“Decidedly, you regret the banks of the Kamboja!”
They thought it a jest: it was the truth. Daniel did regret even the
worst days of his mission. At that time his grave responsibility,
overwhelming fatigues, hard work, and daily danger, had procured him at
least some hours of oblivion. Now idleness left him, without respite or
time, face to face with his distressing thoughts. It was the desire, the
necessity almost, of escaping in some manner from himself, which made
him accept an invitation to join a number of his comrades who wanted to
try the charms of a great hunting party.
On the morning of the expedition, however, he had a kind of
presentiment.
“A fine opportunity,” he thought, “for the assassin hired by Sarah
Brandon!”