artled Justine
Delande was awake long before the dawn, thinking only of the meeting of
the morning, her bosom heaving with its first questionable secret, but
Major Alan Hawke smiled as he leisurely breakfasted later, reading a
telegram just received. "On my way. Will come to private address. Send
servants to Allahabad to join me. Silence and discretion.--Lausanne."

CHAPTER V. A DIPLOMATIC TIFFIN.

Major Alan Hawke had designedly breakfasted in the stately seclusion of
his rooms, and as he came gravely sauntering into the Club ordinary, was
at once beset by a friendly chorus, as he carelessly glanced over the
morning letters which attested his progress toward the social zenith.
He, however, gazed impatiently at the club-house door, where a neat pair
of ponies awaited him, with servants deftly purveyed by the subtle Ram
Lal. His two body servants were also afrites of the same sly Aladdin.
His swelling port duly impressed his old friends.

The man "who had dropped into a good thing" gently put aside sundry
hospitable proffers, politely laughed away several tempting bargains
as to horses, carriages, furnished bungalows, and offers of racing
engagements, hunting bouts, and "private" dinners. "Waiting orders,
d'ye see!" he gently murmured. "Not worth while to set up anything!"
And then, with the air of a martyr, he disappeared, the ponies springing
briskly away, leaving all baffled conjecture behind. The curious men who
were left discussing a flying rumor that Major Hawke was authorized to
raise a Regiment of Irregular Horse for a special expeditionary secret
purpose, wrangled with those who maintained that a brilliant local
civil-service vacancy would be theatrically filled by the man who now
bore a brow of mystery. The advent of this prosperous Hawke had made the
great social deeps of Delhi to boil like a pot. His mission was one of
those things no fellow could find out.

Laughing in his sleeve, the object of all this sudden curiosity made
a number of detours, and adroitly followed a native servant down an
obscure rear street, after dismissing his pony carriage. The equipage
was busied during the earlier hours of the day in leaving the visiting
cards of the returned soldier of fortune in certain quarters well
calculated to attract social notice.

Threading the spacious gardens in rear of Ram Lal's establishment, the
artful Major entered the jewel merchant's abode without the notice of
the morning gossips of