er, on
this occasion, in doing so. He wished to visit his Christian friend
Dhunna Singh privately, whose sons, including Buxsoo, were busily
employed in gaining information for him; for he was well aware that he
could not trust any of his nobles, or any other person about the court.
There might be honest men among them, but he had as yet been unable to
discover them. The intelligence he had received from Dhunna Singh was
unsatisfactory. There could be no doubt that the plot of which he had
before heard for his destruction, and for the overthrow of the British
rule, was fast ripening, and he could not but regret that the old rajah
had petitioned for the English forces,--which, though they might, under
ordinary circumstances, have materially assisted in keeping his own
subjects in check, were utterly inadequate for the purpose should the
whole country rise in arms, as he was led to fear would be the case. He
resolved, in consequence of the information he had lately received, to
send Captain Hawkesford back with a despatch to Colonel Ross, warning
him of the danger, and urging him to be on his guard.

After waiting for some time to see Buxsoo, who had been out in the city
picking up fresh information, Reginald returned to the palace
accompanied by Faithful, who usually attended him when he went out
without a guard. Entering by the rear of the palace, he made his way,
as was his custom, up the back steps to his private room. A curtain
hung before the doorway, and what was his astonishment and indignation,
on drawing it slightly aside, to see Captain Hawkesford seated at the
table, pen in hand, and busily employed in making notes from the
documents which he had taken out of the casket! He hesitated for some
moments as to how he should act towards the captain. He could, however,
scarcely restrain his anger when he saw him, after reading the despatch
to Colonel Ross, deliberately glance his eye over the letter to Violet.
Boiling with rage, he drew from his belt a revolver, without which he
never went abroad, and silently walked up to the table, which he reached
without being perceived by the intruder. Faithful, entering at his
heels, sprang forward and raised her head above the table, on which she
placed one of her huge paws, directly facing the captain, who threw
himself back in his chair with a look of horror and despair in his
countenance.

"What treatment do you expect from the man whom you have maligned, whose