Itwasabroken-linkHandicapwithavengeanceItbrokenearlyallthemenconcerned，andnearlybroketheheartofShackles’owner。
HewentdowntointerviewBruntTheboylay，lividandgaspingwithfright，wherehehadtumbledoffThesinoflosingtheraceneverseemedtostrikehimAllheknewwasthatWhalleyhad“called“him，thatthe“call“wasawarning；and，werehecutintwoforit，hewouldnevergetupagainHisnervehadgonealtogether，andheonlyaskedhismastertogivehimagoodthrashing，andlethimgoHewasfitfornothing，hesaidHegothisdismissal，andcreptuptothepaddock，whiteaschalk，withbluelips，hiskneesgivingwayunderhimPeoplesaidnastythingsinthepaddock；
butBruntneverheededHechangedintotweeds，tookhisstickandwentdowntheroad，stillshakingwithfright，andmutteringoverandoveragain：——“Godha’mercy，I’mdonefor！”Tothebestofmyknowledgeandbeliefhespokethetruth。
SonowyouknowhowtheBroken-LinkHandicapwasrunandwonOfcourseyoudon’tbelieveitYouwouldcreditanythingaboutRussia’sdesignsonIndia，ortherecommendationsoftheCurrencyCommission；butalittlebitofsoberfactismorethanyoucanstand！
BEYONDTHEPALE。
“LoveheedsnotcastenorsleepabrokenbedIwentinsearchofloveandlostmyself。”
HinduProverb。
Amanshould，whateverhappens，keeptohisowncaste，raceandbreedLettheWhitegototheWhiteandtheBlacktotheBlack。
Then，whatevertroublefallsisintheordinarycourseofthings——
neithersudden，alien，norunexpected。
Thisisthestoryofamanwhowilfullysteppedbeyondthesafelimitsofdecentevery-daysociety，andpaidforitheavily。
Heknewtoomuchinthefirstinstance；andhesawtoomuchinthesecondHetooktoodeepaninterestinnativelife；buthewillneverdosoagain。
DeepawayintheheartoftheCity，behindJithaMegji’sbustee，liesAmirNath’sGully，whichendsinadead-wallpiercedbyonegratedwindowAttheheadoftheGullyisabigcow-byre，andthewallsoneithersideoftheGullyarewithoutwindowsNeitherSuchetSinghnorGaurChandapprovedoftheirwomen-folklookingintotheworldIfDurgaCharanhadbeenoftheiropinion，hewouldhavebeenahappiermanto-day，andlittleBiessawouldhavebeenabletokneadherownbreadHerroomlookedoutthroughthegratedwindowintothenarrowdarkGullywherethesunnevercameandwherethebuffaloeswallowedintheblueslimeShewasawidow，aboutfifteenyearsold，andsheprayedtheGods，dayandnight，tosendheralover；forshedidnotapproveoflivingalone。
Onedaytheman——Trejagohisnamewas——cameintoAmirNath’sGullyonanaimlesswandering；and，afterhehadpassedthebuffaloes，stumbledoverabigheapofcattlefood。
ThenhesawthattheGullyendedinatrap，andheardalittlelaughfrombehindthegratedwindowItwasaprettylittlelaugh，andTrejago，knowingthat，forallpracticalpurposes，theoldArabianNightsaregoodguides，wentforwardtothewindow，andwhisperedthatverseof“TheLoveSongofHarDyal“whichbegins：
CanamanstanduprightinthefaceofthenakedSun；
oraLoverinthePresenceofhisBeloved？
Ifmyfeetfailme，OHeartofmyHeart，amItoblame，beingblindedbytheglimpseofyourbeauty？
Therecamethefainttchinksofawoman’sbraceletsfrombehindthegrating，andalittlevoicewentonwiththesongatthefifthverse：
Alas！alas！CantheMoontelltheLotusofherlovewhentheGateofHeavenisshutandthecloudsgatherfortherains？
TheyhavetakenmyBeloved，anddrivenherwiththepack-horsestotheNorth。
Thereareironchainsonthefeetthatweresetonmyheart。
Calltothebowmantomakeready——
Thevoicestoppedsuddenly，andTrejagowalkedoutofAmirNath’sGully，wonderingwhointheworldcouldhavecapped“TheLoveSongofHarDyal“soneatly。
Nextmorning，ashewasdrivingtotheoffice，anoldwomanthrewapacketintohisdog-cartInthepacketwasthehalfofabrokenglassbangle，oneflowerofthebloodreddhak，apinchofbhusaorcattle-food，andelevencardamomsThatpacketwasaletter——notaclumsycompromisingletter，butaninnocent，unintelligiblelover’sepistle。
Trejagoknewfartoomuchaboutthesethings，asIhavesaidNoEnglishmanshouldbeabletotranslateobject-lettersButTrejagospreadallthetriflesonthelidofhisoffice-boxandbegantopuzzlethemout。
Abrokenglass-banglestandsforaHinduwidowallIndiaover；
because，whenherhusbanddiesawoman’sbraceletsarebrokenonherwristsTrejagosawthemeaningofthelittlebitoftheglass。
Theflowerofthedhakmeansdiversely“desire。”“come。”“write。”
or“danger。”accordingtotheotherthingswithitOnecardamommeans“jealousy；“butwhenanyarticleisduplicatedinanobject-letter，itlosesitssymbolicmeaningandstandsmerelyforoneofanumberindicatingtime，or，ifincense，curds，orsaffronbesentalso，placeThemessageranthen：——“Awidowdhakflowerandbhusa——ateleveno’clock。”ThepinchofbhusaenlightenedTrejagoHesaw——
thiskindofletterleavesmuchtoinstinctiveknowledge——thatthebhusareferredtothebigheapofcattle-foodoverwhichhehadfalleninAmirNath’sGully，andthatthemessagemustcomefromthepersonbehindthegrating；shebeingawidowSothemessageranthen：——“Awidow，intheGullyinwhichistheheapofbhusa，desiresyoutocomeateleveno’clock。”
TrejagothrewalltherubbishintothefireplaceandlaughedHeknewthatmenintheEastdonotmakeloveunderwindowsatelevenintheforenoon，nordowomenfixappointmentsaweekinadvance。
Sohewent，thatverynightateleven，intoAmirNath’sGully，cladinaboorka，whichcloaksamanaswellasawomanDirectlythegongsintheCitymadethehour，thelittlevoicebehindthegratingtookup“TheLoveSongofHarDyal“attheversewherethePanthangirlcallsuponHarDyaltoreturnThesongisreallyprettyintheVernacularInEnglishyoumissthewailofitItrunssomethinglikethis：——
Aloneuponthehousetops，totheNorthIturnandwatchthelightninginthesky，——
TheglamourofthyfootstepsintheNorth，Comebacktome，Beloved，orIdie！
BelowmyfeetthestillbazarislaidFar，farbelowthewearycamelslie，——
Thecamelsandthecaptivesofthyraid，Comebacktome，Beloved，orIdie！
Myfather’swifeisoldandharshwithyears，Anddrudgeofallmyfather’shouseamI——
Mybreadissorrowandmydrinkistears，Comebacktome，Beloved，orIdie！
Asthesongstopped，Trejagosteppedupunderthegratingandwhispered：——“Iamhere。”
Bisesawasgoodtolookupon。
Thatnightwasthebeginningofmanystrangethings，andofadoublelifesowildthatTrejagoto-daysometimeswondersifitwerenotalladreamBisesaorheroldhandmaidenwhohadthrowntheobject-letterhaddetachedtheheavygratingfromthebrick-workofthewall；sothatthewindowslidinside，leavingonlyasquareofrawmasonry，intowhichanactivemanmightclimb。
Intheday-time，Trejagodrovethroughhisroutineofoffice-work，orputonhiscalling-clothesandcalledontheladiesoftheStation；wonderinghowlongtheywouldknowhimiftheyknewofpoorlittleBisesaAtnight，whenalltheCitywasstill，camethewalkundertheevil-smellingboorka，thepatrolthroughJithaMegji’sbustee，thequickturnintoAmirNath’sGullybetweenthesleepingcattleandthedeadwalls，andthen，lastofall，Bisesa，andthedeep，evenbreathingoftheoldwomanwhosleptoutsidethedoorofthebarelittleroomthatDurgaCharanallottedtohissister’sdaughterWhoorwhatDurgaCharanwas，Trejagoneverinquired；andwhyintheworldhewasnotdiscoveredandknifedneveroccurredtohimtillhismadnesswasover，andBisesaButthiscomeslater。
BisesawasanendlessdelighttoTrejagoShewasasignorantasabird；andherdistortedversionsoftherumorsfromtheoutsideworldthathadreachedherinherroom，amusedTrejagoalmostasmuchasherlispingattemptstopronouncehisname——“Christopher。”
Thefirstsyllablewasalwaysmorethanshecouldmanage，andshemadefunnylittlegestureswithherrose-leafhands，asonethrowingthenameaway，andthen，kneelingbeforeTrejago，askedhim，exactlyasanEnglishwomanwoulddo，ifheweresurehelovedher。
Trejagosworethathelovedhermorethananyoneelseintheworld。
Whichwastrue。
Afteramonthofthisfolly，theexigenciesofhisotherlifecompelledTrejagotobeespeciallyattentivetoaladyofhisacquaintanceYoumaytakeitforafactthatanythingofthiskindisnotonlynoticedanddiscussedbyaman’sownrace，butbysomehundredandfiftynativesaswellTrejagohadtowalkwiththisladyandtalktoherattheBand-stand，andonceortwicetodrivewithher；neverforaninstantdreamingthatthiswouldaffecthisdearerout-of-the-waylifeButthenewsflew，intheusualmysteriousfashion，frommouthtomouth，tillBisesa’sduennaheardofitandtoldBisesaThechildwassotroubledthatshedidthehouseholdworkevilly，andwasbeatenbyDurgaCharan’swifeinconsequence。
Aweeklater，BisesataxedTrejagowiththeflirtationSheunderstoodnogradationsandspokeopenlyTrejagolaughedandBisesastampedherlittlefeet——littlefeet，lightasmarigoldflowers，thatcouldlieinthepalmofaman’sonehand。
Muchthatiswrittenabout“Orientalpassionandimpulsiveness“isexaggeratedandcompiledatsecond-hand，butalittleofitistrue；
andwhenanEnglishmanfindsthatlittle，itisquiteasstartlingasanypassioninhisownproperlifeBisesaragedandstormed，andfinallythreatenedtokillherselfifTrejagodidnotatoncedropthealienMemsahibwhohadcomebetweenthemTrejagotriedtoexplain，andtoshowherthatshedidnotunderstandthesethingsfromaWesternstandpointBisesadrewherselfup，andsaidsimply：
“IdonotIknowonlythis——itisnotgoodthatIshouldhavemadeyoudearerthanmyownhearttome，SahibYouareanEnglishman。
Iamonlyablackgirl“——shewasfairerthanbar-goldintheMint——
“andthewidowofablackman。”
Thenshesobbedandsaid：“ButonmysoulandmyMother’ssoul，I
loveyouThereshallnoharmcometoyou，whateverhappenstome。”
Trejagoarguedwiththechild，andtriedtosootheher，butsheseemedquiteunreasonablydisturbedNothingwouldsatisfyhersavethatallrelationsbetweenthemshouldendHewastogoawayatonceAndhewentAshedroppedoutatthewindow，shekissedhisforeheadtwice，andhewalkedawaywondering。
Aweek，andthenthreeweeks，passedwithoutasignfromBisesa。
Trejago，thinkingthattherupturehadlastedquitelongenough，wentdowntoAmirNath’sGullyforthefifthtimeinthethreeweeks，hopingthathisrapatthesilloftheshiftinggratingwouldbeansweredHewasnotdisappointed。
Therewasayoungmoon，andonestreamoflightfelldownintoAmirNath’sGully，andstruckthegrating，whichwasdrawnawayasheknockedFromtheblackdark，BisesaheldoutherarmsintothemoonlightBothhandshadbeencutoffatthewrists，andthestumpswerenearlyhealed。
Then，asBisesabowedherheadbetweenherarmsandsobbed，someoneintheroomgruntedlikeawildbeast，andsomethingsharp——knife，swordorspear——thrustatTrejagoinhisboorkaThestrokemissedhisbody，butcutintooneofthemusclesofthegroin，andhelimpedslightlyfromthewoundfortherestofhisdays。
ThegratingwentintoitsplaceTherewasnosignwhateverfrominsidethehouse——nothingbutthemoonlightstriponthehighwall，andtheblacknessofAmirNath’sGullybehind。
ThenextthingTrejagoremembers，afterragingandshoutinglikeamadmanbetweenthosepitilesswalls，isthathefoundhimselfneartheriverasthedawnwasbreaking，threwawayhisboorkaandwenthomebareheaded。
Whatthetragedywas——whetherBisesahad，inafitofcauselessdespair，toldeverything，ortheintriguehadbeendiscoveredandshetorturedtotell，whetherDurgaCharanknewhisname，andwhatbecameofBisesa——TrejagodoesnotknowtothisdaySomethinghorriblehadhappened，andthethoughtofwhatitmusthavebeencomesuponTrejagointhenightnowandagain，andkeepshimcompanytillthemorningOnespecialfeatureofthecaseisthathedoesnotknowwhereliesthefrontofDurgaCharan’shouseItmayopenontoacourtyardcommontotwoormorehouses，oritmayliebehindanyoneofthegatesofJithaMegji’sbusteeTrejagocannottell。
HecannotgetBisesa——poorlittleBisesa——backagainHehaslostherintheCity，whereeachman’shouseisasguardedandasunknowableasthegrave；andthegratingthatopensintoAmirNath’sGullyhasbeenwalledup。
ButTrejagopayshiscallsregularly，andisreckonedaverydecentsortofman。
Thereisnothingpeculiarabouthim，exceptaslightstiffness，causedbyariding-strain，intherightleg。