could hear her regular breathing all
night long, the door between their rooms being open. Was it possible that
she and Dermot were acting indifference to deceive the people around them?

Only towards morning did Noreen fall into a troubled, broken sleep, and she
dreamt that the man she loved was in great danger. She woke up in a fright,
then dozed again. She was hollow-eyed and unrefreshed when a bare-footed
native "boy" knocked at her door and left a tray with her _chota hazri_ at
it. She could not eat, but she drank the tea thirstily.

Pleading fatigue she remained in her room all the morning and refused to go
down to _tiffin_. When the other guests were at lunch in the dining-hall a
message was brought her that Chunerbutty begged to see her urgently. She
went down to the lounge, where he was waiting. Struck by her want of
colour, he enquired somewhat tenderly what ailed her. She replied
impatiently that she was only fatigued by the previous day's journey, and
asked rather crossly why he wanted to see her.

"I have something nice for you," he said smiling. "Something I was to give
you."

Glancing around to make sure that they were unobserved, he opened a
sandalwood box that he held in his hand and took out a large, oval
leather case, which he offered to her.

"What is this?" she asked in surprise.

"Open it and see," he replied.

The girl did so unsuspectingly. It was lined with blue velvet, and resting
in it was a necklace of diamonds in quaint and massive gold setting,
evidently the work of a native jeweller. The stones, though badly cut, were
very large and flashed and sparkled with coloured fires. The ornament was
evidently extremely valuable. Noreen stared at it and then at Chunerbutty
in surprise.

"What does this mean?" she demanded, an ominous ring in her voice.

"Just a little present to you from a friend," replied the Hindu, evidently
thinking that the girl was pleased with the magnificent gift.

"For me? Are these stones real?" she asked quietly.

"Rather. Why, that necklace must be worth thousands of pounds. The fact is
that it's a little present from the Rajah, who admires you awfully. He----"

Noreen's eyes blazed, and she was on the point of bursting into angry
words; but, controlling herself with an effort, she thrust the case back
into his hands and said coldly:

"You know little of English women, Mr. Chunerbutty, if you think that they
accept presents like that from strangers. This may