THE GARDEN OF HEART'S DELIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13178, 16 May 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE GARDEN OF HEART'S DELIGHT.

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.] , v

"O a BY LOUIS TP.ACY. _ 1 Antlior of " Tho Filial War," "Rainbow Island," "Tho Albert Gate Affair,'' etc., etc., etc ' 1 v [COPYRIGHT.] . CHAPTER (Continued.) [ Whatever ■ purpose she had iu mind she gave no sign of her intent- until she hud 1 perused the script which Ibrahim .handed * to her. Mowbray, watching her mobile -y features as she broke tho seal of tho Em- i .peror's parchment, whilst one of her women i held a. lantern, saw only an expression of fixed resolve, her. set lips and thoughtful t eyes revealing a determination to carry out { iu the best way tho course upon which she i had already decided. J -She read Jahangir's letter twice before she spoke, and, even then, there was an J odd restraint in her manner when she ad- 1 dressed Mowbray and Sainton, who, with 1 the chief eunuch, had accompanied her iu silence. " Jahangir told his envoy tho chief part of .that which he has written. Ibrahim's mes- ' sage is exact in so far as it touches your , affairs. I will fulfil the Emperors be- j bests in all save one slight matter. You j must not return to Agra. Tho Ganges lies a short march ahead, and, now that I ( have Jahangir's written promise- to pay you there is no reason why I should not dis- , charge his obligations." . , * " 1 have- brought no great store of money," - put in Ibr.vlfim nervously. " Said I aught to thee?" she blazed out . at him. "It will be thy turn, to speak , when the Emperor demands a witness.'' " Do you revert- to a proposal which we have once refused?" asked Walter, with : Saxon dogged frowning in his face. " I reverb to your promise given mo a quarter of an hour ago." " I swore to obey you, but" • " Obey then, without question. Since you force me to it, I command you to accept my jewels in payment of the Em- ] peror's debt. A lakh and a-half, is it not? If you are not cheated, they are worth as much. Further, I advise you to retain a i score of my men until you reach Calcutta. ; They will follow you, 1 doubt not, but, to make certain of their allegiance, I shall promise them a good reward if they return bearing me a letter from you. They can- ■ not deceive me, as I shall have your sig-. nature on the receipt for the money." - "In truth, Princess, 'tis easy to see that you are the daughter of the High Treasurer," broke in Roger suddenly. Nur Mahal's tense expression relaxed for an instant; nevertheless, Walter, vexed that lie should be foroed into a settlement exceedingly. repulsive ' to bis feelings, asked gloomily: " What other of the Emperor's requests do you carry out?" "I go back to the Garden of Heart's Delight. You spoke just now of fortunate names. Is it not happily entitled?" The quiet scorn of the, question revealed to him an utter hopelessness which was so greatly at variance with-her confident mien during their flight that not even the scene which took place in'the field of millet served to explain it wholly to his puzzled brain. In the presence of the rabbit-eared chief eunuch it was not advisable to say too much, but he could not forbear a comment. " 1 have heard • you • describe a woman s mind as a lake," lie said. "Will you forgive me if I liken it to a whirlpool, in which thoughts flowing in one direction at one moment fly ' in the opposite way the next." - ■ ' , ■<. , ' She laughed lightly, though the joy had gone from her mirth. "You still would hare me go to Burdwan?" she cried. ' - ■ ; , • ■ " Yes, and I caa-e not who hears." "Nor do I, for. the Emperor bids me return, and lam dutiful. Who could deny the wish of so benignant a Prince?" " Burdwan without a husband is not to your liking, perchance. It would be dry meat, anyhow, as the fellow said after coursing ai hare and! losing it,' said Roger, who, for a cause best known to himself, attempted to deprive the undercurrent of their speech of its vinegar. "Spare us such ill-timed jokes, growled Mowbray angrily in English, but Roger only answered : , " Gad! if . the quip run not . with thy humour leg it after the hare again.' Walter realised that his tevel-headed comrade appreciated the situation sanely, and was, indeed, advising him how to act. Yet he was torn by a thousand conflicting emotions. That field of millet had been to him a bed of nettles. • He was still smarting with the sting of recollection. ./ If Nur Mahal offered herself twice to no man, assuredly she was a woman whom few men would" refuse at the first asking. And to what purpose hud he thrust her away i For all he knew to the contrary Nellie Roe might be roamed these two years. He had conversed with that sprightly maid during half a day. He had kissed her once. He had seen' her fall ; fainting into the anna of Anna Cave, as any girl might have done who witnessed the arrest of a young cavalier for whom she felt a passing regard and whose ill-fortunes were incurred in her behalf. Frail bonds, these, to hold in leash a warm-blooded youth! His adventurous soul spurred him on to follow the career which Nur Mahal offered him. In those days, when the world was 'young, a stout heart and a ready sword were a. man's chief credentials. In no land did they lead to the Paradise of happy cha»ce more readily than in India, where the golden fruit of the pagoda, tree was ever ripe for him who dared to shake a laden branch. And yet, and yet —a lover kiss in an English garden withheld him from the glamour of it all. It was fortunate, perhaps, in that hour of fiercest temptation, that Nur Mahal was too proud to stoop again to conquer. There were not wanting signs to her quick intelligence that Mowbray was fighting with beasts at'Ephesus. Yet she disdained, by word or look, to join the contest, and it may bo that her Eastern brain conceived a more subtle way of achieving her object. She brought forth the little box of cedarwood and handed it to Walter. "Take heed, Ibrahim,' she said, thait I have given the sahiba- diamonds to the value o£ a lakh and a-half. You shall prepare a full quittance for the Emperor, and ' Mowbray-sahib shall sign it. Be speedy! * She gave Walter a quick look from those I wonderful eyes of hers. , , . » j " Whilst Ibrahim inscribes the receipt, she continued, " you should choose your * attendants." 1 " At this hour?" * "Why not? When an Emperor is urgent- the night becomes day. I begin the > march back to Agra forthwith." ■ ■ Even the wearied chief eunuch would i have protested, but she did not deign to heed his stammering words. It took Ibra- - him some time to write all Jtihangirs titled i on the parchment, which set forth Nur > Mahal's settlement of Akbar's debt.. When the hist flourish was drawn and Mowbray ' had appended his name to the script, with ' Refers cross as agreeing to the 'Same, the ' masterful lady herself was equipped for L the road. . 1 She sought no private leave-taking of the ' man whom, an hour earlier, she was willing to espouse. Before them all she curtsied ' most- gracefully to the two Englishmen. " Farewell, sahiba," she said. " Stay ' Allah prosper you!" And with that she was gone. Ere they ] : were fully resolved that this was, indeed, ' the end "they heard the hoof-beats of her 1 retreating cavalcade. Soon they knew, : from the distant commotion, that the Emperor's troopers were withdrawing to their last camping-place. Mowbray, a prey to thoughts which he could ill control, stood with Sainton a little . apart from tho cluster of mud huts ad- ' joining the bivouac. Roger, sympathising t with the stress of his comrade's reflections, gazed at the stars and softly whistled a few ' bars of— | Oh, do ye ken Elsie Marley, honey, The wife that sells the barley, honey? For Elsie Marley's grown so tine, ' tone weaa't get up to feed the wine.

But Jad Singh, who had elected to p;o J'ji with them to Calcutta, did not scruple break iu on' his new masters, reverie. To him. no matter what the comedy played by his mistress, one. woman more or lees in the woild was of little import. "Do we, too. march to-night, sahib.'' he asked, wheu lie discovered Mowbray oa the outskirts of the hamlet. "No," was the curt reply. " Theu, sahib, if Khuda permits it. let us sleep. Three times in one month have we passed restless nights in this accursed village." Ha.! Why are these poor dwellings -. more hateful than any others passed on the road?" "I know not, sahib, unless it be a meet-ing-place of evil spirits. When the Maharaui came this way to Burdwan, she wept all night and refused to be comforted. hen she returned, she wept again, for it was here wo rested after regaining the great) road. To-night, when I saw her smiling whilst she conversed with your lordships, 1 thought the spell was broken. Yet, by the beard of Manu. now she is gone—and for what"'—to indulge the faney of a king who murdered that good man, Sher Afghan." " It may be that the local fiends are un- ' friendly to her ami not to thee, Jai Singh. 1 Sleep in peace. We march betimes in tho ['f\ morning.' I He knew full well that ambition was the sprite which plagued Nur Mahal. i In truth," said Roger, its they walked ! slowly after Jai Singh, " I am resolved now i that your lucky star shines over'. these * hovels, lad. Had you tried to shoe you filly she would have requited you by kicking you into the smithy fire." ■ My soul, that would be the proper lot of an indifferent smith," said Mowbray, with a queer bitterness in his voice, for weak human nature is so made up of contradictions that he missed Nur Mahal, sorely now that he had seen the last' of her. " Ecod, if that is your way of thinking why didn't you give her ii hearty hug when she led you forth into the field of chickpeas? Women will oft yield to a. squeeze . when they cry ' Pshaw to a sigh. My mother told me—' "I pray to the saints, if ever we see England again, thy mother may tell theo • when to held thy tongue," cried Walter wrathfully, whereat Roger whistled another bar of "Elsie Marley," and winked portentously at a gaa-rled and- wizened village 'r\' head-man, who cowered in his blanket close to their fire. The old man wondered dully what all these comings and goings of great folk betokened, but the giant's, humour . V pleased him greatly. It was propitious to be thus noticed by a lord of the earth. > Thenceforward ,their days and.nights ' ' provided an uneventful record of quiet Iravel. They reached Allahabad next day, and * "'« the Kotwal was minded to give them, some trouble, lie was cowed instantly, when ...' i Walter exhibited Akbar's order to the treasurer, which he had forgotten to hand to Ibrahim with the receipt. Nevertheless, being now well yerscd in the ways of Indian officials, he marvelled at the man's hectoring manners, since this city, situated /i J at the confluence of the Ganges and the Jumna, was one of the chief resting-places for merchants passing between the Mogul, capital and the Hughli delta. . Even at that date, the Bay of Bengal was becoming noted as the silo of important trading stations, ■ It was passing strange that the civil, head l ~ of Allahabad should bo so impolitic. No restrictions were placed.on his move--ments, however, and the 'incident. scarce demanded further thought. Indeed, the V Kotwal deigned to help him by ordering his men to belabour the curious ' crowds ' which hampered' progress through tho ba-' zaar, for the fame of Stainton'e stature--spread like -wildfire, and numbers' of mild- • eyed Hindus came to gaze at him. / {'"'f Here, they were able to test the-value) of Nur Mahal's gift. Deeming it wise to] ", replenish their small stock of ready money, 1 eked out as it was- by a sum which she! had entrusted to Jai Singh for the expens- j (,'s| es of the escort, they sold four small dia- : monds in the bazaar. They brought a' S; thousand rupees, after some bargaining, so it was evident,'- even to experts; that J the two hundred stones in the little cedar cabinet, some being very large and pure, must be worth even more than the price l ; . estimated. With the money thus obtained they pur- ..-v chased three , roomy, flat-bottomed boats, ■ ' spacious enough to house the whole party,, man and horse. - Assured that there would 'ji be no difficulty in securing food-and fodder jsS on the long river voyage, they did not / burthen their craft with a bulk of stores. Nevertheless, their. preparations, though! simple, consumed several days, for, to the Sanative of India, Kal (to-morrow) is as precious a word as Manana to the Spaniard. At last, after a weary delay,'towards , 3 which Mowbray strongly suspected the Kotwal contributed indirectly, the huge, osier- . woven sails of their buggalows were hoisted, and the unwieldy caravels lumbered N/ slowly down stream. Owing to the everchanging channel, the numerous sandbanks, the occasional barriers of half-sunk-en trees , and other debris, they could , only move during the hours of daylight. . , At night they tied up near some village, where i!,®' young goats, eggs, poultry, milk and grain were obtainable. At times,- the people were so poor that even these primary commodities ran short, but, on the wholej they fared well. A week's quiet .voyaging, . did wonders for their horses. The hardy : country-breda became sleek and fat. When . taken ashore for exercise t hey would plunge ' and caper for sheer liveliness. One evening, after they had passed Benares, some f J?.\ ' such ebullition on the part of the powerful ' stallion which carried Sainton during the march from Agra caused his master to > growl: -. | 1 "It seems-a daft thing to me, Walter, i to ferry those ill-mannered brutes to far.. I They are in good condition now. Why]-,/ t I not sell them at the next big town, and' ' 4 ' let Jai Singh purchase others for his rei turn up-country?". " - , ' r '"I have been thinking of that same plan,"' i agreed his friend. •• "Let us consult Jai' . i Singh, and hear what lie says." ' k But'the shrewd old Rajput opposed the suggestion. He pleaded that no such cattle r could he bought in Lower Bengal, and that' ' ; they themselves would be glad of good' > mounts when they quitted the river to, ride . into Calcutta. The argument, prevailed,, t though his real intent was to sell the anir ma-ls as soon as their backs were turned* ; and procure wretched tats for himself and ( his comrades, titerby netting a very handsome profit. In life, it is ever the trivial things that! ; count. A straw would have swayed then* ; to barter the horses at I)iti a pore. Had they . done so, this history would have changed . its course. [ It was their custom to pass through populons places without stopping. ; Seen from ■ « . the banks they attracted little attention, which suited their purpose better than to ' leave behind them a trail of surmise ami! • gossip. The dull villagers they encountered V' had no ideas beyond the state of the crops and the prospect of an early monsoon. . Hence they slipped quietly if slowly, over » , very long "stretch of their journey to tho ten. without any important event breaking I the monotony of peaceful nights and restful 1 days. The pranks which fortune had played i them itt the past might have warned them ' ! that this idyllic existence could not continue. But the fickle jade gave them no ! portent. Little did they realise that stern - i • times were come again when one evening. " 1 . whilst strolling ashore on a high bank and \ s- . idly watching the Rajputs watering , the . horses, a man, black as a negro, but dressed"*< 1| , in semi-European costume, suddenly ap-' . peared from a clump of trees crowning the 1 J promontory carved from the land by a bend "J of the stream at that point. 'V"JU' . I Half running, half'staggering, he made towards them. As he came nearer, they . perceived that he was in desperate plight. His garments were blood-stained; his gait 1 I and • aspect told of abject fear; his eyes ( I glistened like those of a hunted fawn: and v; ' : sinister token, his hands vpere weighted with . I heavy gyves of a fashion usually intended i: for the legs of prisoners. } , " Gad," cried Roger, staring at tho apjlparition, "this chuck minds me of'- that) . 1 image of Satan who greeted us 011 board .- . r Sir Thomas Roc's ship. Yet, an' he tie the * devil himself, someone hath bound him. ' ' ' The poor wretch reached them," fell panting at their feet, and gasped in Portuguese : ' " - ' "Save me! Save me, for the love of God, if ye are Christians!" .* (To bo . continued, oa. Satardfvr next.}