He became aware
very soon that the attempt to pursue him had been given up, but he had
taken the forest path and had kept up his pace because he had left his
Rajah and the lady Immada beset by enemies on the edge of the forest, as
good as captives to a party of Tengga's men.
Belarab's hesitation had proved too much even for Hassim's hereditary
patience in such matters. It is but becoming that weighty negotiations
should be spread over many days, that the same requests and arguments
should be repeated in the same words, at many successive interviews, and
receive the same evasive answers. Matters of state demand the dignity of
such a procedure as if time itself had to wait on the power and wisdom
of rulers. Such are the proceedings of embassies and the dignified
patience of envoys. But at this time of crisis Hassim's impatience
obtained the upper hand; and though he never departed from the tradition
of soft speech and restrained bearing while following with his sister in
the train of the pious Belarab, he had his moments of anger, of anxiety,
of despondency. His friendships, his future, his country's destinies
were at stake, while Belarab's camp wandered deviously over the back
country as if influenced by the vacillation of the ruler's thought, the
very image of uncertain fate.
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