No doubt
you know why your supposed father, Behar Singh, rose against us?"
"His honor--his wife had been stolen from him by a treacherous
Englishman," Nehal answered hoarsely.
"Yes, by Stafford, John Stafford's father. The issue of that act of
infidelity was a child, Lois, who afterward was adopted by Caruthers,
partly out of friendship for Stafford, partly because he had no
children of his own. So much, at least, I surmise. I surmise, too,
that that adoption cost him his wife's love and trust. Perhaps,
ignorant of the child's real parentage, she believed the worst,
perhaps there were other causes--be it as it may, in the hour of
catastrophe she refused to share the general fate. She chose to throw
herself upon the mercy of her mother's people."
"Her mother's people!" Nehal echoed blankly.
"There was native blood in her veins. It was on that account that
Behar Singh spared her. She bitterly learned to regret her change of
allegiance. She was kept close prisoner, and six months after the
murder of her husband she bore him a son--you--Steven Caruthers. Behar
Singh, himself without an heir, took the child from her, and from that
hour the unfortunate woman became insane. Long years she was kept a
secret and wretched captive, and then one day she escaped, and in her
wanderings met a man--an Englishman who was then your friend."
"Travers!" Nehal exclaimed.
"Yes, Travers. By means of bribes and threats he obtained her whole
history, partly from her own lips, partly from her gaolers.
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