esn't count."

"Ah!" she said, and suddenly the very soul of her rose up and spoke.
"Then you needn't tell me any more, dear love--dear love. I don't need
to hear it. It doesn't matter. It can't make any difference. Nothing
ever can again, for, as you say, nothing else counts. Go if you
must,--but if you do--I shall follow you--I shall follow you--to the
world's end."

"Stella!" he said.

"I mean it," she told him, and her voice throbbed with a fiery force
that was deeper than passion, stronger than aught human. "You are mine
and I am yours. God knows, dear,--God knows that is all that matters
now. I didn't understand before. I do now, I think--suffering has taught
me--many things. Perhaps it is--His Angel."

"The Angel with the Flaming Sword," he said, under his breath.

"But the Sword is turned away," she said. "The way is open."

He got to his feet abruptly. "Wait!" he said. "Before you say
that--wait!"

He freed himself from her hold gently but very decidedly. She knew that
for a second he stood close above her with arms outflung before he
turned away. Then there came the rasp of a match, a sudden flare in the
darkness. She looked to see his face--and uttered a cry.

It was Hanani, the veiled _ayah_, who stooped to kindle the lamp....

CHAPTER XI

THE DAWN

"This country is like an infernal machine," said Bernard. "You never
know when it's going to explode. There's only one reliable thing in it,
and that's Peter."

He turned his bandaged head in the latter's direction, and received a
tender, indulgent smile in answer. Peter loved the big blue-eyed _sahib_
with the same love which he had for the children of the _sahib-log_.

"Whatever happens," Bernard continued, "there's always Peter. He keeps
the whole show going, and is never absent when wanted. In fact, I begin
to think that India wouldn't be India without him."

"A very handsome compliment," said Sir Reginald.

"It is, isn't it?" smiled Bernard. "I have a vast respect for him--a
quite unbounded respect. He is the greatest greaser of wheels I have
ever met. Help yourself, sir, won't you? I am sorry I can't join you,
but Major Ralston insists that I must walk circumspectly, being on his
sick list. I really don't know why my skull was not cracked. He
declares it ought to have been and even seems inclined to be rather
disgusted with me because it wasn't."

"You had a very lucky escape," said Sir Reginald. "Allow me to
congratulate you!"