of the table-top and held
in place by a diminutive bronze Buddha.

"With the weird certainty that this beckoning paper was another
unaccountable feature of the savage perplexity he was compelled to
endure, the prince, approaching, grasped the folded sheet with eager,
trembling hands and exposed its inner surface to his vivid glance.

"'Ah!' With a burning sensation about his eyes, a fever of harassed
impatience in his brain, and a sense of suffocation and impotent rage,
he read:

* * * * *

"'MOST ILLUSTRIOUS!

"'Unless Lal Lu is returned to her father by nightfall, another handful
of precious stones will be replaced by as many pebbles.

"'And this to warn thee:

"'The native troops at Meerut are in revolt.

"'They have shot the regimental officers, and have put to death every
European they could find.

"'They are now on their way to Delhi to proclaim Dahbur Dhu, thy
grandfather, sovereign of Hindustan.

"'The Moghul is old.

"'Thou art next in succession.'

* * * * *

"There was no sig