第51章

THE COURT-MARTIAL

The mausoleum of Anar Kali, a great octagonal building in the gardens to the south of the town, was the place whither the Russian prisoners were taken.Heideck and Edith Irwin were not the first that had found quarters there; for, besides about a hundred officers, there were already there numberless English ladies and children whose saviours had appeared in time to rescue them from the horrible fate of Mrs.Baird and her children.At the open door of the apartments reserved for the women Heideck and Edith Irwin had to part.They were not allowed a long time to take leave.But even if they had been altogether alone they would at this moment have been scarcely able to find much to say; for after all the exertions and excitements of the terrible day just ended such heavy fatigue and exhaustion had overcome them that they could only mechanically make use of their limbs; and so, instead of the passions, hopes, and fears, with which they had been moved but a short time previously, there was now only a dull void in their brains as in their hearts.

"Au revoir, to-morrow." That was all that passed between them.

Then, as soon as they had conducted him into the room assigned to him, Heideck threw himself down, as he was, upon the tiles of the floor, and fell instantaneously into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The glorious Indian sun, which shone through the round opening in the ceiling down upon his face, woke him the next morning.

His limbs were stiff from his uncomfortable couch, but the short sleep had invigorated him, and his nerves had completely regained their old freshness and vigour.

His room-mates must have been taken away early to some other place, for he found himself quite alone in the lofty room which was only lighted by the window in the ceiling.The rays of the sun fell opposite to him upon a tomb of the purest, whitest, marble quite covered with illegible hieroglyphics.Whilst he was still engaged in looking at the apparently ancient memorial tablet, he heard suddenly behind him the light rustling of a woman's dress, and when he turned round he gazed with pleasurable surprise into Edith Irwin's pale, fair face.

"How delighted I am to find you still here," she said with a happy expression."I was afraid that you had been taken away with the other prisoners.""As it seems, it was out of consideration for my well-deserved slumber," he replied, with a slight trace of humour.But then, remembering the terrible seriousness of the situation, he continued in altered and hearty tones--"How have you passed the night, Mrs.Irwin? It appears to me as if all that I have gone through since my return to Lahore has only been a dream."With a painful quiver of the lips she shook her head.

"Unfortunately, there is no room for doubt that it has been hideous reality.Poor, poor Mrs.Baird! One must almost consider it a happy dispensation of Providence that her husband did not live to see the terrible fate of his family.""What, have you news from the field of battle? Do you then know that the Colonel is dead?"Edith nodded.

"The Colonel is dead; my husband is dead; Captain McGregor, and many of my friends from Chanidigot, have been left on the field."She said it calmly; but he read in her eyes the deep sadness of her soul.

Much affected by her heroic strength of character, he bent his head and kissed her hand.She let him have his way for a moment, but then withdrew her thin, cool fingers with a beseeching look, the meaning of which he full well understood.

"The Commander-in-Chief and his staff reached the railway station,"she continued; "they travelled to Delhi with the last train that left Lahore, just at the eleventh hour; for immediately afterwards the Russians entered the town.The wreck of the army is now marching to Delhi, but their pursuers are close at their heels.

God alone knows what will be the fate of our poor defeated army."He did not ask her where she had obtained all this information; but that it was quite correct he was firmly convinced, judging by his own experience.He did not know what to say to her to encourage her, he who never had been able to toy with empty phrases.A short while they remained silent, and their eyes simultaneously fell upon the sunlit marble tomb before them.

"Have you seen this cenotaph before?" the young lady suddenly asked, to Heideck's surprise.On his answering in the negative, she went on--"This is the famous tomb of Anar Kali, the beloved wife of Sultan Akbar, who, on account of her beauty, was given the name of 'Pomegranate Blossom.' She probably departed this life in the same way that we should have done if the daggers of the murderers yesterday had reached us.She, perhaps, was just as little conscious of what was happening to her, as we should have been in this past night.""Can you read the inscription?" asked Heideck.

"No, but I have had it interpreted to me; for it is one of the most famous inscriptions in India.The beautiful Anar Kali was once so foolish as to smile when the son of her lord and master entered the harem.And in the selfsame hour the jealous sultan had the unhappy woman executed.But he must have loved her very dearly, for he erected to her this beautiful memorial, which should hand down to generations yet unborn the name of Anar Kali.So full of insoluble riddles is the poor, foolish heart of man."Jingling footsteps were heard on the flagstones outside, and the next moment an officer appeared at the door accompanied by several soldiers.In abrupt, peremptory tones he ordered Heideck to follow him.

Now, for the first time, the Captain saw in Edith Irwin's face something like an expression of terror.

"What is the meaning of this?" She turned hastily to the Russian.

"This gentleman is not an Englishman."

The Russian did not understand the question in English; but when Heideck asked in Russian what they were about to do with him, he replied, shrugging his shoulders--"I do not know.Follow me."