A Servant of Satan: Romantic Career of Prado the Assassin — page 71: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A SERVANT OF SATAN, 63 _ peared to know much more than might reasonaoiy have been expected from a Hindoo lady living in the seclusion of a Baroda Zenana. Frederick could not help noticing the very marked im- pression that he was producing onthe widow. She address- ed herself almost exclusively to him, and her piercing eyes hardly ever left his face. She insisted on their staying until nightfall, and when Frederick pleaded some urgent. business appointment she prevailed on Frederick to allow the colonel to depart alone and to remain behind, at any rate until it was time for the city gates to close. The heat being intense indoors, the widow shortly afterward made a _ proposal that they should adjourn to the gardens of her pal- ace, and conducted him along a winding path sheltered from the glare of the sun by the dense foliage of the syca- more trees to a fairy-like kiosk, built on a kind of rocky promontory, which seemed to hang out over theriver. A gentle breeze made its way through the closed lattices of the windows, and a pink marble fountain perfumed the at- mosphere with its jet of rose-water. Frederick had entered this charming buen retiro a free man. When he left it he was enthralled by fetters which — he would find it difficult to sever. He had been about four months at Baroda when one morning as he was in the act of mounting his pony to © ride over to pay his customary visit to the widow a diminu- tive black boy stealthily slipped a note into his hand. Hastily turning round Frederick recognized the grinning features of Florence’s little page, who, after making a pro- found salaam, disappeared as fast as his legs would carry him. Putting his horse at a walk the young count opened the let- ter and read the following words: : «7 will be this evening, at dusk, in the wood adjoining our bungalow, near the little temple of Jain. Meet me there. I must speak to you alone and without delay. I KS (le) Gomichboo =|