“What, have you news from the field of battle?  Do you then know that the Colonel is dead?”

Edith nodded.

“The Colonel is dead; my husband is dead; Captain McGregor, and many of my friends from Chanidigot, have been left on the field.”

She said it calmly; but he read in her eyes the deep sadness of her soul.

Much affected by her heroic strength of character, he bent his head and kissed her hand.  She let him have his way for a moment, but then withdrew her thin, cool fingers with a beseeching look, the meaning of which he full well understood.

“The Commander-in-Chief and his staff reached the railway station,” she continued; “they travelled to Delhi with the last train that left Lahore, just at the eleventh hour; for immediately afterwards the Russians entered the town.  The wreck of the army is now marching to Delhi, but their pursuers are close at their heels.  God alone knows what will be the fate of our poor defeated army.”

He did not ask her where she had obtained all this information; but that it was quite correct he was firmly convinced, judging by his own experience.  He did not know what to say to her to encourage her, he who never had been able to toy with empty phrases.  A short while they remained silent, and their eyes simultaneously fell upon the sunlit marble tomb before them.

“Have you seen this cenotaph before?” the young lady suddenly asked, to Heideck’s surprise.  On his answering in the negative, she went on—­

“This is the famous tomb of Anar Kali, the beloved wife of Sultan Akbar, who, on account of her beauty, was given the name of ’Pomegranate Blossom.’  She probably departed this life in the same way that we should have done if the daggers of the murderers yesterday had reached us.  She, perhaps, was just as little conscious of what was happening to her, as we should have been in this past night.”

“Can you read the inscription?” asked Heideck.

“No, but I have had it interpreted to me; for it is one of the most famous inscriptions in India.  The beautiful Anar Kali was once so foolish as to smile when the son of her lord and master entered the harem.  And in the selfsame hour the jealous sultan had the unhappy woman executed.  But he must have loved her very dearly, for he erected to her this beautiful memorial, which should hand down to generations yet unborn the name of Anar Kali.  So full of insoluble riddles is the poor, foolish heart of man.”

Jingling footsteps were heard on the flagstones outside, and the next moment an officer appeared at the door accompanied by several soldiers.  In abrupt, peremptory tones he ordered Heideck to follow him.

Now, for the first time, the Captain saw in Edith Irwin’s face something like an expression of terror.

“What is the meaning of this?” She turned hastily to the Russian.  “This gentleman is not an Englishman.”

The Russian did not understand the question in English; but when Heideck asked in Russian what they were about to do with him, he replied, shrugging his shoulders—­