Page:The Slave Girl of Agra.djvu/144

 "That is true, Jelekha, but the news came to my mistress, the Amber Queen, when I was attending on her. And the grim Musroor has sworn that he will capture the spy yet before the sun is in the east."

"I hope he will, sister," said Jelekha, with a smile on her lips.

"But whither goes thy companion? She will never reach the outer fort the way she is going."

"So I told her, sister. But she is a Persian, and scarcely understands me! The slaves of Begum Mihr-un-Nissa are always losing their way here, the idiots!"

"Nay, the Persian woman may not be such an idiot, Jelekha, as she looks. She may have come to the riverside at this hour on some other errand, and may have some sweet secret of her own!"

A general outburst of laughter followed the witty remark.

"May be so, sister," replied Jelekha. "We Tartars do not half trust these Persian women who play on their lute and sing of their lovers! They have not the discretion or the virtue of the women of Rajasthan, and much I suspect this giddy creature has been captivated by a pair of dark Persian eyes she may have seen to-night. What sayst thou, Nasima?"

Noren bit his lip in vexation at the cool impertinence of the irrepressible Jelekha. But he was forced to hold his tongue.

"The idiot speaks nothing," continued Jelekha. "She has lately come from Persia and scarcely understands our tongue."

"Nay, the Persian girl understands thee, Jelekha, but knows how to keep her secret. Methinks the