Atmâ | Page 7

constancy. O Roses, bear me
witness of my truth, Death with my love were life a thousand-fold,
Dear death were fairer than immortal youth Could it life's weal in
friendly arms enfold. Dark Angel of the River's brink, draw near, In
stable grasp this sovereign hour assure, Cast icy glamour o'er my love's
sweet cheer, Forever then shall that dear love endure, An end of sweets
fair Chance may hold in store Were death of all the changeful moods of
time, And boundless being of my love's sweet prime.
Ah, thorny Roses, prate ye still of ruth And would me my brief hour of
bliss deny? And yet all happy things to love are sooth, But I, ah me,
this destiny so high Weighs on my spirit like a drowsy spell, I cannot
joy like those, nor stay, I fail Before the greatness of my high behest,
Ah, high is holiness, but love is rest, Yes, love is rest, is rest; then blow,
sweet gale Of soft forgetfulness about me still, And O, ye Roses, balmy
breath exhale And all my consciousness with slumber fill.
And, O sweet Love, I pray you yield me now One little pearl from the
fair coronal That crowns the loveliness of that calm brow, And I,
where'er I be, will own its thrall, And gaze on it and dream until I see A
phantom love, before whom I shall fall And pray, adoring white-robed
purity."
CHAPTER V.
"Your lofty faith and devotion, my son, move me deeply. The heroic
spirit of my brother Raee seems once more to incite me to deeds of
daring which in these degenerate days would alas be vain."
So spoke Lehna Singh in the midst of luxury and splendour that had
been amassed in no hazardous career of adventure or enterprise, but by
methods of coldest calculation and avarice. His listeners were his
nephew, whom he addressed, and the Rajah Lal Singh, chief favourite
of the notorious Ranee, a man of cringing and servile demeanour,
notwithstanding his rank, whose crafty smile followed the speaker's

words as he scrutinized the countenance of Atmâ, as if to learn their
effect. The apartment in which they sat was an inner chamber, small,
secluded, and silent, for the fame of Lal, lately Wuzeer to the little
Maharajah, but for grave offences disgraced and removed from Lahore,
was such as to demand caution on the part of those who would consort
with him.
"Before I can explain to you," proceeded Lehna, "the last words of my
departed brother, I have a tale to unfold, a tale which will reveal to you
in how high a degree your coming has been opportune. In these
troubled days a loyal, brave, and trusty friend of the Khalsa is far to
seek, and it is in quest of such a one that my honoured guest Rajah Lal
Singh has, in the face of much peril, come to me from the Maharanee,
now at Feragpore, whither she was sent by Purwunnah, under seal of
her infant son, the Maharajah, thus made in tender years the instrument
of his mother's disgrace. But on the cruel affronts of our enemies I need
not dwell. These things are known to all. The plans which I am about to
reveal to you, Atmâ Singh relate to the future, and speak not of disgrace,
but of hope; know that in the treasures of Runjeet Singh there was one
jewel--a sapphire--of magical property. To its holder it ensured success
in war. This jewel, the late Maharajah received from my hands. It was a
family heirloom, and descended to your father, the eldest son of our
house, through countless generations. Being, when we were both young,
in sore straits, and hard pressed for money, he parted with this talisman
to me, on condition that after his death I should return it to his eldest
surviving son. You may guess the poignancy of the grief with which I
tell you then that this heirloom is no longer mine. Many years ago I
gave it into the hands of Runjeet Singh for a time, in the belief that its
potency would aid our national fortunes" (what equivalent Lehna
received, he doubtless deemed it irrelevant to state). "The brilliancy of
his career attests its worth. It should have been long ago restored to me,
but my efforts to regain it were repeatedly baffled, until I was fain to
content myself with the reflection that at least it served the cause, and
to trust in the future for its recovery. Believing it to be in the treasury at
Lahore, and firmly believing in its potency, those of us who knew of its
existence never abandoned hope until its disappearance was, alas!
ascertained beyond a doubt. To such, each defeat of the