used
much amusement to the lookers-on. Fortunately the girl's command of the
language, fairly good though it was, was insufficient to enable her to
understand their coarse jests. But their intention to insult her became
obvious. The leaping, howling mob of strangely apparelled performers
threatened to storm her balcony. Some climbed on each other's shoulders
to get nearer her, others even began to swarm up the pillars supporting
her balcony. To the delight of the audience the noisy mob eventually
clambered up to the railing of the balcony and, jesting, laughing,
uttering weird cries, perched on it and shouted and jeered at her.

Her face flaming, the girl drew back and was about to retire into her
room when suddenly she stopped, rigid with surprise. For above the
shouts of the maskers, the roars of the spectators and the din of the
clashing cymbals and braying trumpets, she heard her name spoken
distinctly. Incredulous she stood rooted to the ground and stared at the
yelling clowns perched on the railing. The uproar redoubled; but again
she distinguished one word above it all:

"Muriel!"

A wild hope flashed into her heart. Pretending to be amused at the
antics of the performers she advanced laughingly towards them. They
gesticulated and shouted more furiously than ever. But in the medley of
strange sounds she distinctly heard the words:

"It's I, Frank. Don't be afraid."

They seemed to come from the _papier mache_ head of a grotesque serpent
worn by a man who was foremost among her tormentors and wildest in his
frenzied gestures. Smiling the girl stood her ground even when some of
the maskers, encouraged by her attitude, climbed down from the rail and
surrounded her, dancing, hallooing, leaping. The snake-headed one was
the wildest in his antics and shrieked and shouted loudest of them all.
But mixed up with incoherent cries and sounds she caught the words:

"Are you guarded?" A wild yell followed. "Can you get out?" Then he
yelled like a mad jackal.

With wildly-beating heart the girl pretended to repulse the advances of
the maskers good-humouredly and spoke to all in English, telling them to
leave her balcony and cease to molest her. But with her laughing
remonstrances she mingled the words:

"I am not guarded. I can leave my room. I will go down to the temple and
wait behind the statue of Buddha."

Then the serpent-headed one, aided by another with dragon mask, both
uttering fiendish yells, pushed his co