ch. xi.] Cariosity of the Ladies. 211 



almost before, " Gelah " pocketed all the surplus cigars 

 and took another cup of neat brandy, — his example being 

 followed by one or two of the other attendants. 



We retired to our room for the night ; and then the 

 Sultan's son, Datu Mahomed, and " Bottelah," the 

 Sultan's secretary, together with two or three others, 

 including " Gelah," came in for a chat, so that we did 

 not get a chance of sleeping a wink until after two 

 o'clock. Even when we were alone in our sleeping" 

 apartment, and had reclined just as we were in our 

 clothes on the cushions and finely worked mats spread 

 out for us, I somehoAv felt conscious that we were 

 watched ; and once I caught a glimpse of a dark figure 

 gliding past a square opening in the wall above. Our 

 room communicated with the audience chamber which 

 we had just left, by a window-like opening about two 

 feet square. The lights in the large chamber had been 

 extinguished, while we, as is customaiy in the East, had 

 a glimmering oil lamp in our room, so that any one in 

 the audience chamber could see us plainly, without being 

 themselves seen. We had no fear of treacheiy, and yet 

 could not help feeling a creeping sensation of uneasiness 

 as shadow after shadow passed the opening to the right 

 of which we lay. At length a shadow lingering longer 

 than usual, I sprang to my feet and put my head through 

 the opening. A little suppressed scream, and the patter 

 of bare feet on the platform on the other side, followed 

 by muffled titters and whispering, told the tale. 



The ladies of the court, debarred by etiquette from 

 seeing us publicly, had taken advantage of the darkness 

 to obtain a peep at us. Barefooted, they had moved 

 more silently than mice on the platform in the next 

 room, and had satisfied their curiosity b} r stealing to the 

 opening one after another, and looking down on us to 



v 2 



