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"But the s the worshiper here with candles and

flowers and incense? Is it love or reverence or superstition?"

The bald yellow heads nodded like porcelain mandarins

"Superstition," went on Umballa, "the shich bends the knees of

the layes!"

In the vault outside a bell tinkled, a gong boon," continued the schemer, "declare the curse upon

all those who do not bend A word from your lips, and Ramabai's troops

vanish, refor lives?" asked the chief priest curiously

"Ah!" And Ua Ra, and I Which for your purposes will

you choose?"

There was a conference The priests drifted away frohty, but for all that his knees

shook and his heart thundered He understood that it was to be all or

nothing, nohis

cracked and swollen lips When the priests returned to him, their

heads bent before him a little It represented a salaalow ran over Uree There will be terree to theain; real power! These doddering fools should serve

hi the while that they served themselves

"Half the treasury reed!" Half for the temple and half for himself; and the

abolishment of the seven leopards "With this stipulation: Ramabai is

yours, but the white people are to be nified assent