ier turned and walked deliberately to where Noreen was sitting, now
suffering from the reaction from her anger and frightened at the memory of
her boldness.

The other men got up one by one and went to the bar, from which the hen
pecked Rice was peremptorily called by his angry wife and ordered to drive
her home.

After the Dalehams had returned to their bungalow the girl told her brother
of what had happened at the club. He was exceedingly angry and agreed that
it would be wiser for her to keep Chunerbutty at a distance in future. And
later on he had no objection to her inviting Dermot to pay them a flying
visit when he was again in their neighbourhood. For the incident at the
club had brought about a resumption of the old friendly relations between
Noreen and Dermot, who occasionally invited her to accompany him on Badshah
for a short excursion into the forest, much to her delight. She confided to
him the offer of the necklace and learned in return his belief that the
Rajah was the instigator of the attempt to carry her off. When her brother
heard of this and of Chunerbutty's action in the matter of the jewels he
was so enraged that he quarrelled for the first time with his Hindu friend.

* * * * *

Dermot was kept informed of whatever happened in Lalpuri by the repentant
Rama through the medium of Barclay. For the Deputy Superintendent had been
appointed to a special and important post in the Secret Police and told off
to watch the conspiracy in Bengal. This he owed to a strong recommendation
from Dermot to the Head of the Department in Simla. Rama proved invaluable.
Through him they learned of the despatch of an important Brahmin messenger
and intermediary from the Palace to Bhutan, by way of Malpura, where he was
to visit some of his caste-fellows on Parry's garden. The information
reached Dermot too late to enable him to seize the man on the tea-estate.
So he hurried to the border to intercept the messenger before he crossed
it. But here, too, he was unsuccessful. Certain that the Brahmin had not
slipped through the meshes of the net formed by his secret service of
subsidised Bhuttias, Dermot returned to the jungle to make search for him
along the way. But all to no avail, much to his chagrin; for he had reason
to hope that he would find on the emissary proof enough of the treason of
the rulers of Lalpuri to hang them. He went back to Malpura to prosecute
enquiries.

To console h