Part 12 (1/2)

Kirby's right hand instinctively sought a pocket in his cloak

Warrington felt for his pistol, too

For thirty or more seconds-say, three steps-they went up like conspirators, trying toto the rail; then the absurdity of the situation appealed to both, and without a word said each stepped forward like a man, so that the staircase resounded

They stu after twenty steps, and wasted about aon what felt like the panels of a door; but then Warrington peered into the glooht

So they essayed a second flight of stairs, in single file as before, and presently-when they had cliotiate ten le-a curtain ed to a sudden shaft that nearly blinded thes, and a hundred lights, reflected in a dozen mirrors, twinkled and flashed before them so that they could not tell which way to turn Solassbead curtain, but there were so many mirrors that they could not tell which was the curtain and which were its reflections

The curtains all parted, and from the midst of each there stepped a little nutbrown maid, who seemed too lovely to be Indian Even then they could not tell which was maid and which reflections until she spoke

”Will the sahibs give their naested flutes

She smiled, and her teeth hiter than a pipe-clayed sword-belt; there is nothing on earth whiter than her teeth were

”Colonel Kirby and Captain Warrington” said Kirby

”Will the sahibs state their business?”

”No!”

”Then whom do the sahibs seek to see?”

”Does a lady live here named Yasmini?”

”Surely, sahib”

”I wish to talk with her”

A dozen littlecurtains, and a second later for the life of theh which it was that the music came and the smell of musk and sandal-s over her shoulder and holding the middle curtain apart for them to follow

So, one after the other, they followed her, Kirby-as beca out of place and foolish, but Warrington, possessed by such a feeling of curiosity as he had never before tasted

The heat inside the rooreat open hich sat a dozenoverhead, so Kirby undid his cloak and walked revealed, a soldier in mess dress

”Look at innocence aware of itself!” whispered Warrington

”Shut up!” co forward