es. The
solemnity of his dignified greeting to Colonel Dermot was somewhat
spoiled by shrieks of delight and loud remarks from Eileen (who was
seated beside her mother in the marquee) at the stately appearance of
the Envoy. He was attired in a very voluminous red Chinese silk robe
embroidered in gold and wearing a peculiar gold-edged cap shaped like a
papal tiara.

The Political Officer's official dinner took place that evening at his
bungalow. Besides the officers and the three European visitors the _Deb
Zimpun_ and the _Amban_ were present. The latter wore conventional
evening dress cut by a London tailor, with the stars and ribands of
several orders. But the old Envoy in his flowing red silk robe
completely outshone the two ladies, although Miss Benson was wearing her
most striking frock.

"Sure, don't we look like a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace or a
charity dinner at the Dublin Mansion House?" said Burke, looking around
the company gathered about the oval dining-table. He was seated beside
Miss Benson, who was on the host's right and facing the _Amban_ on his
left.

At the Durbar Wargrave had noticed that the Chinaman stared all the time
at the girl, and now during the meal he seemed to devour her with an
unpleasant gaze, gloating over the beauties of her bared shoulders and
bosom until she became uncomfortably conscious of it herself. The
unveiled flesh of a white woman is peculiarly attractive to the Asiatic,
the better-class females of whose race are far less addicted to the
public exposure of their charms than are European ladies. While the _Deb
Zimpun_ touched nothing but water the _Amban_ drank champagne, port and
liqueurs freely--even the untravelled Chinaman is partial to European
liquors--yet they seemed not to affect him. But his slanted eyes burned
all the more fiercely as their gaze was fixed on the girl opposite him.

He endeavoured to engage her in conversation across the table, and
appeared ready to resent anyone else intervening in the talk as he
dilated on the gaieties and pleasures of life in London, Berlin and
Paris, where he had been attached to the Chinese Embassies. He glared at
Burke when the doctor persisted in mentioning the panther's visit during
the previous night, for the conversation at their end of the table then
turned on sport. A chance remark of Miss Benson on tiger-shooting made
Wargrave ask:

"Have you shot tigers, too, like Mrs. Dermot? And I've never seen one
outside