The Keepers of the People

1599“I shall put him out of the way of doing more mischief” said Prince Ralph.

1600“Yet I suppose that he acted from a noble purpose, as it seemed to him,” said Ruth thoughtfully.

1601“He has done what was forbidden him. He has at any rate broken his word” said Prince Ralph. “I gave him the choice between death and silence; and he chose silence.”

1602When they had supped, he ordered the Varandal women to be brought in first; and questioned them very closely as to what they had learned from the missionary. He found it very little; that the missionary had not, indeed, learned enough Varandal to teach much, that what he had taught them was very obscure in their minds. In the end one of the old women overcame her fear, and said, “The man helped us in our tilling, and weaving; he carried the water for us; we listened to his words, and sang his songs. We could do no less. It was polite.”

1603Prince Ralph was silent a while, thinking; and now and again the women moistened their dry lips with their tongues. Then he looked at them with a terrible, stern air, and said, “Forget his songs. Do you hear? Forget them.”

1604“We will forget them, O son of Indra,” they murmured.

1605He gave orders to a mute that they should be carried back to their homes.

1606The missionary was brought in, a shabby figure of a man beside the tall mutes, the black alpaca coat to which he had clung, torn, and wearing to rags, ludicrous above the white Varandal tunic that hung below his knees. He was very pale, and trembling; his defiant eyes fell before Prince Ralph’s stern, piercing gaze; and he looked from Ruth to Althea, and from Althea to Ruth, weighing the chances of awaking their sympathy, and winning their help: he thought of Paul before Festus.

1607He started nervously at the sound of Prince Ralph’s deep voice saying slowly, “I forbade you to teach your religion in Varandaleel. You gave me your word that you would keep silence. You have disobeyed me; you have broken your word. What have you to say?”