“Miss North, you are not going already? What have I said to drive you out of the room? Do you want me to pine away in melancholy solitude? After all, I did try to rescue you, as you were kind enough to say just now; but it will need your constant society and conversation to keep me from brooding over my failure.”
“I’m afraid my society won’t be very cheerful,” said Mabel, resuming her seat with a sigh. “You see, I can’t help feeling that what happened was a good deal my fault. If I had only told what I knew——”
“Well?” asked Mr Burgrave anxiously, as she paused.
“Ah, but if I had, you would not have believed it,” was the unexpected response, “any more than you would now.”
“Do you think I should be so rude as to question your word?”
“You will when I tell you that I know the men who tried to carry me off were agents of Bahram Khan’s.”
“You have evidence to support this very serious charge, I presume? Are you able to identify the men?”
“I suppose so; I haven’t tried yet. But, Mr Burgrave, I’m going to tell you something that only my sister-in-law knows—not even my brother, for I wouldn’t let her say anything to him. Bahram Khan did want to—to marry me.”
“What?” cried the Commissioner, starting up again. “You don’t mean to say that he has ever ventured to—to suggest such a thing to you?” Rage and disgust strove for the mastery in his voice.
“Oh no, he has never said anything to me; but the day I was at Dera Gul the women talked of nothing else.”