Next morning, soon after Mr. Rayner left for the High Court, a peon
arrived with a chit from him to tell Hester that he had been summoned to
the Mofussil on pressing business, and would probably be absent for a
couple of days, and directing that his dressing-boy should bring his kit
to the railway station. Hester felt disappointed that his unlooked-for
departure deprived her of the opportunity she desired to tell him that
all was now arranged for the projected trip to Ennore, which was to be
announced by her to the girls of the Club that evening.
Mrs. Fellowes' modest room was beginning to be a familiar place to the
Eurasian girls. She had not followed any hard-and-fast plan in
conducting the meetings further than making it her object to draw forth
these young women who lolled listlessly about the pandals of their
pent-up homes, to endeavour to fill their hearts with new thoughts, and
their hands with useful work. "The pioneer meeting," Mr. Morpeth
gleefully called it, no effort of quite a similar kind ever having been
attempted before for the betterment of the aimless lives in the purlieus
of the Eurasian quarter. Mrs. Fellowes and her "lieutenant," as Hester
called herself, proved inventive in happy methods in which cheerful work
and rational amusement intermingled. The older lady, with unwearied
skill and patience, shaped useful garments for the girls, and tried to
persuade them to substitute neat sewing for their careless methods of
fixing them up anyhow. Interesting books were always provided for
reading aloud, as well as a growing library fed by Mr. Morpeth. A
piano, the gift of an unknown donor, had been lately introduced, greatly
enhancing the popularity of the gathering, which was only beginning to
be known; and Mrs. Fellowes was always on the outlook for new recruits.
The end of the hour had come on this afternoon, and Hester was divulging
Mrs. Fellowes' invitation to Ennore to the assembled girls when she was
interrupted by a new arrival.
A young woman, attired more gaudily than was usual to the "Friendly,"
had pushed open the door and taken her seat without note or comment, and
was gazing intently at Hester. The new-comer was the object of much
whispering and many scowls from the frequenters of the meeting. Hester
presumed that she wished to become a member, but her aspect was so
unconciliatory that she felt some hesitation in addressing her, and
applied for information to a girl standing by her side. All she could
learn was that the girl had only recently appeared in Vepery and was
unknown to her; the stranger, however, seemed to have sharp ears.
"If it's my name you want," she said, "I'm not ashamed of it as some
might be of theirs. Mine's Miss Leila Baltus!"
A displeased murmur went round the meeting, and all eyes were directed
to Miss Baltus, who tossed her head defiantly.
"We are glad to see you," began Hester with quiet courtesy. "We welcome
everyone to our meeting." She paused, but resumed, "With regard to Mrs.
Fellowes' kind invitation, we shall have to restrict our number to those
already on our list."
Approving nods from the company acknowledged the reasonableness of Mrs.
Rayner's remark. A girl, who evidently knew more about the stranger than
the one to whom Hester had applied for information, said in a loud
whisper to her neighbour:
"Cheap on Leila for her impudence! She's got thatt awfulee high and
mighty since she went to Calcutta--and thatt spiteful too!"
Stung by hearing her name, and no doubt ruffled that she was not even to
have the chance of declining the proposed treat, Leila Baltus rose,
dropping her showy parasol noisily on the floor as she did so. She made
her way towards the door, saying enigmatically:
"I'll take my leave now. I've seen you, and that's enough for one
afternoon!"
She hissed out the words and rolled her dark eyes unpleasantly on the
sweet young English face. "There will be a second meeting, or my name's
not Leila Baltus! A Friendlee Society, forsooth!" Her cheap skirt with
its papery rustle swished along the floor as she made her exit.
A disapproving murmur ran through the ranks of the loyal partisans, but
the incident was soon forgotten amid the pleasant preoccupation over the
trip on the following morning.
On Hester's mind, however, it left an unpleasant recollection. She hoped
the mutinous intruder might prove more amenable to Mrs. Fellowes'
influence at some future time, and that they might one day be able to
get nearer to this embittered-looking girl with the beautiful eyes. To
have had such a bellicose element in to-morrow's party would have been
jarring, to say the least of it, and unfair to the others. It was
doubtless hearing of the pleasure which she was not to share, however,
that had made the girl so rude and unmannerly. Noting her name in her
pocket-book, Hester resolved to consult with her wise friend what should
be their attitude towards Miss Leila Baltus.
The bungalow where Mrs. Fellowes was staying belonged to an old and
distinguished firm of Madras merchants. The principals of the firm had
used it on occasion as a country house before South Indian hills became
so easy of access; and often now they put it at the disposal of friends.
To many a young couple had Binny's Bungalow at Ennore proved a place of
dear romance; to many a weary veteran a haven of quiet rest.
There was a peculiar fairyism about Ennore. It seemed to nestle in all
its sylvan beauty on the borders of an inland lake whose slopes were
fringed by cocoanut palms, dense glossy shrubs, and odoriferous spice
plants; while graceful bamboos flung their interlacing tendrils all
about. Great water-lilies spread themselves over the surface of the
water, and the water-fowl floated or skimmed over its sparkling ripples.
A trim, white-sailed boat, with an ancient, white-bearded serang in
attendance, was always at the disposal of the bungalow guests. Afloat on
the placid waters of the lake and sheltered by its leafy borders, every
object tended to convince one that it was entirely an inland sheet of
water, till suddenly you might, perchance, be startled by the shrill cry
of a sea-gull, or the fierce roll of the near breakers would fall on
your astounded ear. You would then glance across the sunny ripples of
the lake, and perceive with amazement that a strip of sand was all that
divided the peaceful backwater from the great Bay of Bengal; so white
and thin were its grains that they might be put through an hour-glass
without refinement, and so narrow was the strip that, in a minute, a
child could run across it. On one side light zephyrs dance on the tiny
ripples; on the other, the waters roll in mighty waves dashed to the
shore in tossing, writhing floods of whitest foam.
At the upper end of this long stretch of smooth sand stands the gallant
little bungalow with its trim, green-painted _persiennes_, trellised
verandahs, and its breezy "up-stair" room, surrounded by some sturdy
date palms, and sheltered from the elements by a belt of hardy jungle
trees which break the fury of the gales.
The one ample sitting-room of the bungalow from which branched various
bedrooms and dressing-rooms, seemed to Hester the most English-looking
room of a certain type which she had seen since coming to the East.
Perhaps it suggested the old-fashioned inn-parlour more than anything
intimately domestic. On its walls hung numerous quaint-coloured prints
of English hunting scenes. Its sofas, planted against the walls, offered
luxurious rest; while its big dining-table and rows of chairs gave it a
hospitable air. The many windows at each end of the long room disclosed
impartially the inland beauties of the backwater, and the expanse of the
great restless ocean. On one side of the building the favoured small
guests, who found themselves making holiday at the bungalow, might float
their mimic ships in safety; and on the other, beyond the mass of
seething foam, the stateliest ships of the world might be seen sailing
over the great deep.
Hester had driven out early to help Mrs. Fellowes with preparations for
her numerous guests, and now stood by the side of the hostess, giving
the girls a smiling welcome to Ennore. It soon proved that the
prearranged programme for their entertainment was superfluous, so
charmed were the guests with the unwonted surroundings in which they
found themselves. Some groups sought the long narrow strip of sunlit
sand by the "many dashing ocean shore," to search for the rare shells to
be found there, thrown up by the tide, retreating with shrieks of
laughter when the curling waves dashed their spray upon them. Others
were more fascinated by the peaceful charm of the backwater, and made
expeditions in the boat to the further end of the lake, bent on securing
trophies of greenery for the decoration of their dull Vepery parlours.
The white-haired, nut-brown serang had many freights of passengers that
day, and more than one sensational shriek reached the ladies who sat in
the verandah watching all the ongoings.
A plentiful tiffin brought the guests indoors for a time, but they were
eager to be out again, even under the hot afternoon sun, to explore the
sylvan brakes or saunter on the sunny sands.
"Do you know, Mrs. Fellowes," said Hester, "I begin to feel rather an
impostor! I told myself that I must come to-day to help you to
entertain your guests, and now I find I'm doing nothing but hugely
enjoying myself!"
She lay back happily in one of the luxurious teakwood arm-chairs which
were a special and memorable feature of the verandah.
"Well, my dear, I'm only too glad you are having a nice rest," returned
Mrs. Fellowes, glancing at her with a kindly smile. "I thought you
looked rather jaded and worried when you arrived, but this air is
wonderfully soothing and restoring."
"I confess I was rather worried last night," said Hester, with a sigh.
"How would you act if you were suddenly presented with a costly gift by
your husband which you neither admired nor wished?" she asked, deciding
she would take counsel of the woman Mr. Morpeth called a "wise saint."
She proceeded to tell her of the difficulty she felt when suddenly
confronted with the gorgeous diamond pendant in its elegant case and
been asked to accept this distasteful gift, and what her attitude had
been.
"Oh, my dear, I do think such a prompt refusal was a little bit rough on
your husband, though I sympathise with you in the main, for I know you
don't care for jewels. But these matters must be handled very
delicately. For instance, I think if Joe had taken it into his head to
present me with something he would be much hurt if I declined to accept
his offering; but then, to be sure, it would not be a costly gift as
yours is----"
"Diamonds of the first water, Alfred described them," said Hester,
shaking her head.
"Why, they must have cost a fortune! But your husband is no doubt able
to afford them--he must be a very rich man."
A knot rose in Hester's throat. Since her husband was so demonstratively
rich, why had he so irritatingly declined the little boon which she had
craved? Good taste and loyalty forbade her sharing with her friend the
main source of her discomfort in having had the costly gift pressed upon
her. Mrs. Fellowes, however, perceived that she was deeply perturbed
concerning the incident, but she felt she could not encourage Hester to
persevere in her determination to have the pendant returned. That course
would certainly have the effect of widening the little rift which seemed
already vibrating.
"Just you ask your husband to put the jewel in his safe to keep it from
thieves, and, when it is stowed away like that, you will both forget to
give it an airing, and you won't have to bedeck yourself with it."
"A capital idea! That will please Alfred, and will save me more words
about the matter."
"Only," Mrs. Fellowes added, "you might stipulate that in future your
husband's affection would be more valued if it did not take the form of
costly gifts. Your husband must be very rich," repeated Mrs. Fellowes,
this time with an interrogative note in her voice and a glance at
Hester. "Young barristers out here are seldom able to present their
wives with diamonds of the first water."
"No, I don't think Alfred is what could be called rich. But you know he
has an addition to what he earns--an allowance from his people. I forget
how much it is, but he told father. Both his parents died when he was a
baby, and an aunt and her husband brought him up. His uncle Rayner had
been in the same firm as his father, and I think Alfred has still a
share in the business, but I don't interest myself in these matters. I
have a very unbusiness-like mind," she added with a sigh. "I'm afraid my
husband thinks me quite hopeless in that department, though I am vain
enough to believe that I could now manage the domestic side better--at
least more economically--than he does."
"But you do, don't you? Why, when the Colonel and I dined with you
lately I recollect one of Mr. Rayner's bachelor friends said chaffingly:
'It's easy to see your Eve's hand in this Paradise, Rayner!' And I
remember I quite loved your husband when I heard him say with an air of
glee, 'Yes, isn't she a splendid housekeeper?'"
"A splendid housekeeper! Oh, Alfred must have been joking! I only wish
he would let me have a try! Of course everything was very new and
strange to me at first, but I've found my way about in many things now.
I'm no more an absolute 'griffin.' For one thing, I'm quite sure I could
manage much more economically than we're doing now. Alfred admits we are
spending a great deal----"
Hester's voice faltered as she recalled the humiliating context in which
he had made the unexpected admission.
"Well, my dear, look here," said Mrs. Fellowes in an emphatic tone,
after a little silence. "As the price of your concession in keeping the
diamonds, suppose you stipulate for a freer hand on the housekeeping
reins, especially since your husband admits that these expenses are
large. I would strongly advise you to arrange this."
Mrs. Fellowes called to mind the Colonel having more than once remarked
that the young Rayners must be spending lacs between horse-flesh and
elegant dinners. She felt glad that this talk had given her the
opportunity of offering some advice on the subject to the young wife
whom she had come to admire and love for other qualities than merely her
personal charm.
The bright day had faded. That magical, and, in Eastern lands, momentary
interval between light and darkness had fallen. The girls were at length
gathered in the brightly-lit sitting-room, having an evening meal before
starting on their homeward way. Their cheerful faces and happy laughter
told how greatly they had enjoyed their day.
"We've just been awfulee happy," said one spokeswoman. "'Twill be a tale
to tell for many a day in Vepery!"
"And won't thatt cat, Leila Baltus, be spiteful when she hears wot a
good time we've had, and her kept out," remarked another.
"Oh, but that is not a kind source of satisfaction, Rosa," said Mrs.
Fellowes, looking at the girl, and shaking her head in gentle
disapproval. "Who is Leila Baltus?" she asked in an undertone, turning
to Hester; but the question was unheard in the general bustle of
departure.
The last carriageful was now driving off, and a shrill chorus of
expressions of gratitude mingled with the sea sounds which were more
audible now that the darkness had fallen. Long afterwards Hester
remembered this night, and conjured up a vivid picture of this shore of
the Bay of Bengal, the sweet placid face of the "wise saint," the eager
groups of amber-faced girls with the evidence of a happy innocent day
written on every feature, and the background of the brightly-lit
parlour, while a stone's throw away rolled the darkened waters of the
great restless ocean.
Hester, in her husband's absence, had agreed to remain the night with
her friend. Colonel Fellowes appeared presently, having driven out to
see his wife, and a pleasant evening followed. When Hester mounted the
narrow staircase to the delightful bedroom assigned to her on the flat
roof, she felt it was long since such an entirely happy day had been her
portion. With its many doors opening on the leads, this room was an
abode of luxury on hot Indian plains. Here no drowsy punkah-wallah had
to be roused by the sleepless victim to pull the weary wind-fan! The sea
breeze wooed one to sleep even on the hottest nights, and through the
many doors open to the dark blue vault, one could lie in bed and watch
the stars come out, tracing whole constellations from one's downy pillow
to the music of the wild waves.