His face fell
suddenly. It was the silver box he had given her; was it possible she
had taken so much trouble to return it? He turned it over mournfully.

"You had better open it. There is probably something in it."

I never saw a more complete change in a man's face during a single
second than came over Isaacs' in that moment. He had not thought of
opening it, in his first disappointment at finding it returned. He
turned back the lid. Bound with a bit of narrow ribbon and pressed down
carefully, he found a heavy lock of gold-white hair, so fair that it
made everything around it seem dark--the grass, our clothes, and even
the white streamer that hung down from Isaacs' turban. It seemed to shed
a bright light, even in the broad noon-day, as it lay there in the
curiously wrought box--just as the body of some martyred saint found
jealously concealed in the dark corner of an ancient crypt, and broken
in upon by unsuspecting masons delving a king's grave, might throw up in
their dusky faces a dazzling halo of soft radiance--the glory of the
saint hovering lovingly by the body wherein the soul's sufferings were
perfected.

The moment Isaacs realised what it was, he turned away, his face all
gladness, and moved on a few steps with bent head, evidently
contemplating his new treasure. Then he snapped the spring, and putting
the casket in his vest turned round to me.

"Thank you, Griggs; how are they all?"

"It was worth a two-hundred mile ride to see your face when you opened
that box. They are pretty well. I left them swearing that the party was
broken up, and that they would all go back to Simla."

"The sooner the better. We shall be there in three days from here, by
the help of Ram Lal's wonderful post."

"Between you I managed to get here quite well. How did you do it? I
never missed a relay all the way from Julinder."

"Oh, it is very easy," answered Isaacs. "You could have a _dak_ to the
moon from India if you would pay for it; or any other thing in heaven or
earth or hell that you might fancy. Money, that is all. But, my dear
fellow, you have lost flesh sensibly since we parted. You take your
travelling hard."

"Where is Ram Lal?" I asked, curious to learn something of our movements
for the night.

"Oh, I don't know. He is probably somewhere about the place charming
cobras or arresting avalanches, or indulging in some of those playful
freaks he says he learned in Edinburgh. We have had a great good time
the l