it well enough; they are brought up or trained by their fathers and husbands to regard the native Indian as an inferior being, an opinion in which, on the whole, I heartily concur.  But they go a step farther and include all Asiatics in the same category.  I do not choose to be confounded with a race I consider worn out and effete.  As for the men, it is different.  They know I am rich and influential in many ways that are useful to them now, and they hope that the fortunes of war or revolution may give them a chance of robbing me hereafter, in which they are mistaken.  Now there is our stout friend, whom we nearly brought to grief a few minutes ago; he is always extremely civil, and never meets me that he does not renew his invitation to visit him.”

“I should like to see something more of Mr. Currie Ghyrkins myself.  I do not believe he is half as bad as I thought.  Do you ever go there?”

“Sometimes.  Yes, on second thoughts I believe I call on Mr. Currie Ghyrkins pretty often.”  Then after a pause he added, “I like her.”

I pointed out the confusion of genders.  Isaacs must have smiled to himself in the gloom, but he answered quietly—­

“I mean Miss Westonhaugh.  I like her—­yes, I am quite sure I do.  She is beautiful and sensible, though if she stays here much longer she will be like all the rest.  We will go and see them to-morrow.  Here we are; just in time for dinner.  Come and smoke afterwards.”

* * * * *

CHAPTER III.

A loose robe of light material from Kashmir thrown around him, Isaacs half sat, half lay, on the soft dark cushions in the corner of his outer room.  His feet were slipperless, Eastern fashion, and his head covered with an embroidered cap of curious make.  By the yellow light of the hanging lamps he was reading an Arabic book, and his face wore a puzzled look that sat strangely on the bold features.  As I entered the book fell back on the cushion, sinking deep into the down by its weight, and one of the heavy gold clasps clanged sharply as it turned.  He looked up, but did not rise, and greeted me, smiling, with the Arabic salutation—­

“Peace be with you!”

“And with you, peace,” I answered in the same tongue.  He smiled again at my unfamiliar pronunciation.  I established myself on the divan near him, and inquired whether he had arrived at any satisfactory solution of his domestic difficulties.

“My father,” he said, “upon whom be peace, had but one wife, my mother.  You know Mussulmans are allowed four lawful wives.  Here is the passage in the beginning of the fourth chapter, ’If ye fear that ye shall not act with equity towards orphans of the female sex, take in marriage of such other women as please you, two, or three, or four, and not more.  But, if ye fear that ye cannot act equitably towards so many, marry one only, or the slaves which ye shall have acquired.’