Somewhere about the head or shoulders it took effect:  a yell of rage and pain assured him of that, as his target vanished on the far side of the wall.

Had he jumped or fallen?  And what did the damage amount to?  Roy would have given a good deal to know; but he had neither time nor power to investigate.  Nothing for it but to crawl back, and shout to Aruna, when he got within hail.

It was an undignified performance.  His twisted ankle stabbed like a knife, and never failed to claim acquaintance with every obstacle in its path.  Presently, to his immense relief, the darkness ahead was raked by a restless light, zigzagging like a giant glow-worm.

“Lance—­ahoy!” he shouted.

“Righto!” Lance sang out; and the glow-worm waggled a welcome.

Another shout from the Palace roof, answered in concert; and the mad, bad dream was over.  He was back in the world of realities; on his feet again—­one foot, to be exact—­supported by Desmond’s arm; pouring out his tale.

Lance already knew part of it.  He had found Aruna and was hurrying on to find Roy.  “Your cousin’s got the pluck of a Rajput,” he concluded.  “But she seems a bit damaged.  The left arm’s broken, I’m afraid.”

Roy cursed freely.  “Wish to God I could make sure if I’ve sent that skunk to blazes.”

“Just as well you can’t, perhaps.  If your shot took effect, he won’t be off in a hurry.  The police can nip out when we get back.”

“Look here—­keep it dark till I’ve seen Dyan.  If Chandranath’s nabbed, he’ll want to be in it.  Only fair!”

Lance chuckled.  “What an unholy pair you are!—­By the way, I fancy Martin’s pulled it off with Miss Flossie.  I tumbled across them in the hanging garden.  You left that door open.  Gave me the tip you might be out on the loose.”

* * * * *

Desmond’s surmise proved correct.  Aruna’s left arm was broken above the elbow:  a simple fracture, but it hurt a good deal.  Thea, in charge of ‘the wounded,’ eased them both as best she could, during the long drive home.  But Aruna, still in her exalted mood, counted mere pain a little thing, when Roy, under cover of the cloak, found her cold right hand and cherished it in his warm one nearly all the way.

No one paid much heed to Martin and Flossie, who felt privately annoyed with ‘the native cousin’ for putting her nose out of joint.  Defrauded of her due importance, she told her complacent lover they must ’save up the news till to-morrow.’  Meantime, they rode, very much at leisure, behind the barouche;—­and no one troubled about them at all.

Lance and Vincent, having cantered on ahead, called in for Miss Hammond and left word at Sir Lakshman’s house that Aruna had met with a slight accident; and would he and her brother come out to the Residency after dinner?

Before the meal was over, they arrived.  Miss Hammond was upstairs attending to Aruna; and Sir Lakshman joined them without ceremony, leaving Dyan alone with Roy, who was nursing his ankle in an arm-chair near the drawing-room fire.