en spared. For a moment she had room for no other
thought in her mind. "Thank God, Brian is safe!" she cried to her soul.

Afterwards she could afford to dwell on the miracle of Mrs. Dalton's
sacrifice. Who would have thought her capable of such an act of heroism?
Truly, one never knows how much of good there is in human nature,
howsoever perverted! Poor Mrs. Dalton! She had, indeed, atoned. She had
given her all--her very life for the man she had wronged, and whose
pride she had lowered in the dust. It was a magnificent act, the memory
of which would wipe out every wrong she had done, and silence every
tongue that spoke ill of her.

"Is she still living?" Honor asked one of the servants, fearfully.

"She died but a moment ago," said the _bearer_, "for the Sahib has
retired into another room and all is silent."

Elsewhere, too, all was still. In the presence of death, voices were
hushed, as the servants hung about waiting for the coming of those who
had been called.

"It is a terrible sight," Honor heard one say to another; "the body of
that _punkha_ coolie lying just where he fell. Some _domes_[22] must be
fetched to remove him."

[Footnote 22: Low-caste Hindus.]

"The Sahib says, let no one lay a hand on him till the police arrive;
such is the custom when an inquiry has to beheld."

Seeing that her presence was unnecessary, Honor passed out into the
darkness and ran swiftly home.

* * * * *

It was discovered later, at the inquest, that the discharge of a
_punkha_ coolie had given Dalton's watchful enemies the opportunity they
had been seeking to carry out their plan of revenge; and that the man
who had been engaged to fill the vacant post was a marked character,
living in the village of Panipara, who was well known to the police.
Doubtless he had been heavily bribed for the perpetration of the
intended crime which had so strangely miscarried. The instigators
pointed to their own complicity by disappearing from the District, and
the vain search for them occupied Mr. Bright and his staff for many
months. As well might one look for a needle in a stack of hay, as expect
to find fugitive criminals among the numerous villages of Bengal.

* * * * *

Captain Dalton left for Europe soon after his wife's funeral, his
services having been placed at the disposal of the War Office, and Honor
treasured in her memory his brief words spoken in farewell as he