for you. Dinner's at
seven. I'll see you then.'

Riding at a foot-pace, Faiz Ullah by his stirrup, Scott came to
William in the brown-calico riding-habit, sitting at the dining-tent
door, her hands in her lap, white as ashes, thin and worn, with no
lustre in her hair. There did not seem to be any Mrs. Jim on the
horizon, and all that William could say was: 'My word, how pulled
down you look!'

'I've had a touch of fever. You don't look very well yourself.'

'Oh, I'm fit enough. We've stamped it out. I suppose you know?'

Scott nodded. 'We shall all be returned in a few weeks. Hawkins told
me.'

'Before Christmas, Mrs. Jim says. Sha'n't you be glad to go back? I
can smell the wood-smoke already'; William sniffed. 'We shall be in
time for all the Christmas doings. I don't suppose even the Punjab
Government would be base enough to transfer Jack till the new year?'

'It seems hundreds of years ago--the Punjab and all that--doesn't it?
Are you glad you came?'

'Now it's all over, yes. It has been ghastly here. You know we had to
sit still and do nothing, and Sir Jim was away so much.'

'Do nothing! How did you get on with the milking?'

'I managed it somehow--after you taught me.'

Then the talk stopped with an almost audible jar. Still no Mrs. Jim.

'That reminds me I owe you fifty rupees for the condensed milk. I
thought perhaps you'd be coming here when you were transferred to the
Khanda district, and I could pay you then; but you didn't.'

'I passed within five miles of the camp. It was in the middle of a
march, you see, and the carts were breaking down every few minutes,
and I couldn't get 'em over the ground till ten o'clock that night.
But I wanted to come awfully. You knew I did, didn't you?'

'I--believe--I--did,' said William, facing him with level eyes. She
was no longer white.

'Did you understand?'

'Why you didn't ride in? Of course I did,'

'Why?'

'Because you couldn't of course. I knew that.'

'Did you care?'

'If you had come in--but I knew you wouldn't--but if you _had_, I
should have cared a great deal. You know I should.'

'Thank God I didn't! Oh, but I wanted to! I couldn't trust myself to
ride in front of the carts, because I kept edging 'em over here,
don't you know?'

'I knew you wouldn't,' said William, contentedly, 'Here's your
fifty.'

Scott bent forward and kissed the hand that held the greasy notes.
Its fellow patted him awkwardly but very tenderly on the head.