The women hurried out, glad to escape, and then the Rajah pointed to the open door.

"Go!" he said fiercely, and he glared wrathfully at the girl, who pressed her arm more tightly round Helen, and looked her defiance.

"Will you go?" he said hoa.r.s.ely; "or am I to have you torn away?"

"No one dare tear me away!" retorted the girl. "I shall stay with her, and no one shall hurt her while I'm alive."

They spoke so quickly now that Helen could only gather a few words here and there; but she could make out how fiercely the girl was threatening to resist any attempt to separate them, even going so far as to present the point of her weapon at Murad, who shrank angrily away, and stood at last biting his lips.

"Will you go?" he cried at last, in a furious tone; and as he spoke he gazed from the girl to Helen and back again.

"No!" she cried fiercely. "I will stay with her. She shall not be your wife!"

VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER FOUR.

MORE TREACHERY.

Murad took a step towards the girl, and whispered something which Helen could not catch.

Then, turning sharply round, he dashed the curtain aside, swung open the door, and pa.s.sing through, they heard the heavy bang as the curtain waved to and fro, when Helen's defender sank trembling to her knees, her eyes closed, and the little weapon with which, but a minute before, she was ready to menace the Rajah's life, fell with a musical tinkle upon the floor.

The noise startled her, and she opened her eyes to gaze piteously at the fallen curtain, and ended by bursting into a pa.s.sionate fit of weeping.

Helen let her hands fall upon the Malay girl's shoulder, eager to speak her thanks, but hesitating, as she felt that it would be better to let the outbreak have its course.

In this spirit she waited quite patiently, listening eagerly though for the slightest sound without that should betoken the Rajah's return; but all remained silent till suddenly the girl rose and turned upon her angrily.

"Why did you come?" she cried; "he loved me before he saw you. Go: you make me hate you, and I shall kill you for it if you stay."

For the moment Helen felt angry. At such a time the girl's want of reason was irritating; but seeing that she was almost beside herself with jealous grief, she advanced and laid a hand upon the weeping girl's arm.

"You know I hate him," she said gently, "and that I would give the world to get away."

"Yes, yes, yes, I know," sobbed the girl; and her anger gave place to a most effusive display of affection. "Yes, I know, but it is so hard to bear. He used at one time to love me so well, and now he is quite changed for the sake of you. Why do you not go?"

"Will you show me the way?" cried Helen, eagerly.

"The way?" said the girl.

"Yes; how to escape--to get back to my own people."

"Do you really want to go back?" said the girl, looking at her searchingly.

"Yes, yes; oh yes," was the reply. "I'll give you anything to help me away. You shall be made rich, and I will care for you and love you like a sister, only save me from this man."

The girl fixed her great dark eyes upon Helen's, and seemed to be trying to read her thoughts.

"It is very strange!" she said at last.

"What is strange? That I should ask you to save me?"

"No," said the girl, dreamily; "that anyone should be able to hate Murad. He has been cruel to me, but I could never hate him, even though others have talked to me and tried to get my love. Hamet has loved me, he tells me, and that he is unhappy because I am cold; but I could never hate Murad, and the more cruel he is to me, the more he seems to have my love."

"But it troubles you that he should make love to me?"

"Yes," hissed the girl, fiercely. "It makes me mad."

"Then help me to escape; help me to get away," cried Helen, clinging to her pa.s.sionately.

"And if I do he will kill me," sighed the girl.

"Then do not stay here," whispered Helen, glancing suspiciously at the great curtain, which seemed to wave to and fro, and moved as though some one were listening close behind.

"Do not stay?" said the girl, wonderingly.

"No. Let us escape together."

"But to leave Murad?"

"He does not love you now."

"But Hamet does; he would grieve. They would follow and kill me."

"No, no. You shall not be harmed," said Helen, excitedly. "I will protect you. You shall live with me."

"No," said the girl, sadly, "I could not go away and leave Murad. He is cruel to me, but I cannot be cruel to him. He would want me if I was gone."

"But you say he would kill you if you stayed?"

"Yes," sighed the girl. "He would kill me for helping you to escape if he found me out."

"Then come with me and let my people protect you," whispered Helen, excitedly. "Why should you stay here when I can give you a happier and better home?"

"Happier! better!" said the girl. "No; there is no life for me that could be happier when he is kind. There can be no better place than this."

Helen pa.s.sed her arm round her, for there was something beautiful in the girl's faith and love for the tyrant who abused her affection at every turn; and the girl, feeling the unusual caress, turned to her lovingly.

"Tell me once again," she said, "that you really mean it--that you would be glad to go," and she looked searchingly in Helen's eyes.

"I would sooner die than stay," cried Helen, who had to repeat her words twice before she could make herself understood.

"Then let me think," said the girl, quietly; "let me think how it can be done, for we should like to live and be happy once again."

"As we shall be, if you help me to escape and come with me and share my home. Let us steal down to a boat as soon as it is dark, and then we can soon reach the great river by floating with the stream."

The girl smiled sadly.

"You forget," she said, "Murad's people will watch us, for we are prisoners now."