an
awful whisper. Gerrard fell in with the humour of the occasion.

"And of course you swore that I had none?"

Somwar Mal hung his head. "Alas, sahib! your honour bade me tell him
the truth."

"You are right, Munshi-ji. Truth is great, and shall prevail. And
which of my hidden faults have you discovered to the eyes of the world?"

"Sahib, your honour's credit is safe in the hands of your slave. He
bade the youth name one after the other such things as have brought to
ruin many wise men, and then assured him that not one of all these had
ever touched your honour. But of that one thing which he has
observed----"

"This becomes interesting," said Gerrard. "Speak."

"Nay, sahib, it is for this slave to lay the hand of respect upon the
mouth of discretion."

"Not when the mouth of command issues an order. Say on."

"If it is an order, sahib----?" An inexorable nod answered him, and he
went on. "Sahib, it has sometimes seemed to the humblest of your
servants, who asks forgiveness for presuming to raise his eyes above
your feet, that your honour was more occupied in seeking the right way
to do a thing than in doing at once what required doing."

"Lack of decision? I see, and you told the youth this?"

Grieved surprise was in Somwar Mal's tone. "I, sahib? I told him that
the besetting sin of the Protector of the Poor was a hasty judgment in
sometimes acting without thought!"

"Oh, go away, you old humbug!" shouted Gerrard violently, and Somwar
Mal retired proudly smiling, while his employer laughed undisturbed.

"Whether it is due to Soomwar Mull's original notions of truth, or to
old Pertaub Sing's own favourable impressions, it seems to be certain
that I have _made a conquest_!" he wrote to Charteris the next evening.
"I have given up attempting to unravel the Rajah's motives in visiting
me incog., and will only hint that if I were told the whole thing was
_got up_ with a view to burking the momentous question who should pay
the first call I should not be surprised. Do you _twig_? Pertaub Sing
has visited my camp, which is one to me; but the visit was not
official, and that's one to him. In any case, I thought I should be
carrying out Antony's wishes if I paid an official visit to-day, which
I did, and was entertained regardless of expense, garlands, ottar,
_paun_ and all. The old boy is a _regular brick_, for--now grow green
with envy--he has invited me to go a-hunting with him to-morrow.