CHAPTER IX.
IN SLIPPERY PLACES.
Owing to the combined influence of Charteris's strong hand, Gerrard'slavish promises to the army, and what Colonel Antony chose to style the"moderation" of Sher Singh, the succession of Kharrak Singh to hisfather's throne was effected without general bloodshed. The city wasevidently seething with all the possibilities of revolt when thefuneral procession entered and passed through the streets, but the armywas staunch for the moment--apparently from a sportsmanlike readinessto allow Gerrard to redeem his promises if he could--and one or twoattempts at disturbance were ruthlessly put down. The women and thecorpse of Partab Singh were got safely into the palace, and Sher Singh,who would have liked to edge in under cover of the confusion,dexterously excluded. The walls were garrisoned by the loyal guard,the disappointed Sher Singh quartering himself with his followers inthe house of a reluctant Armenian near at hand, and Gerrard andCharteris spent an arduous night in getting up from the secret treasuryan amount sufficient to fulfil their obligations. The heads of thegoldsmiths' guild had been warned to be in attendance early in themorning, and they came with a mixture of surly defiance and ostentationof poverty that showed they expected Gerrard's financial expedient totake the form of obtaining a forced loan from them. The sight of thegold ingots softened them wonderfully, and though it would not havebeen human nature had they failed to exact an exorbitant rate ofexchange for their silver, both sides parted well pleased, themoney-changers only grieving that they could not discover whether thistransaction was a final one, or merely a prelude to further business ofthe same sort.
The military arrangements for the funeral were made by Gerrard andCharteris, who were quite aware that they and their men, in thecharacter of sympathetic spectators, were in as great danger as KharrakSingh himself. The army must be entrusted with the duty of keeping theground, since it was necessary for the guard, with the exception of asmall detachment, to remain at the palace and garrison it in case of asurprise attack, and had the army been ill-disposed, it could haveswept away both claimants and the small Ranjitgarh force with a singlevolley. But the army remained unmoved, and Sher Singh walked behindKharrak Singh as mourner, and guided his hand when he set light to thegreat pyre of sandalwood dripping with costly perfumes. It was thefirst time that the body of a Rajah of Agpur had been burnt without theaccompanying self-immolation of a number of his women, and troops andBrahmins were alike displeased, while the mob surging outside the linesenlivened the ceremony with taunts and maledictions. The troops madevarious raids into the crowd to punish the most outspoken of thedissentients, and this may have served to assure the people that therewould be no change in the drastic methods of Partab Singh. At anyrate, when the dead man's two sons had watched the pyre burn down intoashes, had performed the ceremonies of purification and werereturning--on separate elephants, for the Rani had insisted on this--tothe square before the palace for the proclamation of the new Rajah, themob acclaimed Kharrak Singh with ardour.
There was some approach to a riot when Partab Singh's will was madeknown, appointing the Rani Gulab Kur regent for her son Kharrak Singh,and begging Gerrard to undertake the office of protector to both, andloud cries were raised for Sher Singh; but when it was announced thatSher Singh had consented to refer the question of his appointment asjoint-regent to the arbitration of the Ranjitgarh Durbar, the popularwrath was turned against him also. Both he and the Rani were equallycommitted to what the Agpuris considered a traitorous and unpatrioticreliance on Ranjitgarh and the English, and the stern unbendingadvocates of independence were for getting rid of both. But at presentthe executive power lay in the hands of the army, and the army wasbeing placated with gifts of rupees to the rank and file, and ofjewellery, swords, shawls, and robes of honour to the officers. Thearmy thereupon decided that the promises made in Kharrak Singh's namehad been kept, and that it would be worth waiting to see if he had morelargess to distribute before turning against him. The local Durbar,seeing the course things were taking, adapted itself to circumstanceswith great readiness, and paid its respects to the Rani Gulab Kurthrough her curtain, having purged itself of the irreconcilables whodemanded an instant massacre and an open defiance of the English and oftheir allies at Ranjitgarh.
No sooner was this peaceful settlement reached, than Gerrard receivedperemptory orders to leave Charteris in charge at Agpur, and presenthimself at Ranjitgarh, with all documents and witnesses bearing on thecase, that Sher Singh's claim and Partab Singh's testamentarydispositions might be inquired into. If he had been a little inclinedto plume himself on the success he and Charteris had achieved, he wasnow to meet with a wholesome corrective, for Colonel Antony was muchdispleased with him, and showed it plainly. He had added infinitely tothe already overwhelming cares of the Resident at Ranjitgarh, and hadbrought into close political union with the British power a provincewhich would have been much better left to itself. He should have drawnback at once when Partab Singh showed signs of wishing to cultivate hispersonal rather than his political friendship, and left the rival heirsto settle things between themselves, instead of allowing himself to bemade the tool of an ambitious woman and a doating old man.
So convinced was Colonel Antony of the righteousness of Sher Singh'scause that for once he overbore the opposition of his Durbar. TheDurbar considered that Partab Singh's recorded disinheritance of hiselder son, and the presumed reasons for it, which were known by hearsayto every story-teller in Granthistan, were sufficient to bar hisrecognition as regent and heir presumptive; but Colonel Antony thoughtthat the secrecy with which the Prince had been condemned, and theabsence of any documentary evidence, rendered it extremely probablethat his father had been misled by false information, and condemned himunheard and innocent. Therefore the unwilling Durbar were impelled inthe way which they were reluctant to take of their own accord, and MrJames Antony was despatched to Ranjitgarh to interview the Rani throughthe curtain, and inform her that she was thenceforth to regard herstepson as her coadjutor in the work of government. The envoy expectedtears and lamentations, and pathetic attempts to induce the Resident toalter his decision, but the Rajput lady fought with other than women'sweapons. In clear cold tones she issued her ultimatum. Sher Singh wasto be absolutely debarred access to the palace, and was to make noattempt to communicate with her otherwise than by messenger, andGerrard was to be appointed Resident at Agpur, with quarters in thefort, and the special task of watching over the safety of KharrakSingh. Otherwise the Rani would poison herself and her son and everysoul in the zenana, and then set fire to the building, that the ashesmight remain for ever as a monument to the perfidy of the English.
James Antony tried reasoning and threats, but in vain. The only answerto his remonstrances was an intimation from the Rani that she declinedto receive him again until he had referred the matter to Ranjitgarh andcould bring her a definite answer. Not, perhaps, wholly unwilling todemonstrate the ill success of his brother's theories, he did as shedesired, recommending that Gerrard should become acting-Resident, withthe duty of keeping the peace between the two Regents, and serving as ameans of communication between them. Colonel Antony was very angry,but Gerrard was so obviously the only possible person for such a post,in view of the confidence reposed in him by Partab Singh, that he gaveway, telling him, as Charteris had done before, that the difficultiesof the position would in all probability make it more of a punishmentthan promotion. With this cheering prophecy in his ears Gerrarddeparted for Agpur, and Charteris, riding out to meet him, saw at oncethat he was in low spirits. He gave no hint of his discovery, however,until the state entry into the city and the first formal visits wereover, and the two were left to themselves at the Residency, whichCharteris had employed the interval in fortifying, according to a plandrawn out by Gerrard before he left, so that it formed a kind of minorcitadel inside the great palace enclosure. They were sitting on thebroad verandah, with its tiled roof supported by solid pillars ofmasonry, which had served as frame to one of Gerrard's pictures
ofimaginary bliss, when Charteris broke the silence.
"Well, you are in the blues, my boy, and no mistake! What's themeaning of it? Here are you just returned from the giddy haunts ofsociety and fashion, with a face as long as one of Padri Jardine'ssermons, while I, who have seen no European countenance for a month butthe rough-hewn phiz of our Mr James, am as cheerful as a cricket."
"Result of having got what I wanted, I suppose Antony would say. Didyou indulge a sneaking hope of gaining a little credit on the score ofour exploits here, Bob?"
"Hardly. There's a prejudice nowadays against subalterns annexingempires without orders, you know. Precious silly, of course, but onemust take it into account."
"Well, I might have been an escaped convict from Botany Bay, by the wayAntony jawed me. And other people took their tone from him, naturally,except---- By the way, I dined at the Cinnamonds' one night."
"And was our bright particular star visible?"
"She was. So was a young cub of a civilian--just gone into stick-ups,I should imagine."
"Dangerous?"
"I think not. Merely having his mind and morals improved, if I am anyjudge."
"Ah, we know all about that, don't we, old boy? Not that any beggarlycivilian is going to join this noble fellowship, is he? The more hekeeps his distance the better we shall be pleased. And the lady of ourmutual adoration----?"
"She barely spoke to me. At least"--with an effort--"she did askwhether I sent to request your help or whether you came of your ownaccord. Of course I told her it was that."
"And then?"
"She said it was just what she would have expected of you."
Charteris burst into a roar of laughter. "Oh, poor old beggar! and heain't jealous, not a bit! Never mind, Hal; when you have pulled me outof a hole, I shall have to praise you up to her, and won't it goagainst the grain! Ray-ther--just a few! But has the fair lady lentan ear to slander? You don't think she can have heard anything aboutthe Rani?" cautiously.
"What do you know about the Rani?" cried Gerrard furiously.
"Simply that James Antony thought fit to tell me it had struck him thatit would be very convenient for the transaction of public business, andvery much for the safety of Kharrak Singh, if you or I married thelady. You were the favourite, as in a way marked out by her husband'swill. One of our Mr James's witticisms, of course, and in vile taste,as usual."
"His taste is his own affair; what I mind are his abominable practicaljokes. Do you know that he said this same thing to the Colonel, butput it as though I had approved, or even proposed, the arrangement?"
"The Colonel is a little apt to jump to conclusions, when they involvethe depravity of other people," suggested Charteris. "It's justpossible that he misunderstood his brother."
"Then I wish to goodness they would adopt some means of communicationthat left no room for misunderstanding. There Antony sent for me, andreviled me as if I had been a criminal of the deepest dye; said thatGranthistan would stink in the nostrils of all India if these marriageswith native women continued, and threatened to send me back to Bengalunless I gave up all thoughts of it at once."
"Alas, poor Hal! And what did you do?"
"Told him that I had got pretty well accustomed by this time to bereprimanded for everything I did, but when it came to being jawed forthings I had no thought of doing, and wouldn't do for all the wealth ofDelhi, I was hanged if I would stand it. Then I handed in myresignation on the spot."
"And what did he do?"
"Begged my pardon, like a man and a gentleman and a Christian as he is,dear old fellow! Asked me as a favour to withdraw my resignation, andshook hands."
"Well, you have got on his soft side, and no mistake! But what hadriled him? Who were your predecessors in iniquity?"
"Oh, you haven't heard. Remember Horry Arbuthnot, big dashing fellowin the Cavalry? He has been and gone and married the daughter of oldMurid-ud-din of Bala."
"You don't say so! How on earth did he manage it?"
"Why, he was sent up to help Tika Singh in pacifying the hilltracts--or rather, to keep him from perpetrating a massacre and callingit pacification--and Murid-ud-din's widow and family had taken refugethere. I don't know how the trick was done, but I daresay Tika Singhhad a finger in the pie. He had taken a fancy to Arbuthnot, and mayhave wished to get a hold over him--at any rate, the bold Horace madedefinite proposals. Then the thing came to Antony's ears--Tika Singhmay have had a hand in that too--and the fat was in the fire. He sentup orders--to Tika Singh, mind you--to send Arbuthnot down under arrestforthwith, and so nip his matrimonial project in the bud. Now it sohappened--the course of true love running smooth for once--thatAntony's letter reached Tika Singh on the eve of a great festival, andof course he couldn't possibly open it. But he took a squint inside,or the messenger told him the drift of it, or something, and by somemost regrettable leakage the contents got to Arbuthnot's ears. Thefellow is like you, Bob; he don't let the grass grow under his feet.He married the lady that night by Mohammedan rites under the auspicesof her mother, who was highly in favour of the match, and they set offpost-haste for Gajnipur. Another remarkable coincidence--only the daybefore Tika Singh had given Arbuthnot a duplicate of his own signet,which would carry him anywhere in Bala. Antony's orders had beenconfidential, so that they got to Gajnipur and were married by thePadri there before the truth got out."
"I don't envy that Padri," said Charteris.
"Nor I. Antony would have declared himself Pope of Granthistan if thatwould have enabled him to invalidate the marriage, but the youngerBegum is indubitably Mrs Arbuthnot, and means to remain so. So Antonyhas packed them both back to the hill tracts, with the intimation thatArbuthnot may consider himself permanently relegated to the society ofhis new relations and his kind friend Tika Singh."
"Which means utter and absolute ruin, of course. Well, I call ituncommon hard."
"I don't know. Suppose Antony had written, 'Return to your sorrowingchief, and all shall be forgiven,' and done the heavy father businesswhen they turned up, and set both Mrs Antonys and Lady Cinnamond tocall on the Begum Arbuthnot, what would it have been but anencouragement to other fellows to go and do likewise?"
"Will the fellow find it worth it, I wonder? Funny thing what adifference a woman can make in a man's life."
Gerrard assented with almost a groan. "She plays the very mischiefsometimes. Bob, I can't help thinking that perhaps you were right whenyou suggested we had better agree to give up all thoughts of her, bothof us."
The light-brown eyes, which gave a peculiar character to Charteris'sred-tanned face, flamed suddenly. "I suggest such a thing?" he cried."Hal, you are mad. What I said was that I would never, under anycircumstances, enter into such an agreement. Give up if you like. Igo on until I die or she marries me."
"Or me," said Gerrard, laughing mirthlessly.
Charteris struck his hand upon the table. "Are you trying to provokeme, Hal? I have stood a good deal from you, but there are limits.What's come over you?"
"Oh, forebodings--presentiments, that's all."
"You always were a superstitious sort of chap."
Charteris's passion had faded. "Had this sort of thing before?"
"Oh yes, often."
"And the presentiments always came true?"
"No-o, not always."
"I should think not!" shouted Charteris, with a mighty burst oflaughter. "Never was anything like the presentiments I had beforegoing into action the first time, and now I remember it, you werepretty much the same, but we both came out without a scratch. Cheerup, old boy. Who would think it was you that gave Sher Singh the lieto his face, and started calmly to march to certain death? Here, letme mix you a peg. I looks towards you, sir."
"I likewise bows," said Gerrard, with a perfunctory smile. "You don'tthink me altogether a coward, Bob? There is something evil about theatmosphere of this place. I felt it as I rode in at the gateway."
"I should recommend the
estimable Moraes and a blue-pill," saidCharteris, yawning. "Coward? nonsense! an overworked consciencesicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought is more your number. Andnow, as I march at a commendably early hour in the morning----"
"I wish you were staying on with me, Bob."
"Oh no, you don't. Think of the evil atmosphere of the place gettinghold of me too. Why, we should sit in corners and grind our teeth atone another. You forget the healthy rivalry between us. No, no, youwill do bear-leader to the youngster, and keep Sher Singh and the Ranifrom scratching each other's eyes out, and I'll knock down some morerobber castles in Darwan, and demand your help when I stir up a morevicious hornets' nest than ordinary. By the bye, when there was mortarand all kinds of mess about, I took the opportunity of bringing up alittle more gold from the treasury--ten thousand rupees' worth or so,as nearly as I could guess--and building it into this wall here," heindicated the parapet of the terrace with his cheroot. "It is behindthis bluish stone. You may be glad of it in an emergency."
"You think of everything, old boy. Sorry I haven't been a jolliercompanion to-night."
They parted the next morning, Charteris riding out to take up again thenomadic life and open-air work that he loved, while Gerrard remained tobegin his irksome task of trying to induce the Regents, the Durbar, thearmy and the citizens to lay aside their differences and aim at thecommon good. The Rani's one idea was to safeguard her son's positionby securing the loyalty of the army at all costs. The faintest sign ofdiscontent among the troops threw her into a frenzy of terror, andbrought orders for the instant granting of all demands and adistribution of rupees. As a natural result, the army speedilydominated the whole city, and kept the rest of the inhabitants insubjection, secure of the Rani's favour. The Durbar, composed largelyof Partab Singh's old councillors, lifted up voices of protest andlamentation when there were no soldiers about, but maintained adiscreet silence in their hearing. Which side Sher Singh took, Gerrardfound it difficult to discover. He complained bitterly in private ofthe arrogance of the army, the supineness of the Durbar, and theunreasonable behaviour of his co-Regent, but he seemed not to be makingany attempt to form a party of his own, that might work towards ahealthier state of things. Gerrard himself was the butt for everyone's ill-humour. The Rani and the troops alike execrated him when hedeclined to give his sanction to the distribution of a largess demandedwithout even a shadow of pretext, and Sher Singh and the Durbar sighedreproachfully over his inability to keep the army in its proper place.
The one spot of light in the gloom was the behaviour of little KharrakSingh, who proclaimed and exercised his royal will in the matter ofseeking the society of Jirad Sahib. That the Rani was intenselyjealous of his influence Gerrard perceived by many indications, but shecould not refuse to be guided by the directions left by her husband,and she was at any rate assured of the boy's safety while he was withhim. Surrounded by a small army of guards, they would ride through themuttering streets out into the open country, and there cast off for afew delightful hours the restraints of state. But this happened veryseldom, and Kharrak Singh was generally to be found on the Residencyverandah, where Gerrard, immersed in business, had to answer hisunceasing questions, instil such rudiments of useful information as hecould, and generally endeavour to prepare the child for the greatfuture before him. It was clear that the native tutors had no controlwhatever over their illustrious pupil, and every creature in and aboutthe zenana was his submissive slave, so that Gerrard became seriouslyexercised as to the development of his character. At times he hadvisions of obtaining a European tutor for him--an absolutelyrevolutionary innovation for those days--but the impossibility ofbringing the Durbar to see the wisdom of such a course, or of securingproper support for the unhappy man who might be appointed, deterredhim. To remove the child from the city, into surroundings mentallymore healthy, was of course impossible, and therefore Kharrak Singhcontinued to come each day to the Residency with his attendants,dismissing all but a favoured few with a regal wave of the hand at thefoot of the steps, and climbing on the divan arranged for him, to sitthere and talk under the pretence of looking at pictures. Gerrard hadsent for his books from down-country by this time, and after longjourneying on the heads of groaning coolies, and many vicissitudes bythe way, they now graced his meagrely furnished rooms. In the daytimethey were useful in teaching Kharrak Singh the bare beginnings of theEnglish language, and in the long evenings they served to mitigate theloneliness of the house which had presented itself as an abode of blissfor two, but was sadly too large for one.
The Path to Honour Page 9
