When Noel Wyndham entered Mrs. Musgrave"s drawing-room that night, he was wearing his most alluring smile. He was evidently prepared to charm and be charmed; and his host, who privately regarded this addition to the party as a decided nuisance, could not but extend to him a cordial welcome. Will Musgrave, though grave and even by some deemed austere, was never churlish. He was a civil engineer of some repute, and had earned for himself a reputation for hard work which was certainly well deserved.
Nick Ratcliffe had been his close friend from boyhood, and the chance that had stationed him within a short distance of the native city of Sharapura in which Nick was for the next few months to take up his abode was regarded by both as a singularly happy one. It was not surprising therefore that he could not bring himself to look upon Noel"s advent on that, their first evening together, with much enthusiasm.
His wife had broken the news with semi-humorous apologies. "I couldn"t resist him, Will. You know what that boy is. Really I didn"t ask him. He asked himself."
"Oh, all right," Will had replied, with resignation. "You"ll have to look after him, and see he doesn"t try to flirt too outrageously at first sight."
"I"ll try," she had a.s.sented somewhat dubiously.
For Noel always flirted with every woman he met, herself included, and it was really quite impossible to stop him, or even to discourage him.
He only laughed at snubs, and pursued his airy flights with keener zest.
She was not in the drawing-room when the self-invited guest arrived, and it fell to her husband to receive and entertain him. Noel, however, was extremely easy to entertain at all times. He was never bored.
"It was so awfully good of Mrs. Musgrave to let me come," he observed to his host, on shaking hands. "I had to beg jolly hard, I can tell you.
She thought your other visitors might consider me one too many. But I"m sure they won"t, and I"m immensely keen on meeting them. Have they arrived?"
"Two hours ago," said Will Musgrave.
"That"s all right. My brother-in-law knows Ratcliffe, but I"ve never had the good luck to meet him. Something of a fire-eater, isn"t he?"
Will laughed. "Oh, quite a giant in his own line."
Noel nodded. "Just as well. They are wanting a giant pretty badly up at the city if report says true. That young Akbar needs a firm hand. He pa.s.sed us on parade yesterday, went by like the devil, kicking up a dust fit to choke the lot of us. Beastly young cad!"
"Ah! He isn"t over fond of the Indian Army," said Will.
"The Indian Army would give him a d.a.m.n good hiding if it got the chance," returned Noel, in righteous indignation. "I hope Ratcliffe will rub that into him well. The place is simply swarming with malcontents, and he encourages them. I believe they even flatter themselves we are afraid of "em."
"I shouldn"t say anything of that kind before Miss Ratcliffe," said Will. "She has just got over a severe illness, and may be nervous."
"Great Scotland! This isn"t the place for anyone with nerves!"
e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Noel. "I heard this morning that there"s a most ferocious man-eater in the Khantali district. I"m longing to have a shot at him, but they say he"s as cunning as Beelzebub, and never shows unless he has some game on. And the jungle"s so beastly thick all round there. It doesn"t give anyone a chance. Why can"t His Objectionable Excellency turn his hand to something useful, and clear some of it away? By the way, I tried to catch a _karait_ this morning. I am going to start a menagerie for Peggy"s edification. But our _khit_, who is a very officious person when he isn"t wrapt in contemplation of nothing in particular, interfered and killed the little beast before I had time to explain. I told him he was a silly a.s.s, but he seemed to think he had done something praiseworthy. What"s the best remedy for a _karait"s_ bite?"
"The only known remedy is to sit down and die with as good a grace as possible," said Nick, entering at the moment. "But it"s just as well to be sure it is a _karait_ before you take those measures, as there are more hopeful remedies for other species." He held out his hand to Noel with a cheery smile. "Pleased to meet you. I have already made the acquaintance of one member of your ill.u.s.trious family."
"Have you though?" said Noel. "That"s rather a handicap for me, isn"t it?"
Nick"s glance travelled swiftly over him and pa.s.sed. "If you"re as good a chap as your brother, you"ll do," he said.
"Oh, I"m not," said Noel hastily. "If you"re talking about Max, he"s the only respectable Wyndham there is, and that"s only because he hasn"t time to be anything else. He wrote and told me you were coming here. I was at Budhpore then, but I set to work double quick and got myself transferred."
"What for?" said Nick.
Noel winked confidentially. "I wanted to see the fun," he said.
Again for the pa.s.sage of a second Nick"s eyes regarded him, and then over the shrewd, yellow face there flashed a sudden smile. "Are you a cricketer?" said Nick.
"You bet I am!" said Noel boyishly.
Nick nodded. "I was myself once."
"Only once, Nick?" protested Musgrave, with a smile that was scarcely humorous.
Nick turned to him with a semi-rueful grimace. "Oh, my cricketing days are over. All I"m good for now is to teach other fellows the rules of the game."
At this point a high voice made itself heard in the distance, imperiously demanding Noel"s presence.
"Oh, Jupiter!" exclaimed Noel. "That"s Peggy! Excuse me, you chaps! She has been saving up her prayers for my benefit, and I came early on purpose!"
He was gone with the words, with all an ardent lover"s alacrity, and Will Musgrave smiled.
"He"s a heady youngster, but there"s real stuff in him."
"Sound, is he?" said Nick.
"I should say so; but fancy he"s a bit fiery," said Will.
There was nothing to denote fieriness in Noel"s att.i.tude as he composed himself a few seconds later for the ceremony of Peggy"s devotions. It was a very simple ceremony, but conducted with extreme decorum, Peggy"s _ayah_ being sternly dismissed as a preliminary.
Noel sat on the edge of the bed while its small owner knelt upon it, head bowed in hands and lodged upon his shoulder. He had made a tentative movement to encircle her with his arm, but this had been gently but quite firmly forbidden.
"You mustn"t cuddle while I"m sayin" my prayers," said Peggy. "You must put your hands together and shut your eyes. That"s what Mummy does."
Noel complied with these instructions, but when Peggy was fairly launched he ventured to violate the last and steal a look at the fair head that rested against his shoulder.
Peggy was saying the Lord"s Prayer with evident enjoyment. Noel listened with respect. There was the swish of a woman"s dress in the pa.s.sage outside. He listened to that also, his dark eyes watching the half-open door. His attention began to wander.
"Noel!" said a small, hurt voice at his side.
Noel"s eyes shut as if at the pulling of a string. "Sorry, Peg-top! Go ahead!"
"You mustn"t call me Peg-top when I"m sayin" my prayers!" protested Peggy. "I wanted you to say Amen."
"Amen," said Noel humbly.
"It"s no good now." There was a sound of tears in Peggy"s voice. "You"ve just spoilt it all."
"Oh, I say!" pleaded Noel. "Well, try again! I"ll say it next time."
"Can"t," said Peggy. "It"s wrong to keep on sayin" the same thing."
"I never heard that before," said Noel.
"It"s in the Bible," a.s.serted Peggy.
"Is it?" Noel sounded faintly incredulous.