Major Rochfort had not much difficulty in persuading his friend to
abandon the Dâk Bungalow, and take up his quarters with him; and
Geoffrey parted without regret from the mildewed, rat-hunted chamber,
and toothless old matey--whose dishes were invariably seasoned with
a "dirty cloth" taste! As he beheld his belongings installed in a
large comfortably furnished room, containing a cot draped with snowy
mosquito curtains, a writing-table, and an almirah, he asked himself
the question, "Am _I_ too becoming a sponge?"
The guest was made warmly welcome by "the Miss," or Mrs. Dixon, who
assured him, that "all her born days she loved the Army!"
"Sure, an' wasn't I reared in the service, and married into the
Roifles," she announced in a high querulous key, "and it does me heart
good, to be in the same house with two fine soldiers, like the Major,
and yourself."
As for the Smiths, all three had fastened their affections upon
"Jeffie" as they called him; he played tennis with the boys, and taught
them to box, and suffered Mota to take photographs, and learn to print
them. Extravagant was her pride when she produced a picture of her
father, with white eyes, and a perfectly black face!
Mallender had written to Fanny, and to Mrs. Villars, but so far had
received no reply. And with grief it must be confessed, that for the
first time in their married life, Fred and Fanny had had "a few words,"
and these "words" were on the subject of Geoffrey. In answer to his
wife's tearful pleadings, Colonel Tallboys, bubbling over with wrath
replied:
"Fanny, I forbid you to correspond with that fellow, or to receive
his letters; the pinch of indifference, and some real hardship, will
soon bring the young idiot to his senses! I won't have him pitied, and
coddled. Now, Fan, you need not argue. I won't listen to excuses. After
all, he is _my_ relation--not yours. When did _I_ ever try to come
between you, and the Bonds?"
This argument was unanswerable, and Fan, who knew that her husband
could be very firm, and "bossy" on occasions, said no more.
As for Lena Villars, she had done with the young man; his unceremonious
escape, without even a parting word, had wounded her vanity too deeply.
She, who had hitherto believed that no man (and she chose) could resist
her! Added to this, was the wild tale she had heard from Colonel
Tallboys. The lady listened to his grievance with rapt and touching
attention. So this rash obstinate boy was practically penniless, and
had flung himself into a pursuit, that could only overtake derision,
and ruin. He was a charming fellow, when he was sane, and danced like
an angel, but she had no wish to set eyes on him again,--nor would she
ever forget him.
Mrs. Tallboys dutifully bowed to her lord's commands, and wrote no
letter, but she sent Geoffrey a little registered parcel, containing
her treasured talisman--a curious old Greek coin with a hole in it.
When Mallender unpacked the gift, he said to himself with a broad smile:
"Surely, between Sawmy's thumbs, and this talisman, I am bound to
succeed!"
He had interviewed Shumilal, and overwhelmed him with
reproaches,--these ran as lightly off the Agent, as if he were the
proverbial duck!--and for his part, he silenced his client with
clamorous condolences, sympathy, excuses, and dazzling promises of
eventual triumph.
"We are hard at work on another line," he announced, "and for failure,
_no_ charge is made. We will communicate most important news, at a very
early date."
"I don't believe in your Jaffer and Co." said Major Rochfort as he
and his guest paced the garden together one moonlight evening, when
the young people had retired. "I'd be a better help myself--on the
principle of set a thief to catch a thief. I am up to lots of dodges,
I understand how to cover my tracks, or to bolt for my hole, like a
rabbit."
"Yes, I suppose you must be pretty smart," assumed Mallender.
"I am," he rejoined emphatically. "When Sophy is bound for Egypt--she
generally winters there--I drop her at Port Said and come on to the
estate, put in a couple of days with Fraser, and then double down to
the kids."
"How often have you been out?"
"This is my fourth trip, since Mota was born. You see, I hate to miss
the hunting. This year, I'm out a bit late--but I don't want the Smiths
to forget their old Daddy."
"No, but when they grow up, how will it be?"
"Ah, that's the rub, when they grow up?--especially when Mota grows up.
My wife is as prim and as starched as they make 'em; she looks like an
old maid; but she loves children, and since she has none, she adopts
dogs. You know the little brown Pom, she calls it her child, and her
baby boy--it's pitiful!"
"Perhaps she would take to your children?" suggested Mallender.
"Never! For one thing, she's as jealous as the devil. If I speak to a
good-looking woman more than once, she's down on me like bricks. When
some confounded gossip told her that I was always riding with that
pretty Mrs. Chester--you remember her--by Jove, she took to coming out
herself! The ruling passion, stronger than the fear of death. Sophy
can't ride for nuts, but she's plucky as the deuce. On the other hand,
anything in the shape of a scandal, floors her; she knows nothing of
life, nor of men's lives; poor dear, good woman, she thinks we are
saints. I'm fond of her,--though it was a _mariage de convenance_, and
she has been awfully generous to me; paid my debts, and gives me a free
hand. If the secret of the coffee estate came to her ears, she'd get a
separation like a shot, and I'd be fired out of the country!"
"So far she has no suspicions?" enquired Mallender.
"I'm not sure. I hope not. I write regularly from the Renapilly estate,
a fellow there, that I can trust, posts my letters every mail."
"Do you know, I now remember, when I spent a couple of nights at your
place, Mrs. Rochfort asked me a lot of questions about India, and
especially about Madras; I could not tell her much, nor anything of
coffee estates, or if they were almost inaccessible. She enquired
the easiest way of reaching those in the Hills. I said I supposed on
horseback, or in a chair, carried by coolies."
"Then, my dear fellow, let me tell you, that unintentionally you did
me a very bad turn," said Rochfort, as he carefully cut the end of a
cigar--"what else?"
"She asked me the length of the voyage, and for details respecting
insects and snakes."
"Oh, _she_ knows all about snakes, and scorpions! I rubbed them in
extra well. No, I don't really believe that Sophy will ever get further
east than Egypt--she funks the Red Sea, and cobras. I say! I suppose
you know the Smiths have taken to you uncommonly; it's good for the
boys to meet another Englishman, and I see you've knocked some sound
ideas into their heads. As for Mota, you'll be interested to hear, that
she has decided _to marry_ you!"
"Well, perhaps I may wait for her! By the way, they are waiting for us
to play badminton in the big room. Shall we adjourn?"
The weather was warming up, tanks were nearly dry, the grass withered,
and the ground hard as a brick,--consequently there was no shooting.
Now and then of a late afternoon Major Rochfort motored his friend into
Madras. He had purchased the motor out of some race winnings, chiefly
for the use of the boys going to and fro to college. As most of the
community were in the Hills, or had gone home, or to Australia, no one
recognised Mallender. He and his host went down to the Marina to catch
a breath of the sea breeze, or to the band at the Luz, or to look on
at tennis in the grounds behind the Chepauk Palace. Occasionally they
took a turn in the shops. In one, Mallender was not a little startled
to recognise, ticketed "a bargain," the very gold bag he had presented
to Mrs. Villars. Could there be a mistake? Had it been stolen? he asked
permission to examine it. Yes, it was the same, there were her initials
faintly scratched by his own penknife.
"How did you come by this?" he enquired of the shop assistant, and the
shop assistant on his dignity, loftily replied:
"By purchasing it,--we don't receive stolen goods."
"Of course, I know that. The reason I ask is, that I gave it to a lady,
and I'm sure it's the same."
"No doubt, and the lady sold it. If you wish, I can give you her name.
She was staying at Hooper's Gardens; she said she did not care about
the pattern, and accepted two hundred and fifty rupees."
Geoffrey bowed, and walked out of the shop, feeling surprisingly
crestfallen; and all the way back to Panjeverram, he proved a silent
companion. Somehow or other, after this discovery, the magic of Lena
Villars lost its hold upon his memory.
He had now been a fortnight at the big bungalow, and was enrolled as
one of the household, joined in all their games and interests _con
amore_, and was even accepted by the fox-terrier, and Francis--who had
ceased to regard him with an air of scornful disparagement.
It was much too hot for any exertion in the daytime, the heat was
fierce, all nature seemed somnolent; even the sparrows were in
retirement, and ugly flying foxes, hung torpid, and motionless in their
hundreds, from the banyan trees. Of an evening, the Smith family
revived. There were cards, puzzle games, and music on the gramophone;
and Mrs. Dixon occasionally obliged with an Irish song; she had still
a sweet haunting voice, and accompanied herself vigorously on the
concertina. Subsequently there was family service,--an institution
unfamiliar to Mallender. Major Rochfort read a chapter and some prayers
to his household, which included Francis, Anthony and several Catholic
servants,--and then the day for the young people was closed.
Although Mallender was adopted as one of the family, consulted about
domestic affairs, domestic animals, and education, he did not intend
to remain a fixture at the Nabob's House. On the contrary, he was
in a condition of acute unrest; not only was he hoping for tidings
from Jaffer and Co., but was pinning a certain amount of faith on
Francis,--who according to his employer, had friends and relatives in
all parts of the Presidency, and the details of every well-known, or
even merely guessed at, scandal, or disappearance, at his finger-ends.
It was a fact, that Francis and Anthony were laying their heads
together, and elaborating a wonderful itinerary for Anthony's master.
One sweltering day just after tiffin, Mota brought in the dâk. She gave
several letters to her father, and the Madras _Mail_ to Geoffrey. After
picking out the most interesting items of news, his eye fell casually
on "Arrivals at Spencer's Hotel. Mrs. Rochfort and maid."
Could it be Rochfort's wife? He was about to draw attention to this
announcement, when a glance at his friend restrained him. He was
reading a letter; his colour had turned a greyish white, and great
beads of perspiration rolled down his face.
"Good Lord, Mallender, she has come out! and I'm done!" he exclaimed
hoarsely. "This letter, forwarded from the estate, is four days old.
Sophy has been four days at Spencer's Hotel. Here--read it," and as he
offered the letter, the paper rattled in his hand.
"SPENCER'S HOTEL, MADRAS.
"DEAREST ROBERT," it began,
"Won't this be a nice surprise for you? I am actually in Madras; do
come and fetch me as soon as you receive this, for I'm nearly
grilled alive, and poor Parsons is in a state of collapse. We only
arrived to-day, via Colombo and Tuticorin,--such a scorching land
journey! My old friends the Herrapaths who are going round the
world, persuaded me to accompany them from Port Said, so instead
of returning home, I faced the other way. Was I not courageous? I
made up my mind instantly, and just came off--I thought it such a
splendid chance, to visit your wonderful _coffee_ estate. Longing
to see you.
"Your loving SOPHY."
"She will have to know, now," remarked Mallender, as he returned the
epistle. "No question of that."
"Certainly not," rejoined Rochfort, who had partly recovered from the
first shock, "I shall face it out! Take her up to Ooty, tell her there
is small-pox on the estate, and hustle her off home. You don't agree, I
see."
"No, since you ask me, I don't."
"After all, it wouldn't work. No, on second thoughts, the Ooty club
is full of planters, and they would give me away, as a rank impostor.
Fraser, my friend, is in Australia; this is not the busy season. I see
no escape," and he turned on his companion the eyes of a desperate man.
"By God, I've a mind to put an end to myself!"
"What good would that do? you have to think of the Smiths. I see
nothing for it, but to make a clean breast of it," answered Mallender
firmly.
"Ah, it's easy to talk! I never could face her. I'm awfully sensitive,
I--I--I've no moral courage," and he completely broke down, and
presented a particularly distressing example of sheer cowardice!
His companion gazed at him in astonishment; Rochfort the smart,
authoritative, society man, a popular fellow, a leader in his own
part of the world; here, on the other side of the globe, faced with a
serious crisis, was weaker than many a woman, and sobbing like a child!
"Look here, Rochfort," he said at last. "Pull yourself together, write
a letter, and I'll take it to her, this afternoon."
"Mallender," raising his head, "you _are_ a friend! I warned you, that
you little knew what you were letting yourself in for, when you started
this crazy chase of yours,--here is an instance, you see! I'll get a
stiff peg, and write, if I can, but I'm so confoundedly shaky, I don't
know if I'll be able to form a word, no, 'pon my soul I'm no use at
a crisis like this! an awful thing, that bowls you clean out. Here I
stand between two fires, 'the kids and Sophy,' God knows I love them
both,--but I'm bound to lose one, or the other. If I stick to the kids,
Sophy will get a separation,--or what will come to the same thing; and
if I go home with her, I'll never see the others again. So there it is!
I'm in the devil of a mess," and once more, his voice broke.
"Write your letter, and confess yourself like a man," urged Geoffrey,
"the longer you leave it, the worse it will be. I'm going out to order
the car."
"Stop here, my old head on young shoulders! you stay and help me write
it. What can I say? How in God's name am I to begin--I'll never do it."
"You must," rejoined Mallender, "and it's a job you'll have to take on
alone. I'll give you fifteen minutes, while I have a tub, and change;
don't let it be long; hold nothing back, and whatever you do, _make it
plain_."