And the King motioned his guest to look, and he looked over
her veiled shoulder and saw. Very great was the bowed beauty that
the mirror held, but Allah-u-Din turned to the Rana.
"By the Bread and the Salt, by the Guest-Right, by the Honour of
thy House, I ask - is this the Treasure of Chitor?"
And since the Sun-Descended cannot lie, no, not though they
perish, the Rana answered, flushing darkly, - "This is not the
Treasure. Wilt thou spare?"
But he would not, and the woman slipped like a shadow behind the
purdah and no word said.
Then was heard the tinkling of chooris, and the little noise fell
upon the silence like a fear, and, parting the curtains, came a
woman veiled like the other. She did not kneel, but took the
mirror in her hand, and Allah-u-Din drew up behind her back. From
her face she raised the veil of gold Dakka webs, and gazed into
the mirror, holding it high, and that Accursed stumbled back,
blinded with beauty, saying this only,- "I have seen the Treasure
of Chitor."
So the purdah fell about her.
The next day, after the Imaum of the Accursed had called them to
prayer, they departed, and Allah-u-Din, paying thanks to the Rana
for honours given and taken, and swearing friendship, besought
him to ride to his camp, to see the marvels of gold and steel
armor brought down from the passes, swearing also safe-conduct.
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