Rujub, the Juggler

at Cawnpore Dr. Wade move

uncle, still I am glad to have you all to m

to learn to know e

ther, and I am sure I always told you all about myself, even when I was bad at school and got into scrapes, because

f talking, the way of listening, the amount of sympathy shown, and so on, that make a man or woman popular. People do not ask whether he or she may be morally sleeping volcanoes, who, if fairly roused, might slay a rival or burn a city; they simply look

mpanion, for you would be constantly irritating one in small matters. Of course, it is just the same thing with your opinion of me. You have an idea that I am a good enough sort of fellow, because I have done my best to en

ok her hea

r and ways and everything. Of course, it is partly from what I remember, but I really did not see a great deal of you in those days; it is from your

were rather a plain little thing, and I do not think that your mother's letters since conveyed to my mind the fact that there had been any material change since. Therefore I own that you are pe

you could not ha

, and you see I find

ntented, uncle?" Isobe

ot quite so contented as yo

that,

five years to myself. Possibly you might even have gone home with me, to keep house fo

the first man who presents himself? Why, everyone says the sea voyage i

w one or two men, than where there are numbers of them. Besides, it seems to me that in India a girl cannot feel that she is chosen, as it were, from among other girls, as

ite sure that I should never have left him if he had lived. If I had stopped in England I should have done the work I had trained myself to do, and it might have been years and years, and perhaps never, before anyone might have ta

t of idea. But it is like looking on at a game. You don't feel interested in it until you begin to play at it. Well, the longer you entertain those ideas th

and mutual animosity succeeded the close friendship they had hitherto entertained for each other. Travers, the Senior Captain, a man who had hitherto been noted for hi

nstalled here as your lawful and wedded wife instead of being at Ballycrogin with only an engagement ring on my finger. I know your sus

she wouldn't ha

dian regiment is hardly as attractive as a Residency or Lieutenant Governorship. But seriously, she is a dear girl, and as yet does not seem to have the

ink you are just as fond of a qu

thout young Richards dropping in for a chat, and when he came in yesterday he could talk about nothing but Miss Hannay, until I shut him up by telling

warrant you

when he assured me he was perfe

ncourage him,

e would injure himself seriously in his profession if he were to think of such

ent off into a b

? He did not see that you wer

been just as bad thirty-three times before I finally took pity on you, and that I only did it then because you were wearing away with your troubles. I advised him to put the best

ed at Cawnpore. She had been to several dinners and parties b

rom Lucknow, Agra, and Allahabad, and from many a little outlying station; every bungalow in the

f the second day of the races, and a garden party at the General's on that of the first. Richards and Wilson had both ponies entered for the

some favorite col

for one thing and one another, and I always l

ou going to wear at t

o your wearing the same color as I do. You remember in the old times, knights, when they entered the lists, wore the favors that ladies had given them. Now I have no idea of giving you a f

and, in time for them to print it on the card," the lad s

olors, I certainly should not like to see them come in last in the race. Mr. Richards has been asking me j

iss Hannay?" Wils

u left school, so I should think the best thing for yo

, Isobel turned away and joined Mrs. Doolan and tw

knows that it will be hot, fine, and dusty. One can wear one's gayest dress without fear. In Ireland one never knew whether one wanted muslin or waterproof until

atives co

s if they could but ride them. The Rajah of Bithoor is a most important personage. He talks English very well, and gives splendid entertainments. He is a most polite gentleman, and is always over here if there is anything

nk jewels would count for mu

ar, in themselves, but the envy they

man, or the most tastefully dressed woman, or even the prettiest woman, though that after all is a mere accident, but not for having the greatest number

tempted by an apple, but Eve had not lived long. You see, an apple will

e for diamonds you

a native prince he will keep a special lookout for them for me. So far he has never had the chance. When he was an ensign there was some hard fighting with the Sikhs, but nothing of that sort fell to his share. I often tell him that he

and worth all the diamonds in the world. I hear, Mrs. Prothero, that your husband has a good

fastest in India, brought across from Bombay. Our only hope is that he will put a native up, and in that case we ought to have a fair chance,

rom what I hear, the only chance there is of the regiment

rls are coming," the Major said, the

ranged. The Miss Hunters shall have my room

y have been here for the last two years at the ra

fference to me, and I don't require a

least, the day before the races, a

been to I have done nothing but wonder how it was all done, and have been trembling over the thought that it would

so on, in anticipation of your coming. Of course, as a bachelor, I have not been a dinner giver, except on occasions like this, when nobody expects anything like state, and things are conducted to a certain extent in picnic fashion. I have paid off my dinner obligations by having men to mess or the club. However, I will consult Rumzan, and we will have a regular parade of our materials, and you shall inspect our resources. If there is anything i

never arranged a vase

ing it. He is famous in that way. He always has the decoration of the mess table on grand occasi

man in the world I should have thought of i

a new costume until it has received the stamp of the Doctor's approval. When we were stationed at Delhi four years ago there was a fancy ball, and people who were judges

t I thought it was only his way of grumbling at things in general, though certainly I generally agreed with him. He tol

self dropped i

t stations, and as Isobel won't know any of them, it will be a little trying to her, acting for the first time in the capacity of hostess. As you know everybody, you will be able to make things go. I

let me bring Bathurst in with me; he i

; I like what I have

ly afraid to lie to him, which is the highest compliment a native can pay to an Indian official. It is very seldom he comes in to this sort of thing, but I seized him the other day and told him that I could see he would break down if he didn't give himself a holiday, and I fairly worried him into saying he would come ov

good thing surely,

three years old, and are married at twelve. Even if all parties were agreed, the husband's relations and the wife's relations and everyone else, what are you going to teach a child worth knowing before she gets to the age of twelve? Just enough to make her disconten

I have had anything to do with entertaining, and I know nothing about decorating a table. Uncle

rs up into great masses and call that decoration. They might just as well bunch up so many masses of bright colored rags. The shape of the flower, its manner of growth, and its individuality

e Major said; "I will g

r, so that I may know about its color, and

as new to giving dinner parties as Isobel is. When one has half a dozen men to dine with one at the club, one gives the butler notice and chooses the wine, and one knows that it will be all right; but i

ing their backs up. Thank goodness, Indian servants don't give themselves the airs English ones do; but human nature is a good deal the

ke to be interfer

ady to be taught," the D

ng to set about it when a staff surgeon came in and said that it had better not be done, for that natives could not stand amputations. The young surgeon was very much annoyed. Th

nd that simply because, although they are plucky enough in some respects, they have no more heart than a mouse when anything is the matter with them. Yes, if it hadn't been for the old Colonel, who gave me a private hint to say nothing about the affair, but merely to put down in my report, 'Died from the effect of a gunshot wound,' I should have got into a deuce of a scrape over that affair. As it was, it only cost me a hundred rupees to satisfy the man's family and send them back to their native village. That was for years a

they are all engaged, and have been so for weeks, I hear. I was wondering what I should do, for my buggy will only hold two. I was thinking of asking Mrs. Doolan if she could take one of the Miss Hunters, and should have tried to find a place for the other.

or some time the former said, "I have had the satisfaction this morni

s that,

elation to y

I have been a weight on

going on. I wondered what was coming, till she said casually, 'Do you know what arrangement Major Hannay has made as to his niece for the races?' I said, of course, that the Hunters were coming over to stay. I could see at once that her spirit was instantly relieved of a heavy burden, but she only said, 'Of course, then, that settles the question. I

think it is nice of you, Doctor, to say that it was an evident relief to her when

should offer you a seat in her carriage. No doubt she decided to put it off as late as possible, in hopes that you might make some other arrangement. Had you not done so, she might have done the heroic thing and invited you, though I am by no

said indignantly. "Surely I am not as

ure that if you were in Mrs. Cromarty's place, and had two tall, washed out looking daughters,

y's head, and even if it did, it makes it all the kinder that she should think of offering me a seat. I do think most men seem to consider that women think of nothing but looks, and that girls are always trying to attr

at the usual hour, when the band was play

y kind and nice of you to think of me, and I am very much obliged to you. I should have enjoyed it very much if it hadn't been that Mrs. Hun

, and afterwards mentioned to several of her friends that s

osition is a difficult one, being alone out here, without any lady with her, and no doubt she feels it so. She was quite touchingly grateful, only b