David was in high spirits. True, these absurd Americans had virtually made him a prisoner in their house until his services were required to lead them to the harem of the khan; but he had been clever enough to arrange all his plans beforehand. Now, as he sat in the dim room awaiting the hour of action, he felt he had good reason to congratulate himself. The service of the vizier had been especially remunerative¹, for in addition to his liberal pay as a spy he had that morning received from Maie a large sum to keep her secret, with a promise of more to follow, and then he had secured an equal sum from Agahr for betraying his daughter’s secret. Was that not clever? Allison, also, who now sat opposite him silently smoking and at times stealthily glancing at his watch, had contributed much money for the preservation² of a secret that was a secret no longer. There were three good strings³ to that bow, thought David, chuckling⁴ delightedly. And now the old underground passage into the khan’s harem, which the Jew had discovered long ago and feared he would never have any use for, had paid him richer returns than all else. Mentally he figured up his various accumulations, both in money and jewels, and decided⁵ he was too rich to remain longer in Mekran. He would return very soon to Kelat, where there was more room for enterprise; or perhaps he would go on to Quettah, or even so far as—  
“Come!” said the Colonel’s voice, its stern tones interrupting David’s meditations⁶; “we are ready.”
 
Allison gave a sigh of relief, looked at his watch for the twentieth time, and knocked the ashes out of his pipe. He might be a trifle late, but Maie would wait.
 
“We will leave you to look after the women,” the Colonel said to his son. “Both the doctor and I are fully⁷ armed and will be equal to any occasion. But if David is right, and the night attack takes place on time, I anticipate no difficulty in getting Janet away from the harem.”
 
“Good luck to you,” said Allison, standing⁸ up to yawn and stretch his limbs.
 
“Have you a revolver?” asked the doctor, as his eyes wandered toward the rooms where his daughter and his sister slept.
 
“Always carry it,” said Allison.
 
“Then be watchful⁹ until we return. No one knows what may happen.”
 
“I’ll watch out,” said the young man, carelessly. And then, as David led the Colonel and the doctor to the street by one door, Allison slipped out at another and ran as speedily as possible in the direction of the vizier’s gardens.
 
David was short and fat, but he proved an agile¹⁰ walker, and the darkness of the night was no hindrance¹¹ to his way. He led his companions through many black alleys¹², turning first one way and then another, until he finally paused before a small stone house that stood vacant and delapidated. Drawing a key from his pocket he unlocked{273} the door and drew the others into a damp and close-smelling room.
 
A moment later he struck a match and lighted a candle.
 
“Now ve can see vhere ve go,” he said, complacently¹³.
 
The Americans looked around them with some curiosity. Although doubtless of considerable age the house seemed never to have been finished inside, or even occupied as a place of abode¹⁴. Bits of the building blocks were yet scattered¹⁵ over the earthen floor.
 
“Vonce, in de time of Keedar Khan,” said David, “a young kaid built dis house ant made a tunnel unner de grount to de khan’s harem, vhere hiss¹⁶ sveetheardt vas liffing. When she vas nod combing de vhiskers of de Khan she vas hugging de young kaid; ant vhen she vas nod hugging him she vas combing de Khan’s vhiskers. Id vas very nice arrangements. Bud von night de Khan called on de female vhen he vas nod expected, ant he cut de young kaid ant de girl both into slices before he enquired¹⁷ how de feller got into de harem. Id vas all very careless of de Khan; but he had a bad temper. So de tunnel vas neffer used again until I find it oudt a couple year ago. I buy de place cheap because de mans vot owned it neffer looked to find a tunnel. Ant now id iss very handy for us, ant very cheap for a t’ousant fillibees. Come—I show you.”
 
Chuckling softly, the Jew led the way through a narrow passage and down a few steps into a sort of underground cellar at the rear. Here, in one corner, a flagstone stood on edge, disclosing another flight of steps. Down these David proceeded without hesitation¹⁸, the Americans following closely at his heels. Then came a damp, ill-smelling tunnel, so low that only David could traverse it without bending down. The candle lighted the way only a few steps in advance, and numerous rats scurried¹⁹ from their path as they slowly advanced.
 
It seemed like a never-ending journey; but, just as the Colonel was about to protest, the passage suddenly widened and grew higher, and the light of the candle fell upon a cedar²⁰ panel let into the wall before them.
 
“Have you the key, David?” whispered the doctor.
 
“Id iss no key; id iss a spring,” replied the Jew. “Vod time iss id now?”
 
The Colonel looked at his watch. It was nearly midnight.
 
“Shall we risk entering, doctor?” he asked; “or shall we wait for the alarm?”
 
“I doubt if we could hear an alarm where we are,” was the answer. “Let us go in.”
 
David’s self-possession seemed suddenly to desert him.
 
“I iss no Moslem,” said he, beginning to tremble; “but I respect de harem. Id iss to die if one iss caught. Davit vill stay here ant vait for you.”
 
The doctor locked his fingers fast in the Jew’s collar.
 
“You’ll come with us,” he declared. “Open the door, David!”
 
Perhaps David did not intend to obey so readily. He had scarcely touched his quivering forefinger²¹ to the dull metal of the spring when a sharp click was heard and the door moved and swung outward.
 
A gleam of light saluted²² them, half dazzling their eyes, and the group remained motionless, staring wonderingly at the scene the open panel disclosed. Perhaps the Colonel had expected to see in the khan’s harem a mass of silken draperies, luxurious²³ couches and priceless rugs, while scowling²⁴ black eunuchs guarded with their naked swords a group of henna-dyed, be-painted and bespangled girls. Instead, he looked upon a scene that somehow reminded him of home. The furnishings were of an oriental character, it is true, but they were simple and in good taste, and an undefinable air of refinement²⁵ pervaded²⁶ the room.
 
Beside a table on which stood a bronze lamp sat a middle-aged²⁷ lady with a beautiful face and sweet gray eyes. She was robed in a conventional European gown and seemed to be engaged, when so suddenly interrupted, in reading a well worn copy of the New York Herald²⁸. At her feet, upon a low stool, sat Janet, listlessly sewing upon some trifle that rested in her lap. On the other side of the table, his dark eyes fixed²⁹ upon his work, sat the man we as yet know only as Merad, the Persian physician, busily engaged in writing.
 
At the abrupt³⁰ opening of the panel, the existence of which was evidently unkno............