“Indeed, Captain, that’s a lesson I shan’t learn if my friends are so complaisant in pardoning my incivilities. But here’s the reason for my breach of discipline. You’ve heard the joyful news of Miss Freyne’s safety which our friend Mr Fraser has received by means of a billet from herself. Now there’s something in the letter inclines me to think that the lady’s present custodian en’t the Nabob at all, but perhaps the apostate Sinzaun. Is’t possible that he can have heard of her before the siege, and plotted to get her into his power?”
“Possible?” cried Captain Labaume. “Why, sir, to the best of my belief the fellow was so captivated by the report of Miss’s beauty that he adventured his person in Calcutta itself for the sake of seeing her, and forced his company upon her at a masquerade. It’s in my mind that he pursued her for some time with his solicitations, but poor Jack Bellamy could have told you more of that than I.”
“And his knowledge lies buried in the ditch of the ravelin yonder,” says Mr Hastings.
“But I can tell you more than that, sir,” says Mr Fisherton. “When the Fort was taken, and before we poor wretches were drove into the Black Hole, Sinzaun came to scrutinise us, looking for Miss, as she believed. She testified such terror in view of the villain’s efforts to discover her, that Captain Colquhoun assisted her to disguise herself in a man’s hat and cloak, and she escaped notice for the time.”
“This is as I feared,” said Mr Hastings. “We can’t doubt but the apostate has got the unhappy lady into his power by some device to hoodwink the Nabob. Now you perceive, Mr Fraser, why the Colonel thought best not to demand her release openly. Miss is hid in some spot known neither to us nor to the Nabob, but whence she could be quickly removed if enquiry was made touching her. To broach the topic would be to unite the Nabob with Sinzaun against us, and destroy all hope of liberating the captive. Your plan will be to despatch a secret agent to Muxidavad to discover where the lady is confined, and then to frame some means of effecting her escape. There’s a parcel of Armenians and Moorish traitors would do the work for you, if you paid ’em high enough.”
“Sure Omichund’s the man,” says Captain Labaume. “He has rogues enough in his pay to corrupt all India.”
“Oh no, sir,” cried Mr Fisherton. “Sure you can’t know that the vile wretch sought to decoy Miss to his house by a promise of safety on the night of the Black Hole, acting, as every one present believed, in Sinzaun’s interest. I fear this new misfortune is also of his hatching, since ’twas he had the woman fetched that was to attend upon the lady to Muxidavad, and though he feigned she was a stranger to him, I doubt she was his tool.”
“’Tis well we know this,” said Mr Hastings, “or we should questionless have applied to Omichund for advice and assistance, as in all other cases. We must find you another messenger, Mr Fraser.”
“I thank you, sir,” said I, “but if there’s any art can smuggle me through the enemy’s lines, I’ll go myself to Muxidavad.”
“There’s none,” said he. “No disguise could ensure your safety, sir, and you might not only fail to help the lady, but even endanger her.”