under the shade of the verandah of the Principal's house. Out in the broad sunshine the blue ipomea, the morning glory of

n the raised verandah, followed by the butler. She was a widow and had been mar

s mixed. Her small regular features and olive complexion could make no claim to beauty in her mature middle age, when her figure had lost its delicate proportions and gained in amplitude. The eyes alone were unaltered.

lic Works Department named William Delaine. He was more than double the age of his bride; and had lived long enough to put together

promisingly straightforward he did much to carry on the early training of Maria's mind begun by her father. She was very happy with William Smith in a placid way, and bore him a son who was educated in the barrack-school and in due time drafted into the drummer-boy c

cast his eyes round the large domiciled European and Eurasian community in Bangalore for a suitable wife. Mrs. William Smith seemed in every way the woman to fill the position. She was of t

ng her over to his side, but she stood firm; and sooner than lose so desirable a partner he joined her Church. They were very happy, but unfortunately he did not live long, and for

ed her. The arrangement proved highly satisfactory to both. During Dr. and Miss Wenaston's six months' holiday in England Mrs. Hulver occ

ver her feet; a bodice that showed no fashionable bulge in sleeve or shoulder but confined her figure decently and comfortably. White linen collar and cuffs and neatly fastened waistband completed her

ed under-sized native with an apologetic manner, fidgeted behind her in evident discomfort. She addressed him in English over her shoulder. The native tongue was perfectly familiar; it had bee

very little Eurasian accent. From her father and two of her

gardener appeared from behind the bungalo

ring the pots

n assistant brought twelve large pots of roses. They were solemnly placed in a row under the portico on the spot to which the finger pointed. Seven of the plants bore double pink blossoms. The remaining five had crimson flowers of the k

nce roses with a sweet smell. How is it that fiv

een strange kind of weather. The weather had poisoned the flowers and made them turn colour and lose their scent. This preposterous sta

maintained the gardener. Then, as she kept an incredulous silence, he asked querulously, if it was any stranger than that carriages should run along the road without horses, and mess

ected by bad weather." She paused to allow her grey eye to rest upon him; and he shifted uneasily from one foot to the other under her scrutiny. "Do you hear, gardener? They must be nursed back to their proper condition. There will be a fine of one rupee for

s. Hulver turned slowly round an

la, after she left the breakfast-room and sought th

hile I have been away. Five of those France roses that you are

"I suppose he let them die by neglecting to water and has pu

d them-sold the good ones and stolen

r himself when you

want to get even with a bad man.' I kept my thoughts to myself; and when the gardener had the impudence to tell me that the weather had turned the roses from pink to red, I said tha

establishment, and knew better than to interfere, althoug

sold them; what

nsist on! As William-that was my first-used to say (he was country-born and knew the native): 'Give them a chance of straightening things,

perhaps it would be better t

as like in their separate ways, both servants and husbands, as the cocoanut trees. The only difference you can see in the cocoanut trees is the way they stand. One will lean to one side and another to the other side, and no two will lean just alike. As William-that was my third-(he was born in Ireland) used to

d the orders for the day given. She sat down at her writing table and entered the daily marketing account in the book kept for that purpose. The but

lver coughed, and he corrected himself, taking off half an anna. At another item she moved from one foot to the other, but remained silent. He p

wo annas,"

culated Mrs. H

peated the butler, stick

ch t

ff to the kitchen and returned with four limp dr

ine scorn. "They were entered in the account last Fr

roceeded to the end of his list. Eola would willingly have dis

down the daily account. If by any chance you were ill then I should be obliged to do it; bu

th it, Mrs. Hulver. You chec

was my second (he was a very straight-minded man)-used to s

and the butler and cook dismisse

lver!" s

, mi

ting-table. The pen was still in her hand and wet with ink. In absence o

s. Hulver, whose grey ey

? Oh! I know. I wanted to tell yo

not forgotten the subject of her communication, and the ne

sked Mrs. Hulv

s business in Chirapore. Will you see to the spare room. I brought out new curt

ave been lying by ever since you unpacked them. As William-that was my first-used to say (he was a great man for show, being a Eurasian and a good deal darker than me): 'When you've g

pose you heard it in the bazaar. I don't know how these things get about, b

er, a rich native of this town. Perhaps you know the story. If so, I'd better be going as t

an inveterate gossip, and her visits to the shops and market were prompted as much by curiosity to hear th

e superintended the tailor, and kept an eye on all that went on in the back verandah. She made as though she would seek her room with as little dela

's invitation. My brother only spoke of his visit this morning when he received Mr. Alderbury's reply to the invitat

ee forgotten in her eagerness to relate th

as turned Christian, and the whole family is in a

t is a good thing when a native becomes a Christian; but

to create something of a sensation by the announcemen

er had a caste man go Christian before. The Christians have always been pariahs and they have no caste to matter. As William-that was my third-used to say: 'Change your clothes;

rsuade him?" asked Eola,

of her late spouses. At the same time she never lo

might go without me. I could get on without him. Besides it was only right that he should be the one to

in with you

e by two strings, myself for one, and my little fortune for the other. As William-that was my first, him that left me the property-used to say: 'It's money that gives you

. Alderbur

eman who was walking with him." Already the story had gathered fiction in its passage from mouth to mouth. "The elevator was killed on the spot; but the friend had time to make a last request, and it was that Ananda should become a Christian. He never said a word to his people, but got it done on the quiet and registered and everything. It gave his father a terrible shock; it ne

that very meeting and saw the man fall. Coomara was not killed by

ey are determined to knock the Christianity out of him; and it will be a pretty stiff fight if he has any spirit. It is said in the bazaar that Mr. Alderbury is coming in from the district to s

gave in," remarked Eola, unable to resi

oadly, and was quite

at he had played the turncoat. The trouble was at Christmas time when his weakness overtook him. His leaning was towards whisky, being an Irishman. It was expensive whilst it lasted. As William-that was my second-used to say (he was a teetotalle

him give it up altog

irst-used to say when I complained of his Eurasian ways: 'You mustn't expect a wild goose to lay a tame e

ry you to have

age. As William-that was my first-used to say when he and his contractor settled

bout of drinking have for you?" asked

s with him I never once got the chance of emptying my mind." Her voice had a distinct ring of regret in it as she made the confession. "I tried it two or three times; but the moment I began he rose from his chair and drew himself up haughty and proud, just like his colonel when the men came to the orderly room with their complaints. He heard what I had to say in a dead silence, that sort of cooled you down, and all he replied was: 'I'll lo

not on all four

ep things straight and you'll be master; but let them get at sixes and sevens and they will master you.

id he d

rowte) "marching. They were in the water that he drank by the roadside. They gave hi