Part 21 (1/2)

”How I had been deceived! How blind I had been! The girl who had bewitched and fascinated me on the previous day was now revealed in her true light. Now she seemed something despicable, hateful, loathsome. The beauty that I admired seemed to have vanished. The creature now appeared to be hideous. Whether the revulsion of feeling caused a permanent blindness of my eyes to her beauty I cannot say. Knowing what I do of India and its mysteries--mysteries that scientists have failed to solve--I am more than inclined to think that the girl was never so beautiful as she first appeared to me. My very eyes had been deceived before now by the marvellous tricks of the native conjurers and fakirs.

In my own mind, I have no shadow of doubt that the girl Lilla, by the powers she possessed, led me to imagine the charms I had only a day before seen in her, and by means of which she had fascinated me.

”Her words and the sight of her enraged as well as disgusted me.

”'You she-devil!' I shouted. Then I stopped because words failed me.

”The girl showed no astonishment at the epithet I had bestowed upon her.

Instead, she softly stepped down from the sofa and glided, snake-like it seemed to me, towards where I stood.

”'You shall kiss me,' she hissed, and again I was impressed by her resemblance to a serpent.

”Even when I attempted to cast her away as she crept nearer and nearer to me I felt that I was powerless. My loathing for this creature was none the less, yet I could not prevent her from pressing those cruel thin lips, that had seemed so rosy and fascinating on the previous day, against my cheek.

”'There,' she whispered; 'I knew you loved me, Harold. You must marry me!'

”You fiend!' I shrieked; 'I detest you--I loathe your very existence.

Away! I will not stay for another moment under the same roof with you.

Sorceress, you have ensnared me, but----'

”'My love,' she replied, beneath her breath, 'as you say, you are ensnared. You are mine. You shall not leave this house until you are even more mine--until you are my husband.'

”Then as she spoke I suddenly became aware of the fact that a face was peering through the half-closed door of the den--a shrivelled, yellow face, with oval slits of eyes, which were directed towards me.

”Then, evidently perceiving I was aware of this fact, the door was pushed open, and a hideous Chinese woman shuffled in, at once engaging Lilla in conversation in her native tongue.

”From what I gathered the woman was the mother of the girl!

”With startling suddenness the elder female turned on me after a moment's conversation with Lilla.

”'Sahib likee mazinloree?' she said with an intonation that implied a question.

”I shook my head, not understanding the creature's remark.

”'She says, ”Does the gentleman like his mother-in-law?”' explained Lilla, with a leering laugh.

”'I have had enough of this nonsense,' I shouted, bubbling over with rage; 'let me pa.s.s or I shall clear you both out of the way.'

”'No marry this girlee?' asked the old hag.

”'No, once again,' I exclaimed, and I thrust the woman to one side, and found myself in the dark pa.s.sage.

”'Ha--ha--ha!' screamed Lilla; 'how will you like it when we tell the General where you have been?'

”I stopped short, horrified by her words. At once I saw how I had been 'let in.' The diabolical cunning of the enchantress--the siren--was only too plain. Unless I married Lilla she would report my visit to the forbidden quarter to the commanding officer at the barracks.

”'Tell me,' I said, ill-disguising my rage, 'how much you want!'