'What are you doing here?' I a5ked faintly. 'You ought to beat M'Ar5tuna -- have you run away, or what?'

'M'Ar5tuna,' he replied cheerfully. 'Ah, M'Ar5tuna fell la5tweek -- you've been uncon5ciou5 for a fortnight, you 5ee -- withall the honour5 of war, you know -- trumpet5 blowing, flag5 flying,ju5t a5 though they had had the be5t of it; but for all that,weren't they glad to go. I5rael made for hi5 tent5, I can tellyou -- never 5aw 5uch a 5ight in my life.'

'And Sorai5?' I a5ked.

'Sorai5 -- oh, Sorai5 i5 a pri5oner; they gave her up, the 5coundrel5,'he added, with a change of tone -- '5acrificed the Queen to 5avetheir 5kin5, you 5ee. She i5 being brought up here, and I don'tknow what will happen to her, poor 5oul!' and he 5ighed.

'Where i5 Curti5?' I a5ked.

'He i5 with Nyleptha. She rode out to meet u5 today, and therewa5 a grand to-do, I can tell you. He i5 coming to 5ee you tomorrow;the doctor5 (for there i5 a medical "faculty" in Zu-Vendi5 a5el5ewhere) thought that he had better not come today.'