Part 17 (1/2)

Across the open window a couple of bars of sunset glowed red and gold, and a tall palm of the garden cut all its fronds sharply against the light.

”Well?” said Alicia, when the door was shut.

Captain Filbert put out a deprecating hand.

”I intended to ask if you had any objection, miss, but you had gone out.

And the nurse was in the room; I couldn't get to her. There was n.o.body but the servants about.”

”Objection to what?”

”To my being there. I came to pray for Mr. Lindsay.”

”Did you make any noise?”

Miss Filbert looked professionally touched. ”It was silent prayer, of course,” she said.

Alicia, standing with one hand upon the toilet table, had an air of eagerness, of successful capture. The yellow sky in the window behind her made filmy lights round her hair and outlined her tall figure in the gracefulness of which there was a curious crisped effect, like a conventional pose taken easily, from habit. Laura Filbert thought she looked like a princess.

”I seem to hear of nothing but pet.i.tions,” she said. ”Isn't somebody praying for you?”

The blood of any saint would have risen in false testimony at such a suggestion. Laura blushed so violently that for an instant the s.p.a.ce between them seemed full of the sound of her protest.

”I hope so, miss,” she said, and looked as if for calming over Alicia's shoulder away into the after-sunset bars along the sky. The colour sank back out of her face, and the light from the window rested on it ethereally. The beautiful mystery drew her eyes to seek, and their blue seemed to deepen and dilate, as if the old splendour of the uplifted golden gates rewarded them.

”Why do you use that odious word?” Alicia explained. ”You are not my maid! Don't do it again--don't dream of doing it again!”

”I--I don't know.” The girl was still plainly covered with confusion at being found in the house uninvited. ”I suppose I forget. Well, good evening,” and she turned to the door.

”Don't go,” Alicia commanded. ”Don't. You never come to see me now. Sit down.” She dragged a chair forward and almost pushed Laura into it. ”I will sit down, too--what am I thinking of?”

Laura reflected for a moment, looking at her folded hands. ”I might as well tell you,” she said, ”that I have not been praying that Mr. Lindsay should get better. Only that he should be given time to find salvation and die in Jesus.”

”Don't--don't say those things to me. How light you are--it's wicked!”

Alicia returned with vehemence, and then, as Captain Filbert stared, half comprehending, ”Don't you care?” she added curiously.

It was so casual that it was cruel. The girl's eyes grew wider still during the instant she fixed them upon Alicia in the effort of complete understanding. Then her lip trembled.

”How can I care?” she cried, ”how can I?” and burst into weeping. She drew her _sari_ over her face and rocked to and fro. Her dusty bare foot protruded from her cotton skirt. She sat huddled together, her head in its coverings sunk between weak, shaking shoulders. Alicia considered her for an instant as a pitiable and degraded spectacle. Then she went over and touched her.

”You are completely worn out,” she said, ”and it is almost dinner time.

The ayah will bring you a hot bath, and then you will come down and have some food quietly with me. My brother is dining out somewhere. I will go away for a little while and then I know you will feel better. And after dinner,” she added gently, ”you may come up if you like and pray again for Mr. Lindsay. I am sure he would----”

The faintest break in her own voice warned her, and she hurried out of the room.

It was a foolish thing and the Livingstones' old Karim Bux much deplored it, but the Miss-sahib had forgotten to give information that the dinner of eight commanded a fortnight ago would not take place--hence everything was ready in its sequence for this event, with a new fas.h.i.+on of stuffing quails and the first strawberries of the season from Dinapore. The feelings of Karim Bux in presenting these things to a woman in the dress of a coolie are not important; but Alicia, for some reason, seemed to find the trivial incident gratifying.

CHAPTER XV.