CHAPTER XVIII
The wisdom of the old—which is, of course, the End.
Not many days later—the day following the departure of Mr. Ezra Warburton and Mr. Preserved Higgins who, enemies to the last, had interviewed Hector individually and separately on the question of the “concessions,” to be met with the reply: “I'll grant no concessions to anybody. Tamerlanistan will be developed. But not with foreign money, nor for foreign profit. Through our own work—for our own profit!” … not many days later, the princess, turning to Hector at the end of the daily durbar, said that she was a little depressed.
“About what?” asked Hector.
“About Hajji Akhbar Khan, Itizad el-Dowleh. He sent thee here—and thus, indirectly, thy brother! His hand was the hand of benevolence and wisdom from the beginning. Yet has he never returned from the far places—has he never explained why he sent thee as he did send thee—without telling thee word of the ancient prophecy—why he let thee go blindfolded, to battle against Fate!”
And the answer came, a week or two afterwards, in a letter delivered by a messenger who came mysteriously and disappeared mysteriously.
It bore neither date nor place, and read as follows:
