fires, talked and laughed long into the night over the success
of their attack.

At daybreak they had been placed upon a limber and driven into Cawnpore.
Her spirit had risen as they were assailed by insults and imprecations
by the roughs of the town, and she had borne up bravely till, upon their
arrival at the entrance to what she supposed was the prison, she was
roughly dragged from the limber, placed in a close carriage, and driven
off. In her despair she had endeavored to open the door in order to
throw herself under the wheels, but a soldier stood on each step and
prevented her from doing so.

Outside of the town she soon saw that she was on the road to Bithoor,
and the fate for which she was reserved flashed upon her. She remembered
now the oily compliments of Nana Sahib, and the unpleasant thrill she
had felt when his eyes were fixed upon her; and had she possessed a
weapon of any kind she would have put an end to her life. But her pistol
had been taken from her when she landed, and in helpless despair she
crouched in a corner of the carriage until they reached Bithoor.

As soon as the carriage stopped a cloth was thrown over her head. She
was lifted out and carried into the palace, through long passages and
up stairs; then those who carried her set her on her feet and retired.
Other hands took her and led her forward till the cloth was taken off
her head, and she found herself surrounded, by women, who regarded her
with glances of mixed curiosity and hostility. Then everything seemed to
swim round, and she fainted.

When she recovered consciousness all strength seemed to have left her,
and she lay in a sort of apathy for hours, taking listlessly the drink
that was offered to her, but paying no attention to what was passing
around, until there was a gentle pressure on her arm, the grasp
tightening with a slight caressing motion that seemed to show sympathy;
then came the English words softly whispered into her ear, while the
hand again pressed her arm firmly, as if in warning.

It was with difficulty that she refrained from uttering an exclamation,
and she felt the blood crimson her cheeks, but she mastered the impulse
and lay perfectly quiet, glancing up into the face bent down close to
hers--it was not familiar to her, and yet it seemed to her that she had
seen it somewhere; another minute and it was gone.

But though to all appearances Isobel's attitude was unchanged, her mind
was active now. Who could