“Well, when what?” I said indignantly.
“Since you take that tone, sir,” he retorted, “when I had the news brought to me that you were perfectly unhurt, and had accepted service with the rajah as his chief officer of artillery, why then of course I gave you up.”
“Who told you that?” I said hotly.
“One of the spies I sent in,” he replied coldly.
“It was not true.”
“Not true?” said Brace, bitterly. “Your appearance belies your words, sir. Why, were you not occupying rooms in the rajah’s palace?”
“Yes; as a prisoner,” I said angrily.
Brace laughed mockingly.
“A prisoner in a newly designed artillery uniform, and wearing a magnificent sword and belts, evidently presented by the rajah, I did not know Ny Deen treated his prisoners so well; I thought he murdered them at once.”
I tried to speak, but for some moments no words would come, and it was he who spoke first.