at the end of the cold
weather."

"Any kids?"

"Two."

"And you haven't been out before?"

"No; this is my first visit."

"She's been home, I suppose?"

"Yes, once."

"Is her husband in the Army?"

"No."

Had Sir Langham been an observant person he would have noted that her
very brief replies did not exactly encourage further questions. But his
idea of conversation was either a monologue or a means of obtaining
information, so he instantly demanded, "What does her husband do?"

The impulse of the moment urged her to reply, "What possible business is
it of yours _what_ he does?" But well-bred people do not yield to these
impulses, so she answered quietly, "He's in the P.W.D."

"Not a bad service, not a bad service, though not equal to the I.C.S.
They've had rather a scandal in it lately. Didn't you see about it in
the papers just before we left?"

At that moment Sir Langham was very carefully flicking the ash from the
end of his cigar, otherwise he might have observed that as he spoke his
companion flushed. A wave of warm colour surged over her face and bare
neck and receded again, leaving her very pale. Her hands closed over the
book lying in her lap, as if glad to hold on to something, and their
knuckles were white against the tan.

"Didn't you see it?" he repeated. "Some chap been found to have taken
bribes over contracts in a native state. Regular rumpus there's been.
Quite right, too; we sahibs must have clean hands. No dealing with brown
people if you haven't clean hands--can't have rupees sticking to 'em in
any Government transactions. Expect you'll hear all about it when you
get out there--makes a great sensation in any service does that sort of
thing. I don't remember the name of the chap--perhaps they didn't give
it--do you?"

"I didn't see anything about it," she said quietly. "I was very busy
just before I left, and hardly looked at a paper."

"Where is your sister?"

"In Bombay."

"Oh, got a billet there, has he? Expect you'll like Bombay; cheery
place, in the cold weather, but not a patch on Calcutta, to my mind. I
hear the Governor and his wife do the thing in style--hospitable, you
know; got private means, as people in that position always ought to
have."

"I don't suppose I shall go out at all," she said. "My sister is ill,
and I've got to look after her. Directly she is strong enough to travel
I shall bring her home."

"Oh, you _must_ see something of the social life of the p