"Oh, I'm so glad! Please forgive me, but I dread snakes. Now tell me the secrets while I listen properly."
He noticed a change in her voice—symptoms of new interest, and passed it to the credit of himself.
"There's an intrigue going on, and you can help me. Sp—people whose business it is to keep me informed have reported that Tom Tripe is constantly carrying letters from the Princess Yasmini of Sialpore to that young Prince Utirupa who was here this afternoon. Now, it's no secret that if Gungadhura Singh were to get found out committing treason (and I'm pretty sure he's guilty of it five days out of six!) we'd depose him—"
"You mean the British would depose him?"
"Depose him root and branch. Then Utirtipa would be next in line. He's a decent fellow. He'd be sure of the nomination, and he'd make a good ruler."
"Well?"
"I want to know what the Princess Yasmini has to do with it."
"It seems to me you're not telling secrets, but asking favors for nothing."
"Not for nothing—not for nothing! There's positively nothing that I won't do!"
"In return for—?"