Marian stepped hastily to the side of her parent and read the letter in a low voice to him.
"I don't understand it," he said in the same guarded undertone. "He says the date of the sepoy rising is close at hand. Today is the 10th; he speaks as though there is not the slightest doubt of the revolt."
At this moment, the wife, seeing that something important was on the minds of her husband and daughter, rose quickly from her chair and joined them.
"You seem alarmed about something."
By way of reply, Marian handed her the letter from Dr. Avery, the others in the meantime holding their peace.
Luchman was standing just where he halted when he passed the letter to the young lady, and there he remained motionless, his arms folded, while he looked expectantly at the little group. The missionary raised his finger and beckoned him to approach.
"Luchman, tell us about this," said Mr. Hildreth, as the native drew nigh.
He gave the dreaded information asked for. There could be no doubt that a general revolt of the sepoys through India had been fixed for the latter part of the month. Emissaries had been engaged for months in inflaming the minds of Hindoo and Mussulman alike, until the fanatical population were like so many cobras bursting with venom. The majority believed that the English were determined to break their caste and convert them to Christianity by means of the defiling cartridges. The war, therefore, would be a religious one, which is another way of saying that the strife would be the most cruel on which the sun ever shines.
Luchman had learned that the mutiny was fixed for the last day of May, and he believed that it would come with the certainty of the rising of the sun. There had been a revolt at Berhampore on the 25th of the preceding February, but it was so slight and was so easily suppressed that all misgiving quickly passed.
"There is another great danger," remarked Luchman.