“Sir, I beg your pardon a thousand times, and am very much your debtor.  It is the most venomous snake that we have in the country.  I trust you will accept my apology for a moment’s irritation; and, at the same time, my sincere thanks.”  The colonel then summoned the servants, who provided themselves with bamboos, and soon despatched the object which had occasioned the misunderstanding.  The colonel then apologised to Newton, while he repaired to the bath, and in a few minutes returned, having undergone this necessary ablution after a mango feast.  His dress was changed, and he offered the appearance of an upright, gentleman-like, hard-featured man, who had apparently gone through a great deal of service without his stamina having been much impaired.

“I beg your pardon, my dear sir, for detaining you.  May I request the pleasure of your name and the occasion of your providential visit?”

“I have a letter for you, sir,” replied Newton, who had been intrusted with the one which Mr Revel had given to his daughters on their embarkation.

“Oh! a letter of introduction.  It is now quite superfluous, you have already introduced yourself.”

“No, sir, it is not a letter of recommendation in my behalf, but to announce the arrival of your three grand-nieces—­daughters of the Honourable Mr Revel—­in the Bombay Castle, the ship to which I belong.”

“What?” roared the colonel, “my three grand-nieces! daughters of Mr Revel!”

“So I have understood from them, sir.”

The colonel tore open the letter, in which Mr Revel very coolly informed him that not having received any answers to his former epistles on the subject, he presumed that they had miscarried, and had therefore been induced, in consequence of the difficulties which he laboured under, to send his daughters out to his kind protection.  The colonel, as soon as he had finished the perusal of the letter, tore it into pieces again and again, every renewed action showing an increase of excitement.  He then threw the fragments on the floor, stamping upon them in an ecstasy of rage.

“The d——­d scoundrel!—­the villain!—­the rascal!—­Do you know, sir, that when I was last in England this fellow swindled me out of a thousand pounds?  Yes, sir, a thousand pounds, by G-d! promised to pay me in three weeks; and when I was coming back, and asked him for my money, he laughed at me, and ordered his servant not to let me in.  And now he has sent out his three daughters to me—­pawned them off upon me, laughing, I suppose, in his sleeve, as he did when he cheated me before.  I’ll not receive them, by G-d! they may find their way back again how they can;” and the colonel paced the room up and down, throwing his arms about in his fury.

Newton waited some time before he ventured to make any observation; indeed, he was so astonished at such an unheard-of proceeding, and so shocked at the unfortunate situation of Isabel, that he hardly knew what to say.