long-delayed relaxation beguiled the extremities of
his mouth, the grim lips had relaxed their ugly partnership, and his
entire figure seemed upon the verge of collapse.

Raikes was listening as never before.

The clink of coin, the dry rattle and abrasion of brilliants, the rustle
of bank notes could not have fascinated him more than the even,
somnolent modulations of the speaker.

Every word found easy lodgment in his consciousness. There was not a
sound or motion to divert, and the tale was a strange one.

* * * * *

"Ram Lal," said the Sepoy, "was a native merchant, trading between
Meerut and Delhi, who decided to sacrifice the dear considerations of
caste for the grosser conditions of gain.

"From the performance of mean and illy-rewarded services to his patron,
Prince Otondo, Ram Lal had developed, with the characteristic patience
and dangerous silence of the true Oriental, to a figure of some
importance, whom it was a satisfaction for the prince to contemplate
with a view to future exaction and levy as occasion demanded.

"His royal master resided in the Kutub, a palace situated not far from
Delhi on the road to Meerut.

"This pretentious edifice, which had been established in the thirteenth
century and which still presented, in some of its unrepaired portions,
curious features of the bizarre architecture of that period, had been
the dwelling place of a long line of ancient moghuls.

"Its present incumbent, however, regarded with indifference the ravages
of time and decay, and satisfied himself with the lavish furnishing of
that considerable portion of the palace which he occupied with his dusky
retainers.

"To be at charges for all this the princely revenues had been seriously
depleted.

"Since he could not look to decrepit relatives in Delhi for further
allowances, and as the British Government proved equally obdurate, the
prince found it necessary to calculate upon all possible sources of
income.

"In such speculations, therefore, the unhappy Ram Lal became an object
of logical interest.

"Up to the present the merchant had been undisturbed in the security of
his possessions, which were suspected to be enormous.

"His royal patron had contented himself with the avarice of calculation,
and, in order that his depredations might be worthy his proposed
brigandage, he provided Ram Lal with every opportunity to develop his
hoard to a respectable figure.