Pommery, with a wave of his hand, and proceeded: "Of course, you
know, Her Majesty's Government always closely investigate the social
antecedents of the nominee in such cases. The change of name is
all right; it is regularly entered at Herald's College and all that
sort of thing, but the Chief has heard of the sudden appearance
of this beautiful daughter. Now, old Johnstone surely never looked
the way of woman in India! It's true that he went back about twenty
years ago to England on a two years' leave. He has lived the life
of a splendid recluse in his magnificent old bungalow on the Chandnee
Chouk."

Anstruther paused, fishing for another fugitive smile. He caught
it behind the back of the wary adventurer.

"I know the old house well," said Hawke with an affected unconcern.
"Men were always entertained royally there, but I never saw a woman
of station in its vast saloons."

"Now there you are!" cried Anstruther, lightly resuming: "I was
sent up to Delhi to delicately find out about this alleged daughter,
for the Chief does not want to throw Johnstone's baronetcy over.
The fact is before they packed the toothless old King of Oude away
to Rangoon to die with his favorite wife and their one wolf cub out
there, Hugh Fraser skillfully extorted a surrender of a huge private
treasure of jewels from these people while they were hidden away
in Humayoon's tomb. There's one trust deposit yet to be divided
between the Government and this sly old Indo-Scotch-man, and
I fancy the empty honor of the baronetcy is a quid pro quo." Alan
Hawke laughed heartily. "It is really diamond cut diamond, then."