“Well, I’m afraid Ambrose might have some slight objection to that—eh?”
“Oh, if he was going—of course I meant that.”
“Then your presence could do nothing but good, as far as I can see. But he ain’t likely to be with me, I fear, so I must deny myself that pleasure as well. Many thanks for all you have told me. Now I am prepared. Good-bye, good-bye! If I succeed in curbing the General’s rashness, the credit will be largely yours.”
He was down the steps and off again before Eveleen had done more than realise he was still labouring under the delusion that he was the person who counted, and not the General. But her mind was so full of her new idea that she consoled herself with the assurance that ’twas not her fault; she had done what she could to put him right; and if he would only take the truth from Sir Harry’s own lips—why, he must. Apparently he snatched some sort of meal at the Club or the Mess-house while his baggage was being cut down to the General’s Spartan standard, for as she was returning from her ride—which she took alone after all, because she had plans to think out—she saw him going on board one of the flat-bottomed boats which plied across the river. Two men—evidently a servant and an orderly—were with him, and a camel and two horses were already on board. She waved him farewell, and rode on towards the landing-stage where the steamers moored, where she met the very man she wanted—the captain of the Asteroid. He had seen his vessel warped out again from the bank and all made snug on board, and was on his way to sup with his crony, the captain of the Nebula, on shore.
“Then you’ll be waiting here for orders—for days maybe?” she asked, when she had greeted him.
“That’s so, ma’am—with wood on board, and everything ready to get up steam at an hour’s notice. Colonel Bayard said he might be back any day, with orders to go to Qadirabad at once.”
“And did he tell you that if Major Ambrose or my brother was with him, you were to let me know, because I’ll be coming too?”
“Why, no, ma’am. To Qadirabad—just now?” He looked at her in astonishment, but Eveleen was not to be cowed by looks. She had realised that it was almost certain the General would send a member of his own staff with Colonel Bayard if he let him go to the Khans at all, and why not Richard or Brian? She looked sweetly at the sailor.
“And why wouldn’t I? Sure it’s just the proof of peace my presence will be—making it quite certain we have no warlike intentions. My going can do nothing but good—so the Colonel said to me himself just now.”
Captain Franks, like other men, was powerless against Eveleen when she really brought her batteries to bear, but he struggled gallantly. “You won’t like it much, I’m afraid, ma’am. There’s sure to be troops on board, and horses—a large escort.”