Hitherto she had always repelled him, but this night it was otherwise.
"How did you come here ?" he asked in a more gentle voice than he generally used towards her.
Noting the change in his tone, she smiled shyly and even coloured a little, then answered: "This house has many secrets, Vernoon.

When you are lord of it you shall learn them all, till then I may not tell them to you.

But, come, there are other secrets which I hope you shall see to-night, and, Jeekie, come you also, for you shall be the mouth of your lord, so that you may tell me what perhaps he would hide." "I will tell you everything, everything, O Asika," answered Jeekie, stretching out his hands and bowing almost to the ground.
Then they started and following many long passages as before, although whether they were the same or others Alan could not tell, came at last to a door which he recognized, that of the Treasure House.

As they approached this door it opened and through it, like a hunted thing, ran the bedizened Mungana, husband of the Asika, terror, or madness, shining in his eyes.

Catching sight of his wife, who bore the lamp, he threw himself upon his knees and snatching at her robe, addressed some petition to her, speaking so rapidly that Alan could not follow his words.
For a moment she listened, then dragged her dress from his hand and spurned him with her foot.