d.

Mrs. Rice took complete possession of him as soon as he was introduced to
her, insisted on his sitting beside her at lunch and monopolised him after
it. Noreen, rather to her own surprise, felt a little indignant at the calm
appropriation of her new friend by the older woman, and a faint resentment
against Dermot for acquiescing in it. She was a little hurt, too, at his
ignoring her.

But the soldier had not come there to talk to ladies. He soon managed to
escape from Mrs. Rice's clutches in order to have a serious talk with his
old friend Payne, which resulted in the latter adroitly gathering the older
and more dependable men together outside the building on the pretext of
inspecting the future polo ground. In reality it was to afford Dermot an
opportunity of disclosing to them as much of the impending peril of
invasion as he judged wise. The planters would be the first to suffer in
such an event. He wanted to put them on their guard and enlist their help
in the detection of a treacherous correspondence between external and
internal foes. This they readily promised, and they undertook to watch the
Bengalis among their coolies.

The Dalehams and their guest did not reach Malpura until after sundown, and
Dermot was persuaded to remain another night under their roof.

On the following morning the brother and sister rode out with him to the
scene of Noreen's adventure. He was on foot and was accompanied by two
coolies carrying his elephant's pad. The girl was not surprised, although
Fred Daleham was, at Badshah's appearance from the forest in response to a
whistle from his master. And when, after a friendly farewell, man and
animal disappeared in the jungle, Noreen was conscious of the fact that
they had left a little ache in her heart.

CHAPTER VII

IN THE RAJAH'S PALACE

A rambling, many-storied building, a jumbled mass of no particular design
or style of architecture, with blue-washed walls and close-latticed
windows, an insanitary rabbit-warren of intricate passages, unexpected
courtyards, hidden gardens, and crazy tenements kennelling a small army of
servants, retainers, and indefinable hangers-on--such was the palace of the
Rajah of Lalpuri. Here and there, by carved doors or iron-studded gates
half off their hinges, lounged purposeless sentries, barefooted, clad in
old and dirty red coatees, white cross-belts and ragged blue trousers. They
leant on rusty, muzzle-loading muskets purchased from "John