tired dog-cart, in which three figures were seated; and, having fulfilled his mission, he dropped back to the ground. In a few minutes he was on the terrace again, hissing like a cobra outside the smoking-room. General Sadgrove opened the French casement.
“The daughter of Sheitan came from the fifth window, and has gone away, even as the sahib predicted, in the cart with two men,” Azimoolah reported.
“Which road did they take?”
“To the left—the Senalban road, sahib.”’
“St. Albans, eh? Then she’s going to catch the 3.15 up night mail,” muttered the General. “Well, good-night, old jungle-wallah. You’ve got your orders,” he added, closing and bolting the window.
The next morning there were two absentees from the breakfast-table—General Sadgrove, who by overnight arrangement had breakfasted by himself, so as to be driven to Tarrant Road in time for the nine o’clock train to town, and Mrs. Talmage Eglinton, who was confined to her bed by a bad headache. The news of the indisposition was imparted to Sybil by the maid Rosa at her mistress’s door,
[228]
