Lalkhan could have thrown some light upon the subject. But naturally Peter did not confide his obsession to Lalkhan.
Just before she left Jan asked Lalkhan where the sahib"s linen was kept, and on being shown the cupboard which contained the rather untidy little piles of sheets, pillow-cases, and towels that formed Peter"s modest store of house linen, she rearranged it and brought sundry flat, square muslin bags filled with dried lavender. Lace-edged bags with lavender-coloured ribbon run through insertion and tied in bows at the two corners. These bags she placed among the sheets, much to the wonder of Lalkhan, who, however, decided that it was kindly meant and therefore did not interfere.
The odour was not one that commended itself to him. It was far too faint and elusive. He could understand a liking for attar of roses, of jessamine, of musk, or of any of the strong scents beloved by the native of India. Yet had she proposed to sprinkle the sheets with any of these essences he would have felt obliged to interfere, as the sahib swore violently and became exceedingly hot and angry did any member of his household venture into his presence thus perfumed. Even as it was he fully expected that his master would irritably demand the cause of the infernal smell that pervaded his bed; so keen are the noses of the sahibs. Whereupon Lalkhan, strong in rect.i.tude, would relate exactly what had happened, produce one of the Jan-incriminating muslin bags, escape further censure, and doubtless be commanded to burn it and its fellows in the kitchen stove. But nothing of the kind occurred, and, as it is always easier to leave a thing where it has been placed than to remove it, the lavender remained among the sheets in humble obscurity.
The old garden at Wren"s End abounded in great lavender bushes, and every year since it became her property Jan made lavender sachets which she kept in every possible place. Her own clothes always held a faint savour of lavender, and she had packed these bags as much as a matter of course as she packed her stockings. It seemed a shame, though, to take them home again when she could get plenty more next summer, so she left them in the bungalow linen cupboard. They reproduced her atmosphere; therefore did Peter dream of Jan.
A fortnight pa.s.sed, and on their way to catch the homeward mail came Thomas Crosbie and his wife from Dariawarpur to stay the night. Next morning at breakfast Mrs. Crosbie, young, pretty and enthusiastic, expatiated on the comfort of her room, finally exclaiming: "And how, Mr. Ledgard, do you manage to have your sheets so deliciously scented with lavender--d"you get it sent out from home every year?"
"Lavender?" Peter repeated. "I"ve got no lavender. My people never sent me any, and I"ve certainly never come across any in India."
"But I"m convinced everything smelt of lavender. It made me think of home so. If I hadn"t been just going I"d have been too homesick for words. I"m certain of it. Think! You must have got some from somewhere and forgotten it."
Peter shook his head. "I"ve never noticed it myself--you really must be mistaken. What would I be doing with lavender?"
"It was there all the same," Mrs. Crosbie continued. "I"m certain of it.
You must have got some from somewhere. Do find out--I"m sure I"m not wrong. Ask your boy."
Peter said something to Lalkhan, who explained volubly. Tom Crosbie grinned; he understood even fluent Hindustani. His wife did not. Peter looked a little uncomfortable. Lalkhan salaamed and left the room.
"Well?" Mrs. Crosbie asked.
"It seems," Peter said slowly, "there _is_ something among the sheets.
I"ve sent Lalkhan to get it."
Lalkhan returned, bearing a salver, and laid on the salver was one of Jan"s lavender bags. He presented it solemnly to his master, who with almost equal solemnity handed it to Mrs. Crosbie.
"There!" she said. "Of course I knew I couldn"t be mistaken. Now where did you get it?"
"It was, I suppose, put among the things when poor Mrs. Tancred had the flat. I never noticed, of course--it"s such an un.o.btrusive sort of smell...."
"Hadn"t she a sister?" Mrs. Crosbie asked, curiously, holding the little sachet against her soft cheek and looking very hard at Peter.
"She had. It was she who took the children home, you know."
"Older or younger than Mrs. Tancred?"
"Older."
"How much older?"
"I really don"t know," said the mendacious Peter.
"Was she awfully pretty, too?"
"Again, I really don"t know. I never thought about her looks ... she had grey hair...."
"Oh!" Mrs. Crosbie exclaimed--a deeply disappointed "Oh." "Probably much older, then. That explains the lavender bags."
Silent Thomas Crosbie looked from his wife to Peter with considerable amus.e.m.e.nt. He realised, if she didn"t, that Peter was most successfully putting her off the scent of more than lavender; but men are generally loyal to each other in these matters, and he suddenly took his part in the conversation and changed the subject.
Among Peter"s orders to his butler that morning was one to the effect that nothing the Miss-Sahib had arranged in the bungalow was to be disturbed, and the lavender bag was returned to rejoin its fellows in the cupboard.
It was four years since Peter had had any leave, and it appeared that the lavender had the same effect upon him as upon Mrs. Crosbie. He felt homesick--and applied for leave in May.
CHAPTER XII
"THE BEST-LAID SCHEMES"
Peter had been as good as his word, and had found a family returning to India who were glad to take Ayah back to Bombay. And she, though sorry to leave Jan and the children, acquiesced in all arrangements made for her with the philosophic patience of the East. March was a cold month, and she was often rather miserable, in spite of her pride in her shoes and stockings and the warm clothes Jan had provided for her.
Before she left Jan interviewed her new mistress and found her kind and sensible, and an old campaigner who had made the voyage innumerable times.
It certainly occurred to Jan that Peter had been extraordinarily quick in making this arrangement, but she concluded that he had written on the subject before they left India. She had no idea that he had sent a long and costly cable on the subject. His friend thought him very solicitous for her comfort, but set it down entirely to her own merits and Peter"s discriminating good sense.
When the day came Jan took Ayah to her new quarters in a taxi. Of course Ayah wept, and Jan felt like weeping herself, as she would like to have kept her on for the summer months. But she knew it wouldn"t do; that apart from the question of expense, Hannah could never overcome her prejudices against "that heathen buddy," and that to have explained that poor Ayah was a Roman Catholic would only have made matters worse.
Hannah was too valuable in every way to upset her with impunity, and the chance of sending Ayah back to India in such kind custody was too good to lose.
Meg had deferred the adoption of the musical-comedy costume until such time as she took over Ayah"s duties. She in no way interfered, but was helpful in so many un.o.btrusive ways that Jan, while she still felt guilty in allowing her to stay at all, acknowledged she could never have got through this time without her.
Fortunately the day of Ayah"s departure was fine, so that while Jan took her to her destination Meg took the children to spend the afternoon at the Zoo. To escort little Fay about London was always rather an ordeal to anyone of a retiring disposition. She was so fearless, so interested in her fellow-creatures, and so ready at all times and in all places to enter into conversation with absolute strangers, preferably men, that embarra.s.sing situations were almost inevitable; and her speech, high and clear and carrying--in spite of the missing "r"--rendered it rarely possible to hope people did not understand what she said.
They went by the Metropolitan to Baker Street and sat on one of the small seats at right angles to the windows, and a gentleman wearing a very shiny top-hat sat down opposite to them.
He looked at little Fay; little Fay looked at him and, smiling her adorable, confident smile, leant forward, remarking: "Sahib, you wear a very high hat."
Instantly the eyes of all the neighbouring pa.s.sengers were fixed upon the hat and its owner. His, however, were only for the very small lady that faced him; the small lady in a close white bonnet and bewitching curls that bobbed and fluttered in the swaying of the train.
He took off the immaculate topper and held it out towards her. "There,"
he said, "would you like to look at it?"
Fay carefully rubbed it the wrong way with a tentative woolly-gloved finger. "Plitty, high hat," she cooed. "Can plitty little Fay have it to keep?"
But the gentleman"s admiration did not carry him as far as this.
Somewhat hastily he withdrew his hat, smoothed it (it had just been ironed) and placed it on his head again. Then he became aware of the smiling faces and concentrated gaze of his neighbours; also, that the attractive round face that had given him so much pleasure had exchanged its captivating smile for a pathetic melancholy that even promised tears. He turned extremely red and escaped at the next station.
Whereupon ungrateful little Fay, who had never had the slightest intention of crying, remarked loftily: "Tahsome man dawn."
When at last they reached the Zoo Meg took it upon herself to remonstrate with her younger charge.
"You mustn"t ask strangers for things, dear; you really mustn"t--not in the street or in the train."
"What for?" asked Fay. She nearly always said, "What for" when she meant "Why"; and it was as hard-worked a phrase as "What nelse?"
"Because people don"t do it, you know."