pared
to his clearing out. The trial is over and the man is condemned. He is
to be executed next week. It'll mean a shine of some sort--nothing very
great, I am afraid."

"That all?" said Bernard, with a smile.

"No, not quite all. There was some secret information given which it is
supposed was rather damaging to the Rajah, for he has taken to his
heels. No one knows where he is, or at least no one admits he does. You
know these Oriental chaps. They can cover the scent of a rotten herring.
He'll probably never turn up again. The place is too hot to hold him. He
can finish his rotting in another corner of the Empire; and I wish Netta
Ermsted joy of her bargain!" ended Tommy with vindictive triumph.

"My good fellow!" protested Bernard.

Tommy uttered a reckless laugh. "You know it as well as I do. She was
done for from the moment he taught her the opium habit. There's no
escape from that, and the devil knew it. I say, what a mercy it will be
when you can get Tessa away to England."

"And Stella too," said Bernard, turning to the subject with relief.

"You won't do that," said Tommy quickly.

"How do you know that?" Bernard's look had something of a piercing
quality.

But Tommy eluded all search. "I do know. I can't tell you how. But I'm
certain--dead certain--that Stella won't go back to England with you
this spring."

"You're something of a prophet, Tommy," remarked Bernard, after an
attentive pause.

"It's not my only accomplishment," rejoined Tommy modestly. "I'm several
things besides that. I've got some brains too--just a few. Funny, isn't
it? Ah, here is Stella! Come and break your fast, old girl! What's the
latest?"

He went to meet her and drew her to the table. She smiled in her wan,
rather abstracted way at Bernard whom she had seen before.

"Oh, don't get up!" she said. "I only came for a glimpse of you both. I
had _tiffin_ in my room. Peter saw to that. Baby is very weak this
morning, and I thought perhaps, Tommy dear, when, you go back you would
see Major Ralston for me and ask him to come up soon." She sat down with
an involuntary gesture of weariness.

"Have you slept at all?" Bernard asked her gently.

"Oh yes, thank you. I had three hours of undisturbed rest. Peter was
splendid."

"You must have another _ayah,_" Bernard said. "It isn't fit for you to
go on in this way."

"No." She spoke with the docility of exhaustion. "Peter is seeing to it.
He always sees to everything. He knows