Almost as soon as the breathless girl could break that evil tidings there came another hammering, and this time Hasamurti went down to answer.  Her news was worse.  Gungadhura was at the outer gate demanding admission, and threatening to order the guard to break the gate in if refused.

“What harm can he do?” demanded Tess.  “He won’t dare try any violence in front of me.  Let us change clothes again.”

Yasmini laughed at her.

“A prince on a horse may ride from harm,” she answered.  “When princes walk, let other folk ’ware trouble!  He comes to have his will on me.  Those eunuchs are the leash that always hunt with him by night.  They will manhandle you, too, if they once get in, and Gungadhura will take his chance of trouble afterward.  The guard dare not refuse him.”

“What shall we do?” Tess wondered.  “Can we hide?” Then, pulling herself together for the sake of her race and her Western womanhood:  “If we make noise enough at the gate my husband will come.  We’re all right.”

“If there are any gods at all,” said Yasmini piously, “they will consider our plight.  I think this is a vengeance on me because I said I will leave my maids behind.  I will not leave them!  Hasamurti—­you and the others make ready for the street!”

That was a simple matter.  In three minutes all five women were back in the room, veiled from head to foot.  But the hammering at the front door was repeated, louder than before.  Tess wondered whether to hope that the risaldar of the guard had already reported to Gungadhura the lady doctor’s visit, or to hope that he had not.

“We will all go down together now,” Yasmini decided, and promptly she started to lead the way alone.  But Hasamurti sprang to her side, and insisted with tears on disguising herself as her mistress and staying behind to provide one slim chance for the rest to escape.

“In the dark you will pass for the memsahib,” she urged.  “The memsahib will pass for a man.  Wait by the gate until the maharajah enters, while I stand at the door under the lamp as a decoy.  I will run into the house, and he will follow with the eunuchs, while the rest of you slip out through the gate, and run before the guard can close it.  Perhaps one, at least, of the other maids had better stay with me.”

A second maid volunteered, but Yasmini would have none of that plan.  First and last the great outstanding difference between her and the ordinary run of conspirators, Western or Eastern, was unwillingness to sacrifice faithful friends even in a pinch—­although she could be ruthlessness itself toward half-hearted ones.  Both those habits grew on her as she grew older.

By the time they reached the little curtained outer hall the maids were on the verge of hysteria.  Tess had herself well in control, and was praying busily that her husband might only be near enough to hear the racket at the gate.  She was willing to be satisfied with that, and to ask no further favors of Providence, unless that Dick should have Tom Tripe with him.  Outwardly calm enough, she could not for the life of her remember to stride like a man.  Yasmini turned more than once to rally her about it.