able, a clean cloth, glass, plate,
napkins, and flowers and fruit," cried Murray. "Why, my dear madam, you
forget that we have been picnicking in a boat. There, don't spoil your
welcome by apologies!"

Then there was a busy interval during which the greatest justice was
done to an excellent meal, and Ned was initiated into the mystery of
sambals--tiny saucers of pickle-like and preserve preparations, popular
amongst the Malays as appetisers, but quite needless in Ned's case, for
he was perfectly independent of anything of the kind, and after his
curry and coffee, now the first chill of strangeness had passed, paid
plenty of attention to the fruit pressed upon him by the doctor's
daughter. Now it was a deliciously-flavoured choice banana with a deep
orange skin, now a mangosteen, and then a portion of a great durian, a
scrap or two of which he ate with some reluctance.

"Hallo!" said the doctor after a glance at his daughter, "you are not
getting on with your durian, sir. Pray take some more; it is our king
among fruits."

"I--I am afraid it is not a good one," stammered Ned, looking rather
red.

"Eh? not a good one?" cried the doctor, tasting a piece. "Delicious,
just in perfect condition. Ah, you have to acquire that taste. Now
then, the ladies will excuse us, and we'll have a cigar here in the
shade."

He clapped his hands, and one of the Malay women brought a box of
manillas.

"No, I don't think I'll smoke," said Murray. "You will not think me
rude, but if you will excuse us, and put us in the way of getting what
we want, I should be grateful."

"My dear sir," said the doctor, "you must see our other English
residents. They are only waiting to give us time to finish our meal,
and really you cannot go as yet."

"Indeed!" said Murray, smiling, and noticing that the ladies both looked
serious.

"Well, you see," said the doctor rather confusedly--"do pray light a
cigar, I'll set you an example--you see there is the rajah."

Ned looked up sharply at the doctor, and then darted a look of
intelligence at his daughter.

"What about him?" said Murray abruptly.

"Well, you see," said the doctor, hesitatingly, "he might think--but you
are going shooting and collecting, you say?"

"Yes."

"Well, you ought to ask his permission."

"What!" said Murray, laughing. "My dear sir, you talk as if this were a
gentleman's estate, and he kept gamekeepers."

"Well, yes," said the doctor, smiling; "it is so o