t. "Everyone
has been telling me that the Rajah paid you the greatest attention,
and that there is the fiercest gnashing of teeth among what must now be
called the ex-queens of the station."

"I don't know who told you such nonsense, Doctor," Isobel replied hotly.
"The Rajah quite spoilt the evening for me. I have been telling Mrs.
Hunter so. If we had not been in his own house, I should have told him
that I should enjoy the evening very much more if he would leave me
alone and let me go about and look quietly at the place and the gardens,
which are really beautiful. No doubt he is pleasant enough, and I
suppose I ought to have felt flattered at his walking about with me and
so on, but I am sure I did not. What pleasure does he suppose an English
girl can have in listening to elaborate compliments from a man as yellow
as a guinea?"

"Think of his wealth, my dear."

"What difference does his wealth make?" Isobel said. "As far as I have
seen, I do not think that rich Englishmen are more amusing than others,
and if he had all the wealth of India, that would not improve Nana Sahib
in my eyes. There are women, of course, who do think a great deal about
money, and who will even marry men for it, but even women who would
do that could not, I should think, care anything about the wealth of a
Hindoo they cannot marry."

"Not directly, my dear," Mrs. Hunter said; "but people may be flattered
with the notice and admiration of a person of importance and great
wealth, even if he is a Hindoo."

"Besides," the Doctor put in, "the Rajah is considered to be a great
connoisseur of English beauty, and has frequently expressed his deep
regret that his religion prevented his marrying an English lady."

"I should be very sorry for the English girl who would marry him,
religion or not."

"I think you are rather hard upon the Nana, Isobel," the Major said.
"He is a general favorite; he is open handed and liberal; very fond of
entertaining; a great admirer of us as a nation. He is a wonderfully
well read man for a Hindoo, can talk upon almost every subject, and is
really a pleasant fellow."

"I don't like him; I don't like him at all," Isobel said positively.

"Ah, that is only because you thought he made you a little more
conspicuous than you liked by his attentions to you, Isobel."

"No, indeed, uncle; that was very silly and ridiculous, but I did not
like the man himself, putting that aside altogether. It was like talking
to a m