One was the lady behind whose chair you stood the night I performed
at Deennugghur, the lady about whom you are thinking. I do not know
the other two; one was getting on in life, the other was a young
one."
The relief was so great that Bathurst turned away, unable for a
while to continue the conversation. When he resumed the talk, he
asked, "Did you see them yourself, Rujub?"
"I saw them, sahib; they were brought in on a gun carriage."
"How did they look, Rujub?"
"The old one looked calm and sad. She did not seem to hear the
shouts of the budmashes as they passed along. She held the young
one close to her. That one seemed worn out with grief and terror.
Your memsahib sat upright; she was very pale and changed from the
time I saw her that evening, but she held her head high, and looked
almost scornfully at the men who shook their fists and cried at
her."
"And they put them with the other women that they have taken
prisoners?"
Rujub hesitated.
"They have put the other two there, sahib, but her they took to
Bithoor."
Bathurst started, and an exclamation of horror and rage burst from
him.
"To the Rajah's!" he exclaimed. "To that scoundrel! Come, let us
go. Why are we staying here?"
"We can do nothing for the moment. Before I started I sent off my
daughter to Bithoor; she knows many there, and will find out what
is being done and bring us word, for I dare not show myself there.
The Rajah is furious with me because I did not support the Sepoys,
and suffered conditions to be made with your people, but now that
all has turned out as he wished, I will in a short time present
myself before him again, but for the moment it was better that
my daughter should go, as I had to come to you.
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