But be wary! I can give you some friendly aid here, when you
get all the returned treasure. I'll give you a captain's guard here.
Bring all here at once. We, you, and I, will seal it up, and I'll
have old Ram Lal Singh secretly come here and value them. He's the
best judge of gems in India, and he was once an official in the
Royal Treasure Chamber of the old King of Oude. Less than fifty
thousand pounds worth as a return would be a transparent humbug,
and besides you can delay your signature for a day or so, till you
and I, after listing the gems, see this old expert and have him
examine them in our presence. No one need know of it but you and
I, and His excellency, the Viceroy. As for Hugh Johnstone, he is
simply capable of anything. I told the Viceroy's aid, Anstruther,
so. And I'll be damned glad to get Johnstone out of my bailiwick,
that I will."
With which vigorous "flea in the ear," General Willoughby dismissed
his startled comrade to the society of his crafty old host. And,
that night, strange dreams of unrest haunted the "modern Major
General" in the marble house, while singularly gloomy misgivings
weighed down the brave-hearted Berthe Louison, now heart-hungry for
a sight of the doubly beloved child of the dead lady of Jitomir.
She woke in the hot and clammy night to cry "No, no! He would never
dare to! She is here! I shall go boldly and. demand to see her
to-morrow!" Her womanly intuition told her the lines were broken.
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