*CHAPTER X.*
_*A VISIT TO THE RANA'S CASTLE.*_
The deputy being the chief of the English party, was pressed to take aseat in the chariot by the Rana's side. Then the runners and the ridersturned their faces, and the long procession wound its way up the castlehill. All the dogs in the village collected to bark at the heels of thedeparting horsemen, and bright little eyes peeped round the corners tosee them go. Then the girls returned to their pitchers, and the men totheir music and play.
The strong and time-worn castle was all of stone, with rich, deepbalconies and oriel windows. The carving of the stone screens whichprotected them was as delicate as point lace. Behind those splendidscreens the ladies of the family were peeping as furtively and shyly asthe village 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 beautifultracery. Some noise within sent them off with a scamper. Their leadercalled them round him; and Kathleen soon saw them busy as ever in thecourt below, turning over stones, and hunting out beetles and scorpions,which they caught by the tail. The biggest of them was about the sizeof a bull-terrier; and their babies were the dearest little sweets inthe world.
It was slow work defiling one by one across the bridge which spanned thestream in front of the castle. Mrs. Desborough and the children hadentered the large, untidy court some minutes before Mr. Desborough andOliver arrived; so they waited, looking round them at the novel scene.In the centre of the court there was a large group of horses picketed,who seemed very much annoyed by the descent of the small gray plaguesfrom the balcony, who showed no respect for stamping hoofs or kickingheels. All round the court there were rows of straw-thatched huts andsheds, where the servants lived, next door to the animals in theircharge. There were lynxes, kept for hunting hares; and splendid spottedleopards, tamed, and tied to strong posts, each with a leather hood overits eyes, to keep it from springing unawares. More than a hundred dogsof different kinds were kennelled in their midst. The yelling and thebarking which arose on all sides so terrified Mrs. Desborough, that shepositively refused to get out of her dandy or suffer Horace to be takenfrom her arms, although he roared in concert with all his might; so herbearers rested in front of the flight of white steps leading to theporch of the castle.
A group of servants had gathered round them--looking very haughty intheir clean white dresses and turbans--who were announcing the arrivalof the guests with eager cries.
When Mr. Desborough's puggaree appeared beneath the gateway arch, one ofthe peons stepped forward with his mace in his hand to meet him; andbehind the peon, on the topmost step, stood the guest-receivers of theRana--two fat little old men, dressed all in white--bowing low, andinviting him to enter.
But no; Mr. Desborough must first of all reassure his terrified wife andpacify his screaming boy. Oliver thought it only manly to follow hisexample, and stepped up to the other dandy, expecting to find Kathleenin a similar state. The ayah was leaning forward, with her finger onher lips to enjoin silence, and Kathleen was gazing breathlessly in herface.
"Hush!" she whispered, pointing to one of the Rana's men, who stoodstaring at Horace, as Mr. Desborough lifted him up, with a scared,startled look, as if he had seen some marvellous prodigy.
What was the fellow saying? The ayah knew, and Kathleen more thanguessed. She had been learning Indi from her ayah ever since Rattam'svisit. She understood it better than Oliver; a great deal better thanher mother. She was trying to get out of the dandy in her impatience.
"Let me go! let me go!" she entreated. "I must go to papa."
Mr. Desborough was looking round to see if she were all right. Herelinquished Horace to the ayah, and gave his arm to his wife.
"I'll take care of Kathleen," said Oliver, with the air of agrandfather. But she tried to escape from him.
"I must tell papa," she persisted.
"Nonsense!" he urged; "you can't."
He led her up the steps resolutely.
"Which are the Ranee's apartments?" asked Mr. Desborough of theservants.
"They are in that direction looking east; but we cannot point them out,"was the deferential reply, with a horrified look, as if to be guilty ofsuch rudeness as pointing out the window of a lady's room would indeedhave been unparalleled.
But then they all entertained a private opinion that these Englishsahibs were utterly incomprehensible, and on some points downrightlunatics.
Kathleen turned round, and pointing to the jogie, who still stoodstaring after them, she whispered to Oliver, "That is the man. He waslooking at Horace, and he said, 'I saw that child last night come downthe koond on a booraba'--that is a wolf, you know."
"Is it?" said Oliver, who did not happen to know that booraba was Indifor "wolf." "Well," he continued, "it is certain he did not see yourbrother there."
"No, not Horace," she cried, clasping her hands passionately; "but couldit--could it be Carl?"
She was forced to be silent now. They were entering the Rana's hall ofaudience, a huge room, thirty feet high, with a gallery at one end, andat the other a much smaller, narrower room, with carved marble archesand glittering walls.
Here they saw the Rana himself, seated upon a large, low sofa, with thedeputy by his side; and Aglar, as still and motionless as a lizard, wassitting cross-legged at his feet. A few stout old gentlemen, swathed incostly shawls, looked as if they were propped up against the wall, onEnglish chairs. They had come to see the sahibs, and the Rana thoughtit only complimentary to provide English seats when English visitorswere expected; but his uncles and brothers seemed to find themsingularly uncomfortable. They balanced themselves on the edge of thechairs, and threw their heads back with great solemnity. But what to dowith their arms seemed the difficulty. One old gentleman stuck hisagainst his sides, and spread out all his fingers; another was vainlytrying to rest his hands on his knees without leaning forward.
Horace began to point at them and laugh, and Oliver was nearly as bad,in spite of his uncle's frown.
Beneath the marble arches there were long flights of steps leading downto the gardens, which were overlooked by the back of the zenana, orladies' rooms. The carefully-screened balconies looked like onesplendid mass of stone lace. In the centre of the gardens there was anartificial lake, fed by the mountain stream, where golden fish wereleaping in the sunlight, and stately swans were gliding. Around itsbanks, and almost built out into the water, at equal distances, therewere white marble kiosks, or arbours; and high above the stately treesand luxurious wealth of flowers the jagged red cliffs were frowning.Mrs. Desborough was lost in admiration as she was pompously conducteddown the snowy steps, across the velvet grass, to a low door leading tothe Ranee's apartments, the ayah following with Horace, riding on hislittle saddle, and Kathleen shyly tripping by her side.
The low door was unfastened, and they entered a dark passage, with anearthen floor, leading to a long staircase, which was very dirty. Thecontrast to the hall of audience was so great, Mrs. Desborough thoughtthere was some mistake, when out they stepped upon the cool and shadowybalcony. Little dark heads, with snowy whiskers, came poking throughthe interstices of the stone-work, to watch the English children, andabsurd-looking monkey mothers tossed up their babies and jabberedunceasingly. The folding-doors of the Ranee's sitting-room stood wideopen. Its Eastern loveliness was spoiled by some smart-looking Englishtables and looking-glasses, of which the Ranee was very proud. She wasseated upon a velvet cushion, with her little girls by her side, and herservants standing round her. The Hindu lady looked so stately and calmand stern, as she surveyed her visitors with a fixed, cold stare,Kathleen was almost afraid of her. Her long black hair was twisted intoa sort of coronet, fastened by a silver buckle, and set with largesilver bosses. Her fixed and haughty eyes were dark with excessivebrightness. Her proud, curving lips and set white teeth seemed as ifthey could scarcely
permit the word of welcome to pass between them. Alittle girl, as beautiful as her mother, was leaning against her, and onthe other side an elder sister sat with her arm round her mother'swaist, embowered in shawls and her own long, dark, waving curls. Theywere still more fascinating children than their brothers. All the forceand fire of the family seemed to have centred in its females. But theyoungest girl hid her face in her mother's lap, and the other onlyventured on a sidelong glance at the strangers--evidently terrified atHorace, who was manfully kicking at his ayah's waist. The sight of asplendid doll Mrs. Desborough was unpacking drew the shy littleOrientals from their mother's side. The ayah was interpreter. Whilstthe ladies were admiring each other's children, Kathleen took the dollon her lap, and showed the little sisters how to dress and undress it.Then they sent for their own dolls, and displayed the mystery of theirtinselled robes and gossamer veils. Here at least was common ground.And perhaps those little Hindus loved their dolls even more thanKathleen did, for they had scarcely any other pleasure in their dulllife; for while their brothers were made so much of by every one, nobodywanted them.
The gentlemen remained in the hall of audience, where the cup-filler andthe hookah-filler were in attendance. Oliver had the best of it; foralthough he could do nothing but laugh at Rattam, in hissaffron-coloured satin dress, and flowered silk trousers, and his turbanhung round with tigers' teeth set in gold, not to mention his braceletsand chains, he found him a cleverer boy than himself. They wenttogether into the Rana's armoury; and whilst Rattam was showing himswords of fabulous value, from the jewels in their hilts, and helmets ofthe strangest shapes imaginable, Oliver decided he was not half a dufferafter all.
They were entering the room where the Rana kept his clocks; for he had aperfect passion for clocks, and had accumulated some dozens--French,Dutch, English, and American, all ticking. Oliver thought this a bit ofa bore. "Couldn't we have a stroll out of doors?" he asked. Rattamagreed.
Oliver gave a tug at his own hair. It was a habit of his when he feltuncertain what to do. But the momentary hesitation passed over. Heturned to Rattam and said, "Do you know that Mr. Desborough lost a childa month or two ago? it was carried off by a wolf."
"Ah!" interrupted Rattam.
"One of your fellows was saying something about a child in the jungle aswe rode into your court. I want to ask him what it was," continuedOliver. "I'll tell you all about the loss of the poor little thing aswe go along."
"Leave that to me," replied Rattam, waving his hand with the air of aprince. "You would scarcely understand the jogie's tale if you heardit. Our people are very imaginative. It may be nothing but moonshineand shadow. Leave it to me. Before you quit the castle, all he has totell shall be known."
The boys had broken the ice of ceremony in which their elders werefreezing, and agreeing that it would be cruelty to raise false hopes byspeaking a word too soon to either Mr. or Mrs. Desborough, they parted.Oliver returned to the hall, to sit in irksome silence, while Rattamspeedily vanished. The old gentlemen by the wall looked as if they werelonging to slip off their chairs on to the floor, and take a rest aftertheir own fashion. The appearance of the attendants with trays ofsweetmeats was a welcome diversion.
The five shawl bundles munched contentedly, mumbling a word or two nowand then, when another servant appeared carrying a vase of mostoverpowering scent. He made a dart at Mr. Desborough's handkerchief anddeluged it. Oliver's not being quite so handy, he received a dab on thesleeve of his jacket, where it remained to torment him for many a longday, by its overpowering perfume, which nothing could get rid of. Thedeputy's handkerchief was forthcoming in a moment. Like a prudent manwho knew what he had to expect, he had provided himself with a second;and when he received it again well saturated, he quietly dropped it onthe floor. Aglar was at play with his ball in the gardens, tossing itup to the balcony through which his little sisters and Kathleen werepeeping, when Rattam reappeared.
He was anxious to show the young sahibs the wild beasts in the gardens;not only Oliver, but Horace also. That unmanageable young gentleman wasclamouring for the ball, which bounded high over Aglar's head; so thatRattam's proposition was thankfully acceded to by all parties. The boysvisited the dark dens, with their paved floors, well sluiced with waterfrom the lake, which were built at intervals in the midst of myrtlebowers and clustering roses, and watched the fierce striped tigers,growling behind the strong iron bars which enclosed the front of thedens.
Rattam drew Oliver aside. "It is a tale of magic," he whispered, "inwhich all our people believe, but yours do not. Yet the beebeeDesborough must possess some powerful charms. Think of the breastplateshe gave my brother! A bit of sticky paper, but possessing suchvirtue."
"Bosh!" muttered Oliver. "It was a plaster, wasn't it?" and he laughedheartily.
"These charms that I wear," continued Rattam, touching the loops oftigers' teeth in his turban and the silver chains round his neck, "willkeep me from all evil, unless I destroy their power by some act of myown."
"Then," retorted Oliver, "I should call them reminders to do right andfear no evil."
"Ah, you English have such different ideas to ours!" said Rattam. "ButI have sent for an old man from the village--a hunter who has roamed theforests all his life. He knows the footprint of every animal that livesin them. I will send him into the jungle to see if there is a wildchild about; such things do occasionally happen, as our people know."
Rattam had been working hard at his English since he brought the fruitand flowers to Mrs. Desborough, and he was an apt scholar; but helearned it all from books. As they were speaking, a remarkable old manentered the gardens, and approached Rattam, bowing to the ground.
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