ou saw, by an accident. I
call that accident a favour, and an opportunity bestowed on me by Allah,
and the meeting has roused in me those feelings of thankfulness which,
for want of an object upon which to show them, have been put away out of
sight as a thing sacred for many years. I am willing you should say
that, were my present fortune less, my gratitude would be
proportionately less felt--it is very likely--though the original gift
remain the same, one rupee and no more. You are entitled to think of any
man as grateful in proportion to the gift, so long as you allow the
gratitude at all." He made this speech in a perfectly natural and
unconcerned way, as if he were contemplating the case of another person.

"Seriously, Isaacs, I would not do so for the world. I believe you were
as grateful twelve years ago, when you were poor, as you are now that
you are rich." Isaacs was silent, but a look of great gentleness crossed
his face. There was at times something almost angelic in the perfect
kindness of his eyes.

"To return," I said at last, "to the subject from which we started, the
tigers. If we are really going, we must leave here the day after
to-morrow morning--indeed, why not to-morrow?"

"No; to-morrow we are to play that game of polo, which I am looking
forward to with pleasure. Besides, it will take the men three days to
get the elephants together, and I only telegraphed this morning to the
collector of the district to make the arrangements."

"So you have already taken steps? Does Kildare know you have sent
orders?"

"Certainly. He came to me this morning at daybreak, and we determined to
arrange everything and take uncle Ghyrkins for granted. You need not
look astonished; Kildare and I are allies, and very good friends." What
a true Oriental! How wise and far-sighted was the Persian, how bold and
reckless the Irishman! It was odd, I thought, that Kildare had not
mentioned the interview with Isaacs. Yet there was a certain rough
delicacy--contradictory and impulsive--in his silence about this
coalition with his rival. We rode along and discussed the plans for the
expedition. All the men in the party, except Lord Steepleton, who had
not been long in India, had killed tigers before. There would be enough
of us, without asking any one else to join. The collector to whom Isaacs
had telegraphed was an old acquaintance of his, and would probably go
out for a few days with us. It all seemed easy enough and plain