‘Bid me go before thee into the battle—bid me attend thee as thy servant—bind a turban on my brow and a sword to my waist, and see if Ameena will not follow thee to the death!’ she cried, hastily rising. ‘If the Mahratta women have done this many a time, thinkest thou that a Moghul of the old and proud blood of Delhi dares not?’
A sudden cry of admiration broke from the Khan. She had arisen from her seat and advanced towards him; her always soft and loving eye was filled with a daring and flashing light; her bosom heaved, and her slight and beautiful form was drawn up to its full height, as she stood almost panting, when she ceased to speak.
‘By Alla and the Prophet, thou art fit to be a soldier’s wife!’ he cried, starting to his feet; ‘one who feels so keenly a soldier’s honour and his fame, ought to share it with him. I had not thought that this spirit dwelt within thee. Come to me, girl—henceforth thou needst not fear; come evil or good, thou shalt share it with Rhyman Khan. I swear by thine eyes I will not leave thee; art thou content now?’
‘Thou art too kind!’ she murmured, as she bowed her head upon his shoulder; ‘thou knowest I have none here but thyself, and my home is afar off; thou art father, mother, husband—all to me. I bless thee that thou hast heard my prayer, and that I am not to be left tormented by a thousand fears for thee, and dreads (may they be visionary!) of coming evil.’
‘Of evil, Ameena?’
‘Ay, my lord; hast thou not felt often, upon the eve of some event in thy life, when, as yet, it had not burst from the womb of futurity, an unknown, undefinable sense of dread which pervaded thy senses, causing thought to be painfully acute, and to run into a thousand channels too intricate to follow for a moment, till it was lost in vague, oppressive conjecture leading to no end?’
‘Never, Ameena; I have never troubled myself to think much, but have been content to take events as it pleased Alla to send them.’
‘I may be wrong then,’ she returned; ‘these may be the offsprings of my own imagination only, and not common to others. It is well it is so; they are not enviable.’
‘There will be danger, Ameena,’ said the Khan, who misapprehended her; ‘bethink thee again upon going with me into the rough camp; remember, Kasim Ali will be here, and will protect thee, as he hath done before.’
‘Oh no! no! I would not stay—I would not stay with him, but go with thee, my noble lord,’ she said, averting her burning face from him; ‘for the sake of the Prophet do not mention that again; thou hast already said thou wouldst let me accompany thee.’