“You would be less surprised if you had had the opportunity to know him, as I have had, during the short time of our wedded life.  There is practically no act or deed of his that would surprise me now.  He has long since ceased to love me; and a wife, whose person has become indifferent to him, has, in his eyes, only a marketable value.  It may be that some excuse can even be found for his way of regarding things.  It is, possibly, an atavistic relapse into the views of his ancestors, who, when they were sick of their wives, led them with a halter round their necks into the marketplace and sold them to the highest bidder.  They say it is not so long ago that this pretty custom has gone out of vogue.”

“No more, Mrs. Irwin,” Heideck broke in; “I cannot bear to hear you speak like that.  I must say that I still consider the Captain to have been out of his mind when he dared to expect such a thing of you.”

The young wife shook her head with a severe quiver of the lips.  “Oh no! he was neither intoxicated nor especially excited when he asked me to do him this ‘little’ kindness; he probably considered that I ought to feel myself intensely flattered that His Indian Highness thought my insignificant person worth such a large price.  I have certainly for some time past been quite conscious of the fact that, quite unwittingly, I have attracted the notice of the Maharajah.  Immediately after our first meeting he began to annoy me with his attentions.  I never took any notice, and never, for one moment, dreamt of the possibility that his—­his—­what shall I call it—­his admiration could rise to criminal desires; but, after what I have experienced to-day, I cannot help believing that it is the case.”

“But this monstrosity, Mrs. Irwin, will be past and gone as soon as you indignantly repudiate the suggestion of your abandoned husband?”

“Between him and me—­yes, that is true.  But I am not at all certain if the Maharajah’s infatuation will then have really ceased to exist.  My Indian handmaid has been told by one of her countrymen to warn me of a danger that threatens me.  The man did not tell her wherein this danger consists, but I am at a loss to know from what quarter it should threaten, if not from the Maharajah.”

Heideck shook his head incredulously.

“You have certainly nothing to fear in that quarter; he knows full well that he would have the whole of the British power against him dared he only—­be it with one word—­attempt to wrong the wife of an English officer.  He would be a sheer madman to allow things to come to that pass.”

“Well, after all, he may have some despotic insanity in him.  We must not forget that the time is not so far distant when all these tyrants disposed absolutely of the life and death and body and soul of their subjects.  Who knows, too, what my husband—­But perhaps you are right.  It may only be a foolish suspicion that has upset me; and it is just for this reason that I did not wish to speak about it to any of my husband’s messmates.  I have opened my heart to you alone.  I know that you are an honourable man, and that nobody will learn from your mouth what we have spoken about during this past hour.”