ikely enough you may have her on your hands some
little time, for I don't think she is likely to be caught by the first
comer. Well, I must go and have my bath; the dust has been awful coming
up from Allahabad. That is one advantage, and the only one as far as
I can see, that they have got in England. They don't know what dust is
there."

When the bell for breakfast rang, and Isobel made her appearance,
looking fresh and cool, in a light dress, the Major said, "You must
take the head of the table, my dear, and assume the reins of government
forthwith."

"Then I should say, uncle, that if any guidance is required, there will
be an upset in a very short time. No, that won't do at all. You must go
on just as you were before, and I shall look on and learn. As far as I
can see, everything is perfect just as it is. This is a charming room,
and I am sure there is no fault to be found with the arrangement of
these flowers on the table. As for the cooking, everything looks very
nice, and anyhow, if you have not been able to get them to cook to your
taste, it is of no use my attempting anything in that way. Besides, I
suppose I must learn something of the language before I can attempt to
do anything. No, uncle, I will sit in this chair if you like, and
make tea and pour it out, but that is the beginning and the end of my
assumption of the head of the establishment at present."

"Well, Isobel, I hardly expected that you were going to run the
establishment just at first; indeed, as far as that goes, one's butler,
if he is a good man, has pretty well a free hand. He is generally
responsible, and is in fact what we should call at home housekeeper--he
and the cook between them arrange everything. I say to him, 'Three
gentlemen are coming to tiffen.' He nods and says 'Atcha, sahib,' which
means 'All right, sir,' and then I know it will be all right. If I have
a fancy for any special thing, of course I say so. Otherwise, I leave it
to them, and if the result is not satisfactory, I blow up. Nothing can
be more simple."

"But how about bills, uncle?"

"Well, my dear, the butler gives them to me, and I pay them. He has been
with me a good many years, and will not let the others--that is to
say, the cook and the syce, the washerman, and so on, cheat me beyond a
reasonable amount. Do you, Rumzan?"

Rumzan, who was standing behind the Major's chair, in a white turban and
dress, with a red and white sash round his waist, smiled.

"Rum