reviously, there was now only a dull void in their brains as in their
hearts.

"Au revoir, to-morrow." That was all that passed between them. Then, as
soon as they had conducted him into the room assigned to him, Heideck
threw himself down, as he was, upon the tiles of the floor, and fell
instantaneously into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The glorious Indian sun, which shone through the round opening in the
ceiling down upon his face, woke him the next morning.

His limbs were stiff from his uncomfortable couch, but the short sleep
had invigorated him, and his nerves had completely regained their old
freshness and vigour.

His room-mates must have been taken away early to some other place, for
he found himself quite alone in the lofty room which was only lighted by
the window in the ceiling. The rays of the sun fell opposite to him
upon a tomb of the purest, whitest, marble quite covered with illegible
hieroglyphics. Whilst he was still engaged in looking at the apparently
ancient memorial tablet, he heard suddenly behind him the light rustling
of a woman's dress, and when he turned round he gazed with pleasurable
surprise into Edith Irwin's pale, fair face.

"How delighted I am to find you still here," she said with a happy
expression. "I was afraid that you had been taken away with the other
prisoners."

"As it seems, it was out of consideration for my well-deserved slumber,"
he replied, with a slight trace of humour. But then, remembering the
terrible seriousness of the situation, he continued in altered and
hearty tones--

"How have you passed the night, Mrs. Irwin? It appears to me as if
all that I have gone through since my return to Lahore has only been a
dream."

With a painful quiver of the lips she shook her head.

"Unfortunately, there is no room for doubt that it has been hideous
reality. Poor, poor Mrs. Baird! One must almost consider it a happy
dispensation of Providence that her husband did not live to see the
terrible fate of his family."

"What, have you news from the field of battle? Do you then know that the
Colonel is dead?"

Edith nodded.

"The Colonel is dead; my husband is dead; Captain McGregor, and many of
my friends from Chanidigot, have been left on the field."

She said it calmly; but he read in her eyes the deep sadness of her
soul.

Much affected by her heroic strength of character, he bent his head
and kissed her hand. She let him have his way for a moment, but then
withdre