"Until an hour before dawn, you hear me? If any come to inquire for
them or me, you must deny any knowledge."

"That I would be sure enough to do! Shall I have it said that Mukhum
Dass keeps a dozen women in his dotage?"

"An hour before dawn I will come for them."

"None too soon!"

"Then I will write a letter to a certain man, who, on presentation of the
letter, will hand you the title-deed at once without payment."

"A likely tale!"

"Was it a likely tale that Chamu would repay his son's debt?"

"Well--I will take the hazard. Bring them in. But I will not feed them.
And if you fail to come for them before dawn I will turn them out and
it shall be all over Sialpore that the Princess Yasmini--"

"One moment, Mukhum Dass! If one word of this escapes your lips
for a month to come, you shall go to jail for receiving stolen money in
payment of a debt! My name was on the money that Chamu paid you with.
You knew he stole it."

"I did not know!"

"Prove that in court, then!"