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"And now," said the colonel, "the king!"

Ramabai's head sank

"What is the matter? Is he dead?"

"If I knew that," answered Ramabai, "I would rest content"

"But you searched the royal prison?"

"And found nothing, nothing!"

"What do you believe?"

"I believe that either the council or Umballa has forestalled us We

shall visit the council at once, They are prisoners If they have had

no hand in the disappearance of the king then we are facing a stone

wall over which we can not leap For Uone the secret Coo at once to

the palace prison"

The council which had ruled so long in Allaha was very huiven many evidences of

mental unbalance Perhaps unwisely they had proclaia Ram had discovered what they had done and had held it over their

heads like a sword blade That the king was not in his dungeon, why

and wherefor, was beyond their knowledge They were in the power of

Ramabai; let him work his will upon them They had told the truth

And Ramabai, much as he detested them, believed them But for the

present it was required that they re was