aid, "but I had not
the same feeling that you were speaking to me I had that night at
Deennugghur; but even had I known of the danger, there would have been
no avoiding it. Had we landed, we must have been overtaken, and it would
have come to the same thing. Tell me, Rujub, had you any idea when I saw
you at Deennugghur that if we were taken prisoners Miss Hannay was to be
brought here instead of being placed with the other ladies?"

"Yes, I knew it, sahib; the orders he gave to the Sepoys were that every
man was to be killed, and that the women and children were to be taken
to Cawnpore, except Miss Hannay, who was to be carried here at once. The
Rajah had noticed her more than once when she was at Cawnpore, and had
made up his mind that she should go to his zenana."

"Why did you not tell me when you were at Deennugghur?"

"What would have been the use, sahib? I hoped to save you all; besides,
it was not until we saw her taken past this morning that we knew that
the Miss Hannay who was to be taken to Bithoor was the lady whom my
daughter, when she saw her with you that night, said at once that you
loved. But had we known it, what good would it have done to have told
you of the Rajah's orders? You could not have done more than you have
done. But now we know, we will aid you to save her."

"How long will your daughter be before she comes? It is horrible waiting
here."

"You must have patience, sahib. It will be no easy work to get the lady
away. There will be guards and women to look after her. A lady is not to
be stolen out of a zenana as a young bird is taken from its nest."

"It is all very well to say 'Be patient,'" Bathurst said, getting up and
walking up and down with quick angry strides. "It is maddening to sit
here doing nothing. If it were not that I had confidence in your power
and will to aid me, I would go into the palace and stab Nana Sahib to
the heart, though I were cut to pieces for it the moment afterwards."

"That would do no good to the lady, sahib," Rujub said calmly. "She
would only be left without a friend, and the Nana's death might be
the signal for the murder of every white prisoner. Ah, here comes my
daughter."

Rabda came up quickly, and stopped before Bathurst with her head bowed
and her arms crossed in an attitude of humility. She was dressed in the
attire worn by the principal servants in attendance upon the zenana of a
Hindoo prince.

"Well, what news, Rabda?" Bathurst asked eager