f for martyrdom.
Watch him now!"

The crowd was beginning to close in on the Mahatma, seeking to touch
him. Suddenly he flew into a fury, seized a long stick from some one
near him and began beating them over the head, using both hands and
laying on so savagely that ashes fell from him like pipe-clay from a
shaken bag, and several men ran away with the blood pouring down their
faces. However, they were reckoned fortunate.

"Some of those will charge money to let other fools touch them," said
King. "Come on. Let's call on _her_ now."

So we returned to Mulji Singh's stuffy little office, and King changed
into a Major's uniform.

"It isn't exactly according to Hoyle to wear this," he explained.
"However, she doesn't know I've resigned from the army."

CHAPTER II

THE PALACE OF YASMINI

Nobody saw us walk up to Yasmini's palace gate and knock; for whoever
was abroad in the heat was down by the ghat admiring the Mahatma.

The bearded giant who had admitted us stood staring at King, his long,
strong fingers twitching. In his own good time King turned and saw fit
to recognize him.

"Oh, hullo Ismail!"

He held a hand out, but the savage flung arms about him that were as
strong as the iron gate-clamps, and King had to fight to break free from
the embrace.

"Now Allah be praised, he is father of mercies! _She_ warned me!" he
croaked. "She knows the smell of dawn at midnight! She said, 'He cometh
soon!' and none believed her, save only I. This very dawn said she,
'Thou, Ismail,' she said, 'be asleep at the gate when he cometh and
thine eyes shall be thrown to the city dogs!' Aye! Oho!"

King nodded to lead on, and Ismail obeyed with a deal of pantomime
intended to convey a sense of partnership with roots in the past and its
fruition now.

The way was down a passage between high, carved walls so old that
antiquarians burn friendship in disputes not so much about the century
as the very era of that quiet art--under dark arches with latticed
windows into unexpected gardens fresh with the smell of sprinkled
water--by ancient bronze gateways into other passages that opened into
stone-paved courts with fountains in the midst--building joining on to
building and court meeting court until, where an old black panther
snarled at us between iron bars, an arch and a solid bronze door
admitted us at last into the woman's pleasance--a wonderland of jasmine,
magnolia and pomegranates set about a marble pool and therei