Violet stared at him, not understanding.

“But why?” she asked.

“Well, he knew quite well that I was brought back to Kohara in order to replace him, if he didn’t mend his ways and spend less money.  And he didn’t mean to be replaced.”  The smile broke out again on Shere Ali’s face as he remembered the scene.  “He sat there with his great beard, dyed red, spreading across his chest, a long velvet coat covering his knees, and the loaded rifle laid over the coat.  His eyes watched me, while his fingers played about the trigger.”

Violet Oliver was horrified.

“You mean—­that he meant to kill you!” she cried incredulously.

“Yes,” said Shere Ali calmly.  “I think he meant to do that.  It’s not so very unusual in our family.  He probably thought that I might try to kill him.  However, he didn’t do it.  You see, my father’s very fond of the English, so I at once began to talk to him about England.  It was evening when I went into the reception chamber; but it was broad daylight when I came out.  I talked for my life that night—­and won.  He became so interested that he forgot to shoot me; and at the end I was wise enough to assure him that there was a great deal more to tell.”

The ways of the Princes in the States beyond the Frontier were unknown to Violet Oliver.  The ruling family of Chiltistan was no exception to the general rule.  In its annals there was hardly a page which was not stained with blood.  When the son succeeded to the throne, it was, as often as not, after murdering his brothers, and if he omitted that precaution, as often as not he paid the penalty.  Shere Ali was fortunate in that he had no brothers.  But, on the other hand, he had a father, and there was no great security.  Violet was startled, and almost as much bewildered as she was startled.  She could not understand Shere Ali’s composure.  He spoke in so matter-of-fact a tone.

“However,” she said, grasping at the fact, “he has not killed you.  He has not since tried to kill you.”

“No.  I don’t think he has,” said Shere Ali slowly.  But he spoke like one in doubt.  “You see he realised very soon that I was not after all acceptable to the English.  I wouldn’t quite do what they wanted,” and the humour died out of his face.

“What did they want?”

Shere Ali looked at her in hesitation.

“Shall I tell you?  I will.  They wanted me to marry—­one of my own people.  They wanted me to forget,” and he broke out in a passionate scorn.  “As if I could do either—­after I had known you.”

“Hush!” said she.

But he was not to be checked.

“You said it was impossible that you should marry me.  It’s no less impossible that I should marry now one of my own race.  You know that.  You can’t deny it.”

Violet did not try to.  He was speaking truth then, she was well aware.  A great pity swelled up in her heart for him.  She turned to him with a smile, in which there was much tenderness.  His life was all awry; and both were quite helpless to set it right.