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A I learned of it through Nana Kandia, the servant who had secretly ee to me It seems that, afterdesire to see her English lover once more before her death; so she devised a plan by which, with Kandia's help, Darrow Sahib was to be secretly conducted to her under cover of night She wrote a letter asking hier on Malabar Hill, and instructing hiave to Kandia to post early in theof the day upon which their plan was to be put into execution As he was about leaving the house Ragobah called hi hi Kandia saw at once that the purpose of his errand had been discovered, and deter to post a letter, Sahib," he replied quietly "Let ht to do so," Kandia replied, springing toward the door But he was not quick enough for the wary Ragobah, who felled him to the floor with a chair before he had reached the threshold When he returned to consciousness he found his assailant, who had skilfully opened the letter, standing over hi he carefully resealed it and placed it in his pocket Then he called two of his servants and gave Kandia into their charge with orders to gag him, to bind him hand and foot, and, as they valued their lives, not to permit him to leave the room till he ordered it
What occurred between that tiobah, wounded and furious, late in the evening, we can only surmise He doubtless posted the letter, and went himself to meet Darrow Sahib on Malabar Hill When he returned home he hobbled into his wife's apart was badly crushed and his face, contorted with pain and fiendish malevolence, was horrible to look upon
"Our trusty friend here," he said, addressing his wife and pointing to Kandia, "could not conveniently post your letter this , my dear, so I did it myself" Lona's face turned ashen pale, but she ht," he continued in his sweetest accents and with the same demoniac sarcasm, "that you would be anxious to know if the Sahib received it,--our ht to Malabar Hill to see, for I felt certain he would coh, he was there even ahead of ti him to you on account of two most unfortunate accidents As you see I hurtinto the well in the little cave As it has no bottoed to return, as best I could, alone" As he finished this heartless lie, every word of which he kneas a poisoned dart, Lona fell fainting upon the floor Kandia raised her gently, expecting to find her dead, but was able at length to revive her The first words she said were directed to Ragobah in a voice devoid of passion or reproach,--of everything in fact save an unutterable weariness