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To her Highness herself who might then be less desirous of death? To her friends the English? perhaps to Jirad Sahib who would not be the first to owe a throne to a woman's favour. Not one of these has any cause to desire the death of Sher Singh, of course I lay my hand upon my mouth for having even uttered the thought but who then does desire it? Not the soldiers of Partab Singh, say I."
"Aye; men will mock at our beards," said Rukn-ud-din bitterly. "Has Jirad Sahib forgotten all that has passed?" Amrodh Chand's head approached his comrade's closely. "I think Jirad Sahib has remembered our vow. Did he not make us swear that after this night the place should be to us as though it was not? What, then, of to-night?"
"No!" cried the woman fiercely, dashing the veil from her face. "Henceforth the mother of Partab Singh Rajah's son is no longer pardah, but lives for vengeance the few hours that remain to her. Avenge me, O Jirad Sahib! avenge me, O soldiers of Partab Singh! avenge me on the man who has left me childless, the slayer of his brother!" "But when was this? What has happened?" gasped Gerrard.
This man Rukn-ud-din and these few sowars were all that came, and when we had burnt the body of my son, we took up his ashes and departed many desiring to stop us, but no man caring to strike the first blow to ride hither and demand justice on Sher Singh. And this, O Jirad Sahib, was Kharrak Singh, my son."
"His Highness might be interested to learn what visitors his friend Jirad Sahib entertains in secret at night," he said. "My visitors come without any wish of mine, but they go when I choose," retorted Gerrard warningly. Dwarika Nath held up a deprecating hand. "There is no need for his Highness to know who the visitor was. I alone recognised him."
Sher Singh allowed himself to be turned from his immediate purpose. "Let the Feringhee live for the present," he said, waving his followers back. "Speak, O Jirad Sahib, you who hide behind the servants of a woman, and tell me who stood to profit by my father's death?" "You!" returned Gerrard promptly.
But if our lord Partab Singh Rajah died in the course of nature, then Kunwar Sher Singh has been unjustly accused by Jirad Sahib, and Jirad Sahib by Sher Singh. Is this a moment to bandy accusations that cannot be maintained, when our lord's body lies unburnt, and all our minds should be devoted to mourning him and paying fitting reverence to his obsequies?"
The Rajah turned to Gerrard. "The mother of Kharrak Singh clasps the feet of Jirad Sahib, and entreats that in the evil day his virtue may be a high tower in which she and her son can take refuge."
Marching up to Gerrard as he stood among the crowd of eager suitors in the devastated audience-tent, the boy took off his turban and laid it at his feet. "The widow of Rajah Partab Singh kisses the footprints of Jirad Sahib, and entreats that she and her son may sit down under his shadow," he said perfunctorily, evidently repeating what had been taught him. "Jirad Sahib knows that I am Rajah now?
The two Englishmen and their followers moved towards the Rani to protect her, but she waved them back with measureless contempt, then turned upon the jeering soldiers with eyes glowing like live coals. "Truly Jirad Sahib spoke well when he warned me that you, for whom I have stripped myself of the very jewels of my marriage-portion, designed only to play me false.
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