till further assured of this when Captain
Hawkesford asked if his highness could inform him what had become of the
young Englishman who was said to have been at the court of the rajah,
and to have accompanied him in his disastrous expedition against the
hill tribes. It was his duty, he observed, to warn his highness against
that young man, whose objects were open to suspicion; for although he
was accompanied by an English officer, he had come up the country
without any authority from the Government at Calcutta. It was
considered more than probable that he was a Russian spy, whose aim was
to create a disturbance, and either to set the people against their
rulers, or, by instigating the rulers to conspire against the English,
to allow the easy access of a Russian army into the country.

"Does the British resident send this as a message to me?" asked
Reginald, restraining his indignation.

"I was not directed to deliver it," answered Captain Hawkesford; "but I
considered that it would be advisable to warn your highness,--and I
mentioned the subject merely, as it were, in the course of
conversation."

"I will follow your advice, and watch the proceedings of the young man--
who is, I have every reason to believe, still in the city," answered
Reginald. "The late rajah held him in high esteem, and from what I know
of him I should not have supposed that he was a Russian spy, or a person
likely to be engaged in plots against the English Government."

"Your highness should be aware that conspirators find it necessary to
assume all sorts of characters and disguises, and that, plausible as the
person in question may have appeared, he is not the less likely to be an
arrant rogue."

"We will suppose him, then, to be a rogue, till he has been proved to be
an honest man, and narrowly watch his proceedings," said Reginald in a
tone which made Captain Hawkesford start, and look earnestly at
Reginald. The latter, however, kept his countenance, and after some
further conversation directed that the English officer should be
conducted to the guest-room, where he might rest till the time appointed
for a banquet, at which several nobles, as well as Captain Burnett, were
to be present. Reginald, after having received a few petitions, and
transacted some other public business, retired to his room, where he
threw off his robes of state, and assumed his light seaman's dress,
which he infinitely preferred to wear. He had an object, howev