Our man understood and was discreet enough to show the girl into our reception-room without a word. We sprang up amazed when Nor Ghai stood before us, her hands crossed upon her breast and her head bobbing with courtesies in a comical fashion. But as I looked at her I saw her eyes were red with weeping; so I took her hand and said gently:
“What is it, little friend? Have they dared to harm you?”
“No—no—no!” she replied, hastily. “Wi-to has but told me not to leave the palace. It is not for myself I weep, but for my poor companions,” and she broke down and sobbed bitterly.
We three fellows looked uncomfortably enough at this exhibition of female misery, and did not know how to comfort Nor Ghai.
So to hide our embarrassment, Archie demanded in a rough voice:
“What has old Death’s-Head been doing to them?”
“Who—who mean you?” sobbed Nor Ghai.
“Why, the gov’nor, of course, Mai Lo.”
“Him—him has took away all their jewels and silks an’ clothe poor Ko-Tua an’ Mai Mou in black cotton. An’—an’—” with fresh sobs—“tomorrow him say him cut out both their tongues for talk with foreign devils!”
The little maid, in her misery, wasn’t doing very well with her English; but we understood.