eyes; want the
thighs; let the eyes, the hair of thee, desiring me, dry up in love.

"I make thee cling to my arm, cling to my heart; that thou mayest be in
my power, come unto my intent.

"They----"

He stopped, convulsed with passion, and bending kissed her feet.

"Ah! thy hands, thy feet, are like lotus buds--lotus buds which I love,
even if they be drenched in blood."

He leapt to his feet and caught Leonie's wrist in the vice of his hand
as she sprang upright in one movement, laughing as she pointed at his
mouth.

"Blood," she whispered, "blood--it is warm--it drops slowly--slowly----"

She ran her fingers across his mouth, and shook with hideous silent
laughter as she showed him the tips stained red.

"Come," she said, "come--she is calling--calling----" and she struck at
the hand which gripped her shoulder, and tried to shake herself free.

"Come!" said the man, looking straight into her eyes, "come with me."

She slid her hand into his, and followed him docilely as he lifted the
reed purdah and entered her bedroom.

"Lie down!"

He lifted the netting and pointed to the bed.

As he towered above her the scarlet mouth in the uplifted face was on a
level with his shoulder, as she smiled distractingly and raised her
hands palm upwards in a little supplicating gesture.

"My Lord!" she whispered. "My Lord!"

The temptations of all the ages, and the overpowering passion of his
own glowing East rose about him like a flood; he shook from head to
foot as she laid herself down and drawing the sheet about her whispered
again, "My Lord!"

They were alone in the jungle, and his will was hers; she was as a bit
of wax upon which he might imprint his seal; there was no one to say
him nay if he should draw her unto his intent.

And he loved her.

Yes! he loved her, and because of the overpowering strength of this
love he knelt beside her and placed his fingers upon her temples.

"Sleep, beloved," he whispered, "sleep--the women that are of pure
odour--all of them--we--make--sleep."

And Leonie slept peacefully and undisturbed until the dawn, because
Madhu Krishnaghar, with his face buried in his arms, who lay across the
threshold of her bedroom, was one of the splendid type that India
breeds--an Indian nobleman.

CHAPTER XLVI

"Out of the abundance of the heart,
the mouth speaketh."--_The Bible_.

One thing after another happened to prevent Leonie from continuing what
remained o