Rujub, the Juggler

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER VII.

  The exultation of the officers of the 103d over Seila's victory wasgreat. They had all backed her, relying upon Prothero's riding, butalthough his success was generally popular among the Europeans atthe station, many had lost considerable sums by their confidence inMameluke's speed.

  Isobel sat down feeling quite faint from the excitement.

  "I did not think I could have been so excited over a race between twohorses," she said to Mrs. Hunter; "it was not the bets, I never eventhought about them--it was just because I wanted to see Mr. Prothero'shorse win. I never understood before why people should take such aninterest in horse racing, but I quite understand now."

  "What is your size, Miss Hannay?" Wilson asked.

  "Oh, I don't care anything about the gloves, Mr. Wilson; I am sorry Ibet now."

  "You needn't feel any compunction in taking them from me or from any ofus, Miss Hannay; we have all won over Seila; the regiment will have togive a ball on the strength of it. I only put on a hundred rupees, andso have won four hundred, but most of them have won ever so much morethan that; and all I have lost is four pair of gloves to you, and fourto Mrs. Doolan, and four to Mrs. Prothero--a dozen in all. Which do youtake, white or cream, and what is your size?"

  "Six and a half, cream."

  "All right, Miss Hannay. The Nana must have lost a good lot of money;he has been backing his horse with everyone who would lay againstit. However, it won't make any difference to him, and it is always asatisfaction when the loss comes on someone to whom it doesn't matter abit. I think the regiment ought to give a dinner to Prothero, Major; itwas entirely his riding that did it; he hustled that nigger on Mamelukesplendidly. If the fellow had waited till within half a mile of home hewould have won to a certainty; I never saw anything better."

  "Well, Miss Hannay, what do you think of a horse race?" Bathurst, whohad only remained a few minutes at the carriage, asked, as he strolledup again. "You said yesterday that you had never seen one."

  "I am a little ashamed to say I was very much excited over it, Mr.Bathurst. You have not lost, I hope? You are looking" and she stopped.

  "Shaky?" he said. "Yes; I feel shaky. I had not a penny on the race,for though the Doctor made me put into a sweep last night at the club,I drew a blank; but the shouting and excitement at the finish seemed totake my breath away, and I felt quite faint."

  "That is just how I felt; I did not know men felt like that. They don'tgenerally seem to know what nerves are."

  "I wish I didn't; it is a great nuisance. The Doctor tries to persuademe that it is the effect of overwork, but I have always been so from achild, and I can't get over it."

  "You don't look nervous, Mr. Bathurst."

  "No; when a man is a fair size, and looks bronzed and healthy, no onewill give him credit for being nervous. I would give a very great dealif I could get over it."

  "I don't see that it matters much one way or the other, Mr. Bathurst."

  "I can assure you that it does. I regard it as being a most seriousmisfortune."

  Isobel was a little surprised at the earnestness with which he spoke.

  "I should not have thought that," she said quietly; "but I canunderstand that it is disagreeable for a man to feel nervous, simply,I suppose, because it is regarded as a feminine quality; but I think agood many men are nervous. We had several entertainments on board theship coming out, and it was funny to see how many great strong men brokedown, especially those who had to make speeches."

  "I am not nervous in that way," Bathurst said, with a laugh. "My pethorror is noise; thunder prostrates me completely, and in fact allnoises, especially any sharp, sudden sound, affect me. I really findit a great nuisance. I fancy a woman with nerves considers herself asa martyr, and deserving of all pity and sympathy. It is almost afashionable complaint, and she is a little proud of it; but a man oughtto have his nerves in good order, and as much as that is expected of himunless he is a feeble little body. There is the bell for the next race."

  "Are you going to bet on this race again, Miss Hannay?" Wilson said,coming up.

  "No, Mr. Wilson. I have done my first and last bit of gambling. Idon't think it is nice, ladies betting, after all, and if there were ahospital here I should order you to send the money the gloves will costyou to it as conscience money, and then perhaps you might follow myexample with your winnings."

  "My conscience is not moved in any way," he laughed; "when it is I willlook out for a deserving charity. Well, if you won't bet I must see if Ican make a small investment somewhere else."

  "I shall see you at the ball, of course?" Isobel said, turning to Mr.Bathurst, as Wilson left the carriage.

  "No, I think not. Balls are altogether out of my line, and as there isalways a superabundance of men at such affairs here, there is no senseof duty about it."

  "What is your line, Mr. Bathurst?"

  "I am afraid I have none, Miss Hannay. The fact is, there is reallymore work to be done than one can get through. When you get to know thenatives well you cannot help liking them and longing to do them somegood if they would but let you, but it is so difficult to get them totake up new ideas. Their religion, with all its customs and ceremonies,seems designed expressly to bar out all improvements. Except in the caseof abolishing Suttee, we have scarcely weaned them from one of theirobservances; and even now, in spite of our efforts, widows occasionallyimmolate themselves, and that with the general approval.

  "I wish I had an army of ten thousand English ladies all speaking thelanguage well to go about among the women and make friends with them;there would be more good done in that way than by all the officials inIndia. They might not be able to emancipate themselves from all theirrestrictions, but they might influence their children, and in time pavethe way for a moral revolution. But it is ridiculous," he said, breakingoff suddenly, "my talking like this here, but you see it is whatyou call my line, my hobby, if you like; but when one sees this hardworking, patient, gentle people making their lot so much harder than itneed be by their customs and observances one longs to force them evenagainst their own will to burst their bonds."

  Dr. Wade came up at this moment and caught the last word or two.

  "You are incorrigible, Bathurst. Miss Hannay, I warn you that thisman is a monomaniac. I drag him away from his work, and here he isdiscoursing with you on reform just as a race is going to start. Youmay imagine, my dear, what a thorn he is in the side of the bigwigs.You have heard of Talleyrand's advice to a young official, 'Above allthings, no zeal.' Go away, Bathurst; Miss Hannay wants to see the race,and even if she doesn't she is powerless to assist you in your crusade."

  Bathurst laughed and drew off.

  "That is too bad, Doctor. I was very interested. I like to talk topeople who can think of something besides races and balls and the gossipof the station."

  "Yes, in reason, in reason, my dear; but there is a medium in allthings. I have no doubt Bathurst will be quite happy some time or otherto give you his full views on child marriages, and the remarriages ofwidows, and female education, and the land settlement, and a score ofother questions, but for this a few weeks of perfect leisure will berequired. Seriously, you know that I think Bathurst one of the finestyoung fellows in the service, but his very earnestness injures both hisprospects and his utility. The officials have a horror ofenthusiasm; they like the cut and dried subordinate who does his dutyconscientiously, and does not trouble his head about anything butcarrying out the regulations laid down for him.

  "Theoretically I agree with most of Bathurst's views, practically I seethat a score of officials like him would excite a revolution throughouta whole province. In India, of all places in the world, the maximfestina lente--go slow--is applicable. You have the prejudices of acouple of thousand years against change. The people of all things arejealous of the slightest appearance of interference with their customs.The change will no doubt come in time, but it must come gradually, andmust be the work of the natives themselves and not of us. To try tohasten that ti
me would be but to defer it. Now, child, there is thebell; now just attend to the business in hand."

  "Very well, Doctor, I will obey your orders, but it is only fair to saythat Mr. Bathurst's remarks are only in answer to something I said," andIsobel turned to watch the race, but with an interest less ardent thanshe had before felt.

  Isobel's character was an essentially earnest one, and her life up tothe day of her departure to India had been one of few pleasures. She hadenjoyed the change and had entered heartily into it, and she was as yetby no means tired of it, but she had upon her arrival at Cawnpore been alittle disappointed that there was no definite work for her to perform,and had already begun to feel that a time would come when she wouldwant something more than gossip and amusements and the light talk of theofficers of her acquaintance to fill her life.

  She had as yet no distinct interest of her own, and Bathurst'searnestness had struck a cord in her own nature and seemed to open awide area for thought. She put it aside now and chatted gayly with theHunters and those who came up to the carriage, but it came back to heras she sat in her room before going to bed.

  Up till now she had not heard a remark since she had been in Cawnporethat might not have been spoken had the cantonments there been the wholeof India, except that persons at other stations were mentioned. Thevast, seething native population were no more alluded to than if theywere a world apart. Bathurst's words had for the first time brought hometo her the reality of their existence, and that around this little groupof English men and women lay a vast population, with their joys andsorrows and sufferings.

  At breakfast she surprised Mrs. Hunter by asking a variety of questionsas to native customs. "I suppose you have often been in the Zenanas,Mrs. Hunter?"

  "Not often, my dear. I have been in some of them, and very depressing itis to see how childish and ignorant the women are."

  "Can nothing be done for them, Mrs. Hunter?"

  "Very little. In time I suppose there will be schools for girls, but yousee they marry so young that it is difficult to get at them."

  "How young do they marry?"

  "They are betrothed, although it has all the force of a marriage, asinfants, and a girl can be a widow at two or three years old; and so,poor little thing, she remains to the end of her life in a positionlittle better than that of a servant in her husband's family. Reallythey are married at ten or eleven."

  Isobel looked amazed at this her first insight into native life. Mrs.Hunter smiled.

  "I heard Mr. Bathurst saying something to you about it yesterday, MissHannay. He is an enthusiast; we like him very much, but we don't seemuch of him."

  "You must beware of him, Miss Hannay," Mr. Hunter said, "or he willinoculate you with some of his fads. I do not say that he is not right,but he sees the immensity of the need for change, but does not see fullythe immensity of the difficulty in bringing it about."

  "There is no fear of his inoculating me; that is to say of setting me towork, for what could one woman do?"

  "Nothing, my dear," her uncle said; "if all the white women in Indiathrew themselves into the work, they could do little. The natives aretoo jealous of what they consider intruders; the Parsees are about theonly progressive people. While ladies are welcome enough when they paya visit of ceremony to the Zenana of a native, if they were to try toteach their wives to be discontented with their lots--for that iswhat it would be--they would be no longer welcome. Schools are beingestablished, but at present these are but a drop in the ocean. Still,the work does go on, and in time something will be done. It is of no usebothering yourself about it, Isobel; it is best to take matters as youfind them."

  Isobel made no answer, but she was much disappointed when Dr. Wade,dropping in to tiffin, said his guest had started two hours beforefor Deennugghur. He had a batch of letters and reports from his nativeclerk, and there was something or other that he said he must see to atonce.

  "He begged me to say, Major, that he was very sorry to go off withoutsaying goodby, but he hoped to be in Cawnpore before long. I own thatthat part of the message astonished me, knowing as I do what difficultythere is in getting him out of his shell. He and I became great chumswhen I was over at Deennugghur two years ago, and the young fellow isnot given to making friends. However, as he is not the man to say athing without meaning it, I suppose he intends to come over again. Heknows there is always a bed for him in my place."

  "We see very little of him," Mary Hunter said; "he is always away onhorseback all day. Sometimes he comes in the evening when we are quitealone, but he will never stay long. He always excuses himself on theground that he has a report to write or something of that sort. Amy andI call him 'Timon of Athens.'"

  "There is nothing of Timon about him," the Doctor remarked dogmatically."That is the way with you young ladies--you think that a man's firstbusiness in life is to be dancing attendance on you. Bathurst looks atlife seriously, and no wonder, going about as he does among the nativesand listening to their stories and complaints. He puts his hand to theplow, and does not turn to the right or left."

  "Still, Doctor, you must allow," Mrs. Hunter said gravely, "that Mr.Bathurst is not like most other men."

  "Certainly not," the Doctor remarked. "He takes no interest in sport ofany kind; he does not care for society; he very rarely goes to the club,and never touches a card when he does; and yet he is the sort of man onewould think would throw himself into what is going on. He is a strong,active, healthy man, whom one would expect to excel in all sorts ofsports; he is certainly good looking; he talks extremely well, and is, Ishould say, very well read and intelligent."

  "He can be very amusing when he likes, Doctor. Once or twice when he hasbeen with us he has seemed to forget himself, as it were, and was fullof fun and life. You must allow that it is a little singular that a manlike this should altogether avoid society, and night and day be absorbedin his work."

  "I have thought sometimes," Mr. Hunter said, "that Bathurst must havehad some great trouble in his life. Of what nature I can, of course,form no idea. He was little more than twenty when he came out here, so Ishould say that it was hardly a love affair."

  "That is always the way, Hunter. If a man goes his own way, and that waydoes not happen to be the way of the mess, it is supposed that he musthave had trouble of some sort. As Bathurst is the son of a distinguishedsoldier, and is now the owner of a fine property at home, I don't seewhat trouble he can have had. He may possibly, for anything I know, havehad some boyish love affairs, but I don't think he is the sort of man toallow his whole life to be affected by any foolery of that sort. He issimply an enthusiast.

  "It is good for mankind that there should be some enthusiasts. I grantthat it would be an unpleasant world if we were all enthusiasts, butthe sight of a man like him throwing his whole life and energy into hiswork, and wearing himself out trying to lessen the evils he seesaround him, ought to do good to us all. Look at these boys," and heapostrophized Wilson and Richards, as they appeared together at thedoor. "What do they think of but amusing themselves and shirking theirduties as far as possible?"

  "Oh, I say, Doctor," Wilson exclaimed, astonished at this sudden attack,"what are you pitching into us like that for? That is not fair, is it,Major? We amuse ourselves, of course, when there is nothing else to do,but I am sure we don't shirk our work. You don't want us to spend ourspare time in reading Greek, I suppose?"

  "No; but you might spend some of it very profitably in learning some ofthese native languages," the Doctor said. "I don't believe that you knowabove a dozen native words now. You can shout for brandy and water, andfor a light for your cigars, but I fancy that that is about the extentof it."

  "We are going to have a moonshee next week, Doctor," Wilson said, alittle crestfallen, "and a horrid nuisance it will be."

  "That is only because you are obliged to pass in the vernacular, Wilson.So you need not take any credit to yourself on that account."

  "Doctor, you are in one of your worst possible tempers this morning,"Isobel said. "
You snap at us all round. You are quite intolerable thismorning."

  "I am rather put out by Bathurst running away in this fashion, MissHannay. I had made up my mind that he would stop three or four dayslonger, and it is pleasant to have someone who can talk and think aboutsomething besides horses and balls. But I will go away; I don't want tobe the disturbing element; and I have no doubt that Richards is burningto tell you the odds on some of the horses today."

  "Shall we see you on the racecourse, Doctor?" the Major asked, as theDoctor moved towards the door.

  "You will not, Major; one day is enough for me. If they would get up adonkey race confined strictly to the subalterns of the station, I mighttake the trouble to go and look at it."

  "The Doctor is in great form today," Wilson said good temperedly, afterthe laugh which followed the Doctor's exit had subsided; "and I am surewe did nothing to provoke him."

  "You got into his line of fire, Wilson," the Major said; "he isexplosive this morning, and has been giving it to us all round. However,nobody minds what the Doctor says; his bark is very bad, but he hasno bite. Wait till you are down with the fever, and you will find himdevote himself to you as if he were your father."

  "He is one of the kindest men in the world," Isobel agreed warmly,thereby effectually silencing Richards, who had just pulled up his shirtcollar preparatory to a sarcastic utterance respecting him.

  Isobel, indeed, was in full sympathy with the Doctor, for she, too, wasdisappointed at Bathurst's sudden departure. She had looked forward tolearning a good deal from him about the native customs and ways, andhad intended to have a long talk with him. She was perhaps, too, moreinterested generally in the man himself than she would have been willingto admit.

  That evening the party went to an entertainment at Bithoor. Isobel andthe girls were delighted with the illuminations of the gardens and withthe palace itself, with its mixture of Eastern splendor and Europeanluxury. But Isobel did not altogether enjoy the evening.

  "I suppose I ought to congratulate you on your success last night,Isobel," Dr. Wade said, when he dropped in after breakfast. "Everyonehas been telling me that the Rajah paid you the greatest attention,and that there is the fiercest gnashing of teeth among what must now becalled the ex-queens of the station."

  "I don't know who told you such nonsense, Doctor," Isobel replied hotly."The Rajah quite spoilt the evening for me. I have been telling Mrs.Hunter so. If we had not been in his own house, I should have told himthat I should enjoy the evening very much more if he would leave mealone and let me go about and look quietly at the place and the gardens,which are really beautiful. No doubt he is pleasant enough, and Isuppose I ought to have felt flattered at his walking about with me andso on, but I am sure I did not. What pleasure does he suppose an Englishgirl can have in listening to elaborate compliments from a man as yellowas a guinea?"

  "Think of his wealth, my dear."

  "What difference does his wealth make?" Isobel said. "As far as I haveseen, I do not think that rich Englishmen are more amusing than others,and if he had all the wealth of India, that would not improve Nana Sahibin my eyes. There are women, of course, who do think a great deal aboutmoney, and who will even marry men for it, but even women who woulddo that could not, I should think, care anything about the wealth of aHindoo they cannot marry."

  "Not directly, my dear," Mrs. Hunter said; "but people may be flatteredwith the notice and admiration of a person of importance and greatwealth, even if he is a Hindoo."

  "Besides," the Doctor put in, "the Rajah is considered to be a greatconnoisseur of English beauty, and has frequently expressed his deepregret that his religion prevented his marrying an English lady."

  "I should be very sorry for the English girl who would marry him,religion or not."

  "I think you are rather hard upon the Nana, Isobel," the Major said."He is a general favorite; he is open handed and liberal; very fond ofentertaining; a great admirer of us as a nation. He is a wonderfullywell read man for a Hindoo, can talk upon almost every subject, and isreally a pleasant fellow."

  "I don't like him; I don't like him at all," Isobel said positively.

  "Ah, that is only because you thought he made you a little moreconspicuous than you liked by his attentions to you, Isobel."

  "No, indeed, uncle; that was very silly and ridiculous, but I did notlike the man himself, putting that aside altogether. It was like talkingto a man with a mask on: it gave me a creepy feeling. It did not seem tome that one single word he said was sincere, but that he was acting; andover and over again as he was talking I said to myself, 'What is thisman really like? I know he is not the least bit in the world what hepretends to be. But what is the reality?' I felt just the same as Ishould if I had one of those great snakes they bring to our verandacoiling round me. The creature might look quiet enough, but I shouldknow that if it were to tighten it would crush me in a moment."

  The Major and Mrs. Hunter both laughed at her earnestness, but theDoctor said gravely, "Is that really how you felt about him when he wastalking to you, Miss Hannay? I am sorry to hear you say that. I ownthat my opinion has been that of everyone here, that the Rajah is a goodfellow and a firm friend of the Europeans, and my only doubt has arisenfrom the fact that it was unnatural he should like us when he hasconsiderable grounds for grievance against us. We have always reliedupon his influence, which is great among his countrymen, being thrownentirely into the scale on our side if any trouble should ever arise;but I own that what you say makes me doubt him. I would always take theopinion of a dog or a child about anyone in preference to my own."

  "You are not very complimentary, Doctor," Isobel laughed.

  "Well, my dear, a young girl who has not mixed much in the world and hadher instincts blunted is in that respect very much like a child. She maybe deceived, and constantly is deceived where her heart is concerned,and is liable to be taken in by any plausible scoundrel; but where herheart is not concerned her instincts are true. When I see children anddogs stick to a man I am convinced that he is all right, though I maynot personally have taken to him. When I see a dog put his tail betweenhis legs and decline to accept the advances of a man, and when I seechildren slip away from him as soon as they can, I distrust him at once,however pleasant a fellow he may be. As the Rajah, from all I heard,certainly laid himself out to be agreeable to you last night, and yet inspite of that you felt as you say you did about him, I am bound to saythat without at once admitting that my impressions about him werewrong, I consider that there is good ground for thinking the matter overagain."

  "What nonsense, Doctor," the Major laughed. "Everyone here has known theRajah for years. He is a most popular man, everyone likes him, among theladies especially he is a great favorite. It is ridiculous to suggestthat everyone should have been wrong about him, merely because Isobeltakes a prejudice against him, and that as far as I can see is simplybecause his admiration for her was somewhat marked."

  Isobel gave a little shudder. "Don't talk about admiration, uncle; thatis not the word for it; I don't know what it was like. They say snakesfascinate birds before they eat them by fixing their eyes upon them. Ishould say it was something of that sort of look."

  "Well, my dear, he is not going to eat you, that is certain," the Majorsaid; "and I can assure you that his approbation goes for a greatdeal here, and that after this you will go up several pegs in Cawnporesociety."

  Isobel tossed her head. "Then I am sorry for Cawnpore society; it isa matter of entire indifference to me whether I go up or down in itsopinion."

  A fortnight later the Nana gave another entertainment. A good deal toher uncle's vexation, Isobel refused to go when the time came.

  "But what am I to say, my dear?" he asked in some perplexity.

  "You can say anything you like, uncle; you can say that I am feeling theheat and have got a bad headache, which is true; or you can say thatI don't care for gayety, which is also true. I shall be very much morecomfortable and happy at home by myself."

  The Hunters had
by this time returned to Deennugghur, and the Majordrove over to Bithoor accompanied only by Dr. Wade. He was rathersurprised when the Doctor said he would go, as it was very seldom thathe went out to such entertainments.

  "I am not going to amuse myself, Major; I want to have a good look atthe Nana again; I am not comfortable since Isobel gave us her opinionof him. He is an important personage, and if there is any truth in theserumors about disaffection among the Sepoys his friendship may be of thegreatest assistance to us."

  So the Doctor was with Major Hannay when the latter made his excuses forIsobel's absence on the ground that she was not feeling very well.

  The Nana expressed great regret at the news, and said that with theMajor's permission he would call in the morning to inquire after MissHannay's health.

  "He did not like it," the Doctor said, when they had strolled awaytogether. "He was very civil and polite, but I could see that he wassavage. I fancy he got up this fete principally in her honor. It is notoften he has two so close together."

  "Oh, that is nonsense, Doctor."

  "I don't think so. He has done the same sort of thing several timesbefore, when he has been specially taken by some fresh face fromEngland."

  Others besides the Doctor remarked that the Rajah was not quite himselfthat evening. He was courteous and polite to his guests, but he wasirritable with his own people, and something had evidently gone wrongwith him.

  The next day he called at the Major's. The latter had not told Isobelof his intention, for he guessed that had he done so she would have goneacross to Mrs. Doolan or one of her lady friends, and she was sitting inthe veranda with him and young Wilson when the carriage drove up.

  "I was so sorry to hear that you were unwell, Miss Hannay," the Nanasaid courteously. "It was a great disappointment to me that you wereunable to accompany your uncle last night."

  "I have been feeling the heat the last few days," Isobel said quietly,"and, indeed, I do not care much about going out in such hot weatheras this. I have not been accustomed to much society in England, and thecrowd and the heat and the lights make my head ache."

  "You look the picture of health, Miss Hannay, but I know that it istrying for Englishwomen when they first come into our climate; it isalways a great pleasure to me to receive English ladies at Bithoor. Ihope upon the next occasion you will be able to come."

  "I am much obliged to your highness," she said, "but it would be a truerkindness to let me stay quietly at home."

  "But that is selfish of you, Miss Hannay. You should think a little ofthe pleasure of others as well as your own."

  "I am not conceited enough to suppose that it could make any differenceto other people's pleasure whether I am at a party or not," Isobel said."I suppose you mean that as a compliment, Rajah, but I am not accustomedto compliments, and don't like them."

  "You will have to learn to become accustomed to compliments, MissHannay," the Rajah said, with a smile; and then turning to the Doctor,began to tell him of a tiger that had been doing a great deal of harmat a village some thirty miles away, and offered to send some elephantsover to organize a hunt for him if he liked, an invitation that theDoctor promptly accepted.

  The visit was but a short one. The Rajah soon took his leave.

  "You are wrong altogether, Isobel," the Doctor said. "I have returned tomy conviction that the Rajah is a first rate fellow."

  "That is just because he offered you some shooting, Doctor," Isobel saidindignantly. "I thought better of you than to suppose that you could bebought over so easily as that."

  "She had you there, Doctor," the Major laughed. "However, I am glad thatyou will no longer be backing her in her fancies."

  "Why did you accept his invitation for us to go over and lunch there,uncle?" Isobel asked, in a tone of annoyance.

  "Because there was no reason in the world why we should refuse, my dear.He very often has luncheon parties, and after that he will show you overthe place, and exhibit his jewels and curiosities. He said there wouldbe other ladies there, and I have no doubt we shall have a very pleasantday."

  Even Isobel was obliged to confess that the visit was a pleasant one.The Nana had asked Mrs. Cromarty, her daughters, and most of the otherladies of the regiment, with their husbands. The lunch was a banquet,and after it was over the parties were taken round the place, paid avisit to the Zenana, inspected the gardens and stables, and were driventhrough the park. The Nana saw that Isobel objected to be particularlynoticed, and had the tact to make his attentions so general that evenshe could find no fault with him.

  On the drive back she admitted to her uncle that she had enjoyed hervisit very much, and that the Rajah's manners were those of a perfectgentleman.

  "But mind, uncle," she said, "I do not retract my opinion. What theRajah really is I don't pretend to know, but I am quite sure that thecharacter of a smiling host is not his real one, and that for somereason or other he is simply playing a part."

  "I had no idea that you were such a prejudiced little woman," the Majorsaid, somewhat vexed; "but as it is no use arguing with you we hadbetter drop the subject."

  For the next month Cawnpore suffered a little from the reactionafter the gayety of the races, but there was no lack of topics ofconversation, for the rumors of disaffection among the troops gained instrength, and although nothing positive was known, and everyone scoffedat the notion of any serious trouble, the subject was so important aone that little else was talked of whenever parties of the ladies gottogether.