“Peace!” said the old lady again. “Is it nothing to thee that the doctor lady’s sister has humbled herself before thee? Now it is for thee to win back thy lord as best thou mayest. And as for thee, Miss Sahib,” added the Moti-ul-Nissa severely, “choose thee a husband quickly, since that is the custom of thy people, and see that he is such a man as will slay any other that casts his eyes upon thee.”
“The Sahib desires the Miss Sahib to be told that the horses have been found, and all is ready,” said the little slave-boy, pushing himself unbidden into the group, and Mabel wasted no time over her farewells.
“I really think I have never been so uncomfortable before!” she said to herself, as she got out of the room.
“Now you see, Miss North, what a trial it is to me to live among such coarse, ungenteel creatures as these,” said Jehanara.
CHAPTER VI.
LA BELLE ALLIANCE.
“Poor dear Laili!” sighed Mabel, patting the dust-begrimed neck of the little mare. There was no fear of Laili’s running away now, although she had spirit enough left to struggle gamely through the sand, miles of which still stretched between her and home.
“I don’t think she’ll be any the worse when she’s had a good rest and feed,” said Fitz consolingly.
“Oh no, I hope not! But I know Dick will never let me ride her again.”
“Of course; it really wouldn’t be safe. The regiment are so often at carbine practice, you know, and the tribesmen can’t come near the town without letting off their jezails to show their friends they have arrived. It’s quite an exception when a day passes without our hearing shots of some kind.”
“I know. But she is such a beauty, I can’t bear to give her up.”