"Articles of virtue!" And Perreira leered foolishly. "Prince Ananda is the Johnnie to collect articles of virtue; he imports from Europe."
"Mr. Perreira is gay young dog!" Baboo Daas leaned heavily across the table. "Perhaps Shazada Ananda is in big hurry to sit on the throne."
"There's always a woman at the bottom of these things, sir," and Perreira twisted his eyes into an owllike look of wisdom.
"You see, sar," the baboo elucidated, "Prince Ananda has give this to the maharajah, and it is accursed agent of evil; because of it I am nearly eated of a tiger."
On the sapphire was the same inscription Swinton had seen on the stolen stone.
"That is Persian characters, sahib," Baboo Dass declared ponderously. "It is used for 'mine,' but in learned way madun is proper name for mine, and Rikaz, this word, means buried treasure. I am learned in dead languages—Sanskrit, Pali. It is sacred stone. If you possessing patience, sahib, I will narrative obscure histories of Buddhism."
"Oh, my aunt!" The already bored Lord Victor yawned.
But Captain Swinton declared earnestly: "If you do, baboo, I will place your name in my book as an authority."
Mohun Dass' breast swelled with prospective glory.
"I say, old chappie, if we're to sit out the act I'm going to have a B. and S.," and Gilfain reached for the bottle.