nd, as if blows from a whip were
falling upon a bare human body. A minute later and the door between the
rooms flew open and an Indian, dressed only in cummerbund and turban,
burst into the room, as if intending to seek here protection from his
tormentor. A tall European, dressed entirely in white flannel, followed
at the man's heels and brought his riding-whip down mercilessly upon the
naked back of the howling wretch. Heideck's presence did not, evidently,
disturb him in the least.

At the first glance the young German perceived that his neighbour could
not be an Englishman, as his servant had told him he was. His strikingly
thin, finely-cut features, and his peculiarly oval, black eyes and
soft, dark beard betrayed much more the Sarmatic than the characteristic
Anglo-Saxon type.

The man's appearance did not make an unfavourable impression, but he
could not possibly overlook his behaviour. Stepping between him and his
victim he demanded, energetically, what this scene meant. The other,
laughing, let drop the arm which had been again raised to strike.

"I beg your pardon, sir," he said with a foreign accent, "a very good
boy, but he steals like a crow, and must have the whip occasionally. I
am sure that he has concealed somewhere about him the five rupees
which have been stolen from me again to-day." On saying this, as if
he considered this information quite sufficient explanation, he again
caught hold of the black fellow, and with a single wrench tore the
turban from his head. From the white, red-bordered cloth a few pieces of
silver fell and rolled jingling over the tiles; and at the same time a
larger object fell at Heideck's feet. He picked it up and held in
his hand a gold cigarette-case, the lid of which was engraved with a
prince's coronet. On handing it to the stranger, the latter bowed his
thanks and made his apologies like a man of good breeding. The Indian
the while took the opportunity, in a few monkey-like bounds, to make
good his escape. The sight of the coat-of-arms on the cigarette-case
aroused in Heideck the desire to make nearer acquaintance with his
impetuous neighbour. As though he had quite forgotten the extraordinary
manner of his entrance into the room, he asked, blandly, if he might
invite his neighbour, whom accident had thus thrust upon him, to a cigar
and a "nightcap."

The other accepted the invitation with amiable alacrity. "You are also
a commercial traveller, sir?" inquired Heideck;