their faces, and the long procession wound its way up the castle hill. All the dogs in the village collected to bark at the heels of the departing hor

ge children, and quite as anxious to see without being seen. All Kathleen's attention was taken up by the dear little gray monkeys, who were playing at hide-and-seek with each other through the beautiful tracery. Some noise within sent them off with a scamper. Their leader called th

all gray plagues from the balcony, who showed no respect for stamping hoofs or kicking heels. All round the court there were rows of straw-thatched huts and sheds, where the servants lived, next door to the animals in their charge. There were lynxes, kept for hunting hares; and splendid spotted leopards, tamed, and tied to strong posts, each with a leather hood over its eyes, to keep it from springing un

haughty in their clean white dresses and turbans-who we

ith his mace in his hand to meet him; and behind the peon, on the topmost step, stood the guest-rece

ly manly to follow his example, and stepped up to the other dandy, expecting to find Kathleen in a similar state. The a

ood staring at Horace, as Mr. Desborough lifted him up, with a s

rning Indi from her ayah ever since Rattam's visit. She understood it better than Oliver; a

go!" she entreated.

she were all right. He relinquished Horac

Oliver, with the air of a grandfath

l papa," sh

he urged;

up the step

partments?" asked Mr. De

e deferential reply, with a horrified look, as if to be guilty of such rudeness

that these English sahibs were utterly incompr

she whispered to Oliver, "That is the man. He was looking at Horace, and he said, 'I

at booraba was Indi for "wolf." "Well," he continue

asping her hands passionately;

e, a huge room, thirty feet high, with a gallery at one end, and at the other

wall, on English chairs. They had come to see the sahibs, and the Rana thought it only complimentary to provide English seats when English visitors were expected; but his uncles and brothers seemed to find them singularly uncomfortable. They balanced themselves on the edge o

laugh, and Oliver was nearly as

by the mountain stream, where golden fish were leaping in the sunlight, and stately swans were gliding. Around its banks, and almost built out into the water, at equal distances, there were white marble kiosks, or arbours; and high above the stately trees and luxurious wealth of flowers the jagg

looked so stately and calm and stern, as she surveyed her visitors with a fixed, cold stare, Kathleen was almost afraid of her. Her long black hair was twisted into a sort of coronet, fastened by a silver buckle, and set with large silver bosses. Her fixed and haughty eyes were dark with excessive brightness. Her proud, curving lips and set white teeth seemed as if they could scarcely permit the word of welcome to pass between them. A little girl, as beautiful as her mother, was leaning against her, and on the other side an elder sister sat with her arm round her mother's waist, embowered in shawls and her own long, dark, waving curls. They were still more fascinating children than their brothers. All the force and fire of the family seemed to have centred in its females. But the youngest girl hid her fa

oured satin dress, and flowered silk trousers, and his turban hung round with tigers' teeth set in gold, not to mention his bracelets and chains, he found him a cleverer boy than himself. They went together int

ocks, and had accumulated some dozens-French, Dutch, English, and American, all ticking. Oliver

o do. But the momentary hesitation passed over. He turned to Rattam and said, "Do you

terrupte

e rode into your court. I want to ask him what it was," continued Oliver.

nderstand the jogie's tale if you heard it. Our people are very imaginative. It may be nothing but

r. or Mrs. Desborough, they parted. Oliver returned to the hall, to sit in irksome silence, while Rattam speedily vanished. The old gentlemen by the wall looked as if they wer

dab on the sleeve of his jacket, where it remained to torment him for many a long day, by its overpowering perfume, which nothing could get rid of. The deputy's handkerchief was forthcoming in a moment. Like a prudent man who knew what he had to expect, he had provi

ver Aglar's head; so that Rattam's proposition was thankfully acceded to by all parties. The boys visited the dark dens, with their paved floors, well sluiced with water from the lake, whic

elieve, but yours do not. Yet the beebee Desborough must possess some powerful charms. Thin

It was a plaster, wasn't i

ers' teeth in his turban and the silver chains round his neck, "will ke

should call them reminders t

hunter who has roamed the forests all his life. He knows the footprint of every animal that lives in them. I will sen

Desborough, and he was an apt scholar; but he learned it all from books. As they were speak