“Selim says he stumbled over something that groaned as we were racing for the back road.  I was looking out for Neenah.”  He glanced involuntarily from Lady Agnes to the Princess, a touch of confusion suddenly assailing him.  “Selim covered the retreat,” he added hastily.  “Instead of keeping the road, we turned up the embankment and struck into the forest.  Dropping down behind the bushes, we watched those devils from the town race pell-mell, howling and shooting, down the chateau road.  There must have been a hundred of ’em.  Five minutes later, the bungalow was afire.  It was as bright as day and I had no trouble in recognising Rasula in the crowd.  Selim led the way and I followed with Neenah.  It was hard going, let me tell you, up hill and down, stumbles and tumbles, scratches and bumps, through five miles of the blackest night imaginable.  Hang it all, Browne, I didn’t have time to save that case of cigarettes; I’m out nearly a hundred boxes.  And those novels you lent me, Lady Deppingham—­I can’t return.  Sorry.”

“You might have saved the cigarettes and novels if you hadn’t been so occupied in saving the fair Neenah,” said her ladyship, with a provoking smile.

“Alas!  I thought of that also, but too late.  Still, virtue was its own reward.  Imagine my delight when we stopped to rest to have Neenah divide her own little store of Turkish cigarettes with me.  We had a bully smoke up there in the wood.”

“Selim, too?” asked Browne casually.

“Oh, no!  Selim was exploring,” said Chase easily.

“Neenah is very beautiful,” ventured Lady Agnes.

“She is exquisite,” replied Chase with the utmost sang froid.  “Selim bought her last winter for a ten karat ruby and a pint of sapphires.”

“That explains her overwhelming love for Selim,” said the Princess quietly.  Chase looked into her eyes for a moment and smiled inwardly.

“I’ll be happy to tell you all about her some other time,” he said.  “Her story is most interesting.”

“That will be perfectly delightful,” chimed in Drusilla.  “We shan’t miss those racy novels, after all.”

“We finally got to the edge of the cliff and unearthed the rope, which we already had fastened to the trunk of a tree.  It had been securely spliced in three places beforehand, giving us the proper length.  It was a frightful trip we had over the ridge.  Exhibit:  the scratches upon my erstwhile beautiful countenance; reserved:  the bruises upon my unhappy knees and elbows.  I was obliged to carry Neenah for the last quarter of a mile, poor little girl.  She was tied to my back, leaving my throat and chest free, and down we came.  Simplest thing in the world.  Presto!  Here am I, with my happy family at my heels.”

“Well, we can’t sit here and dawdle all day,” exclaimed Deppingham.  “We must be moving about—­arrange our batteries, and all that, don’t you know.  Get out a skirmish line, nominate our spies, bolster up our defences, set a watch, court-martial the prisoners, and look into the commissariat.  We’ve got to stave these devils off for two or three weeks, at least, and we’ll have to look sharp.  Browne, that’s the third cup of coffee you’ve had.  Come along!  This isn’t Boston.”