e in itself, of course,
but betraying in Armour a certain lack of observation. I felt the
Departmental Head crumble in me, however, as I recognized him, and I
pulled the mare up in a manner which she plainly resented. It was my
opportunity to do cautiously and delicately what I had omitted the
afternoon before; but my recollection is that I was very clumsy.

I said something about the dust, and he said something about the glare,
and then I could think of nothing better than to ask him if he wouldn't
like to meet a few Simla people.

'Oh, I know lots of people, thanks,' he said. 'It's kind of you to think
of it, all the same, but I've got any amount of friends here.'

I thought of Mr. Rosario, and stood, or sat confounded.

The mare fidgeted; I knocked a beast of a fly off her, and so gained
time.

'This is my second season up here, you know.'

'Your second season!' I exclaimed. 'Where on earth have you been
hiding?'

'Well, I didn't exhibit last year, you see. I'd heard it was a kind of
a toy show, so I thought I wouldn't. I think now that was foolish. But I
got to know quite a number of families.'

'But I am sure there are numbers that you haven't met,' I urged,' or I
should have heard of it.'

He glanced at me with a slight flush. 'If you mean society people,'
he said, 'I don't care about that kind of thing, Mr. Philips. I'm not
adapted to it, and I don't want to be. If any one offered to introduce
me to the Viceroy, I would ask to be excused.'

'Oh, the Viceroy,' I responded, disrespectfully, 'is neither here nor
there. But there are some people, friends of my own, who would like very
much to meet you.'

'By the name of Harris?' he asked. I was too amazed to do anything but
nod. By the name of Harris! The Secretary of the Government of India in
the Legislative Department! The expression, not used as an invocation,
was inexcusable.

'I remember you mentioned them yesterday.'

'Yes,' I said, 'there's a father and daughter. Miss Harris is very
artistic.'

His face clouded, as well it might, at the word. 'Does she paint?' he
asked, so apprehensively that I could not forbear a smile at Dora's
expense. I could assure him that she did not paint, that she had not
painted, at all events, for years, and presently I found myself in
the ridiculous position of using argument to bring a young man to the
Harrises. In the end I prevailed, I know, out of sheer good nature on
Armour's part; he was as innocent as a b