be the Rajah's
ignorance, but it looks more like insolence."

She turned to go; but, stopping her, he said:

"Oh, but you don't understand. He's a great friend of mine and he knows
that I'm awfully fond of you, little girl. So he's ready to do anything for
us and give me a----"

She walked past him, her eyes blazing with anger, with so resolute an air
that he drew back and watched her go. She went straight to her room and
remained there until Ida came to tell her that it was time to dress for the
celebration of the Puja festival.

* * * * *

In the outer courtyard of the Palace six of the Rajah's State elephants,
their tusks gilded and foreheads gaudily painted, caparisoned with rich
velvet housings covered with heavy gold embroidery trailing almost to the
ground, bearing on their backs gold or silver howdahs fashioned in the
shape of temples, awaited the European guests. Chunerbutty, when allotting
positions as Master of Ceremonies, took advantage of his position to
contrive that Noreen should accompany him on the elephant on which he was
to lead the line. The girl discovered too late that they were to be alone
on it, except for the _mahout_ on its neck. Dermot and Barclay managed to
be together on another animal.

When all were in position in the howdahs, to which they climbed by ladders,
the gates were thrown open, and through a mob of salaaming retainers the
elephants emerged with stately tread on the great square in front of the
Palace and proceeded through the city. The houses were gaily decorated.
Flags and strips of coloured cloth fluttered from every building; gaudy
carpets and embroideries hung from the innumerable balconies and windows.
The elephants could scarcely force a passage through the narrow streets, so
crowded were they with swarms of men, women, and children in holiday
attire, all going in one direction. Their destination was the park of the
_Moti Mahal_ or Pearl Palace, the Rajah's summer residence outside the
walls of the city.

There the enormous crowd was kept back by red-robed retainers armed with
_tulwars_--native curved swords--leaving clear a wide stretch of open
ground, in the centre of which on a gigantic altar was the image of the
Goddess Kali. Before it a magnificent bull was firmly secured by chains and
ropes to stout posts sunk deep in the earth. The animal's head drooped and
it could hardly stand up, for it had been heavily drugged for the day's