A Bottle in the Smoke Part 7

"Surely you did not take the lady's ring?"

"I done take ring? Oh, no, neva touchin' ring," cried the child, looking up with candid eyes.

"But, Rosie, you said you were going to confess to me," faltered Hester.

"Oh, yes, I 'fess Missus cause Missus believe me. I done 'fess, and I done 'fess butler, only he p.r.i.c.k my hands werry sore. Ramaswamy neva believe one word."

Hester was now entirely satisfied as to the child's innocence, and felt touched by the quick confidence with which she dried her tears and even smiled. She decided to call the ayah and relieve her poor heart by a.s.suring her of the innocence of her granddaughter. She found her in the next room making everything, as was her wont, exquisitely tidy. She listened attentively to her mistress, but the strain did not leave her face.

"Missus speakin' true," she said, nodding her head in acquiescence. "My little girl neva done touch the lady's jewel. I know that from first.

But what that matter when English lady done say she did. How can pore native woman stand up against one white lady? 'Tis Rosie's bad fate, Missus. 'Tis the will of the G.o.ds--the G.o.ds make angry at my one pore chil'? What I do?"

The ayah's face wore a bitter look, though she held her head high and went about her duties in silence.

A spirit of dreariness took possession of Hester. All seemed dark and mysterious concerning the matter. Her heart ached for the old woman, though she felt unable to make any reply to her bitter words. But though she could not bind broken hearts, she could at least dress wounded fingers, she decided, and getting out lint and bandages she applied herself to that, and was rewarded by a patient smile from the little sufferer.

CHAPTER VII.

Mr. Rayner had not, as Hester supposed, been accompanied by his guest on his drive. Some letters had reached Mark which required immediate reply, and as he was leaving for Puranapore after breakfast, he decided he must forego the tennis-party in question, and devote himself to his correspondence. He was now seated in a room adjoining the library which his host had put at his disposal. Mr. Rayner was meanwhile on his way back from the tennis-party, not in the best of tempers, for his sworn enemy, the sun, was now high in the heavens and its rays were beating fiercely on his mail-phaeton.

He was driving himself, and as he swept into Clive's Road he perceived in the shade of the hedge a waiting figure whom he recognised with anything but satisfaction, to judge from his quick frown.

"Leila Baltus, by jove! So she's turned up again,--worse luck! Thought she'd taken herself off to Calcutta for good! She's evidently lying in wait for me too! Better interview her here than nearer the house," he muttered to himself, as he threw the reins to the syce and leapt to the ground, saying he would walk the rest of the way, and directing that the phaeton should be taken to the stables.

"She's evidently bound for No. 7, or she wouldn't be so far from Vepery.

Fortunate that I've waylaid the creature; she might have tackled Hester and introduced herself as a former acquaintance of mine! What a close shave I've had! Well, I'm in for a tussle now!"

His angry frown was replaced by a studied smile as he hurried forward to meet the same girl who had accosted Mark at Mr. Morpeth's gate. She was now carefully attired in a spotless white muslin dress and a gay hat with a wealth of flowers.

Mr. Rayner lifted his sun-topee.

"Good morning, Leila! You're far from home! Didn't know you were in these parts at all--thought you had gone to Calcutta to keep house for your brother!"

The girl's face was lit up by smiles. "No," she answered. "I'm here again in that hole Vepery. Claud took a wife and don't want me. But I didn't know you were back from England, Alf, till two nights ago, when I see you and another gent in that smart mail-phaeton. Oh my, what a toff you did look! All the same, you oughtn't to turn your back on old friends. You might have looked me and mother up. She will be awfulee glad to see you. You used to enjoy a bit supper with us. You'll mind that prawn curry of mother's, don't you, now?" said the girl, with an insinuating smile.

Alfred Rayner stood hesitating. Was it possible the girl did not know that he was now a married man, and had no intention of continuing the acquaintance of his bachelor days or of eating prawn curry in Vepery again? How bitterly he repented those days of his "griffinage!" when he had been fool enough in idle hours to be feted and flattered by the Baltus household and other undesirable a.s.sociates! The memory rankled, and was indeed the chief source of his bitterness against the whole Eurasian cla.s.s. And with this pretty Leila he had been unwise enough to be betrayed into a flirtation. He winced to recall it. Ever since his return with his bride he had been congratulating himself that Leila Baltus was no longer a denizen of Vepery, and would not cross his path again. Yet there she was, glancing at him with encouraging eyes and an anxious smile. What would she say when she learnt that only a few yards distant a beautiful English wife awaited him? It was an awkward dilemma.

No wonder the young man felt the need of choosing his words carefully.

"The truth is," he began slowly, "I'm too busy a man now to avail myself of the pleasures of bachelorhood, Miss Baltus. Besides, the distance between Nungumbauk.u.m and Vepery is great; so you must excuse me. Salaams to your mother, forgive my hurrying off--haven't even had my tub yet!"

Lifting his sun-topee he was about to beat a dignified retreat.

"So that's where we are, Mister Rayner! You would fling off your old acquaintance like a pair of done shoes!" cried the girl, her insinuating smile changing to an angry scowl. Her companion making no reply, she seemed to decide on more conciliatory tactics.

"Well, maybe it's truth that you've grown such a grand toff and you'll want to fight shy of prawn curry and all that. And to tell the truth there ain't much supper going with us now a days, or anything else.

We've got behindhand, mother and me, and Claud won't be good for a single pice now he's married, so we're real hard up. Come now, since I'm so close to your beautiful house this morning you'll not grudge me a cup o' coffee in your verandah. It's a long tramp between Vepery and this grand place of yours. Oh, my, it's grand and no mistake!"

The girl looked admiringly towards the fine two-storied house, at one of the entrances of which the mail-phaeton was now disappearing on its way to the stables.

More embarra.s.sed than ever, a happy thought occurred to the young man.

"So sorry I can't ask you to come in to-day. I've got a visitor and must really hurry off to him. But look here, Leila, sorry to hear you're down in your luck! This will perhaps help a bit"; and taking a ten-rupee note from his pocket-book he handed it to the girl, congratulating himself that now he would effect an escape.

But he reckoned without his host.

"Well, since you're too busy for even a chat with your old sweetheart this morning, she'll just need to come again another time," said the girl, with a toss of her head, as she crumpled the note in her long brown fingers. "I'll hand your little gift to mother. She'll send you a chit to thank you awfulee for minding on her."

Miss Baltus seemed at last disposed to retreat, but a "loose end" was being discovered by Mr. Rayner. Fearing it might develop into a serious tangle, he decided to take his courage in both hands.

"Look here, Leila, perhaps you don't know that a Mrs. Rayner now reigns here. I brought a wife from England with me."

The announcement was evidently quite unexpected. The girl's amber skin grew a shade darker. Her l.u.s.trous eyes flashed fire, and violent emotion seemed to check her utterance for a moment; then she burst forth in fury:

"A Mrs. Rayner reigns--and her not me! So this is your little game? Why, it's the same joke they used to make to me when you came sweethearting--'Mrs. Rayner would reign!' You false snake! But I'll be even with you yet or my name's not Leila Baltus! You can go back to your lovelee English bride, but my word, you're not done with her you fooled," she hissed as she made a step forward, holding out her thin fingers as if to return the rupee note, but on second thoughts she crushed it in her palm again. "No, we shan't be ten rupees poorer anyhow because of the woman who has supplanted me! I'll just hand it on to my poor mother to pay for the prawn curries she wasted on an ungrateful toad!" she muttered, turning her back swiftly on the young man and hurrying away.

Alfred Rayner stood for a moment watching the slender swaying figure disappearing down the leafy road, then he turned homeward, muttering: "Don't fancy I've scotched her. That horrid vixen will give me trouble yet! What a pity I gave her that money when I can ill spare it with all my heavy expenses. Depend upon it, she'll be upon me for another note before long! I've a good mind to make a clean breast of it to Hester.

She's no fool, she'll understand when I give her my side of the story that I'm simply being persecuted and blackmailed by a half-caste liar!"

Having decided on this course he walked briskly towards the house, taking the stable-entrance which happened to be nearest the part of the road where he he had been talking with his old acquaintance.

CHAPTER VIII.

Hester, having bandaged Rosie's tortured fingers, tried to return to her letters for the English mail, but she could not put her heart into them, for she felt dispirited and ill at ease. Evil seemed triumphing, trouble falling on the innocent and helpless, and the loving G.o.d, to Whom she had tried to point Rosie in their quiet hours, appeared to be taking no notice. Mrs. Harbottle's bitter taunts still rang in her ears, and these poor mutilated fingers which she had just been binding up--were they not sufficient evidence of the malignant fate which had descended on the child's innocent head?

As she was a prey to these disquieting thoughts she heard footsteps on the gravel-sweep below. Hoping that it was her husband and friend returning, she looked out, for she was eager to consult them as to what should be done to prove Rosie's innocence, of which she was completely convinced. Great was her surprise when she saw coming up the broad white steps, not her husband, but the "elusive Mr. Morpeth," as she had dubbed him to Mrs. Fellowes. She decided that he must have called to see Mark, but presently the butler came bringing her a card on his tray and saying: "One old Dorai want to speak to Missus."

So the visit was for her after all! She hurried downstairs to find her visitor in the verandah with a bright smile on his face. No, he would not come in, he just wanted to bring her some good news. He went on to explain that he had heard the lamentation of her little maid behind the hedge as he pa.s.sed the compound, and had also overheard Mrs. Harbottle stormily charging the child with the theft of her ring.

"I pa.s.sed on," said Mr. Morpeth, "feeling very sorry for the child whose voice seemed to ring true when she a.s.sured me, 'I never done take that ring.' I got into my carriage again and presently I saw two kites having a duel almost above my head, then something bright fell through the air.

I called my syce to stop, and keeping my eye on the spot where the kite had dropped its booty, I picked up this."

Mr. Morpeth held out the recovered ring.

"Oh, Mr. Morpeth, what a trophy! How kind and clever you are!" exclaimed Hester with joy in her eyes. "You can't think what a morning of anguish we've had over that ring. Rosie has been broken-hearted. What a joy this will be to her, and even more to her granny, my ayah, who has been feeling very bitter over the accusation which she knew to be false. She thought her G.o.ds must be angry with Rosie, and that it was all over with her. This is a beautiful clearing up! Now, since you won't come in, will it be too much to ask if you will step across with me to Mrs.

Harbottle's and unfold this delightful ending of our trouble to her? She was much too hard on our poor little Rosie. I, like you, believed the child was innocent, but never did I dream we should have such a swift and fairy-like proof of it! But allow me first to call the child, Mr.

Morpeth, you will like to see her joy!"

"Yes, I should like to see Rosie. It will be a pleasure to watch her face when she hears the ring has been found, though the thief is still a-flying. But please don't ask me to face Mrs. Harbottle," said Mr.

Morpeth, shrugging his shoulders. "I heard her voice--it wasn't musical!

I beg off! You lead Rosie to her and unfold the last chapter of the tale."

"But, Mr. Morpeth," began Hester, in a hesitating tone. "Am I very uncharitable? What if Mrs. Harbottle thinks I've invented the story to s.h.i.+eld the child? I'm ashamed of my evil thought, but there--it's out!"