"What a fatal blunder! Not one. They are all bespoke of the Government.
Take my husband, for instance. Jack was a clever man, though I say so who shouldn"t. Government has eaten him up. All his ideas and powers of conversation--he really used to be a good talker, even to his wife, in the old days--are taken from him by this--this kitchen-sink of a Government. That"s the case with every man up here who is at work. I don"t suppose a Russian convict under the knout is able to amuse the rest of his gang; and all our men-folk here are gilded convicts."
"But there are scores--"
"I know what you"re going to say. Scores of idle men up on leave. I admit it, but they are all of two objectionable sets, The Civilian who"d be delightful if he had the military man"s knowledge of the world and style, and the military man who"d be adorable if lie had the Civilian"s culture."
"Detestable word! Have Civilians Culchaw? I never studied the breed deeply."
"Don"t make fun of Jack"s service. Yes. They"re like the teapots in the Lakka Bazar--good material but not polished. They can"t help themselves, poor dears. A Civilian only begins to be tolerable after he has knocked about the world for fifteen years."
"And a military man?"
"When he has had the same amount of service. The young of both species are horrible. You would have scores of them in your salon."
"I would not!" said Mrs. Hauksbee, fiercely. "I would tell the bearer to darwaza band them. I"d put their own colonels and commissioners at the door to turn them away. I"d give them to the Topsham girl to play with."
"The Topsham girl would be grateful for the gift. But to go back to the salon. Allowing that you had gathered all your men and women together, what would you do with them? Make them talk? They would all with one accord begin to flirt. Your salon would become a glorified Peliti"s--a "Scandal Point" by lamplight."
"There"s a certain amount of wisdom in that view."
"There"s all the wisdom in the world in it. Surely, twelve Simla seasons ought to have taught you that you can"t focus anything in India; and a salon, to be any good at all, must be permanent. In two seasons your roomful would be scattered all over Asia. We are only little bits of dirt on the hillsides--here one day and blown down the khud the next.
We have lost the art of talking--at least our men have. We have no cohesion"--
"George Eliot in the flesh," interpolated Mrs. Hauksbee, wickedly.
"And collectively, my dear scoffer, we, men and women alike, have no influence.
"Come into the veranda and look at the Mall!"
The two looked down on the now rapidly filling road, for all Simla was abroad to steal a stroll between a shower and a fog.
"How do you propose to fix that river? Look! There"s The Mussuck--head of goodness knows what. He is a power in the land, though he does eat like a costermonger. There"s Colonel Blone, and General Grucher, and Sir Dugald Delane, and Sir Henry Haughton, and Mr. Jellalatty. All Heads of Departments, and all powerful."
"And all my fervent admirers," said Mrs. Hauksbee, piously. "Sir Henry Haughton raves about me. But go on."
"One by one, these men are worth something. Collectively, they"re just a mob of Anglo-Indians. Who cares for what Anglo-Indians say? Your salon won"t weld the Departments together and make you mistress of India, dear. And these creatures won"t talk administrative "shop" in a crowd--your salon--because they are so afraid of the men in the lower ranks overhearing it. They have forgotten what of Literature and Art they ever knew, and the women"--
"Can"t talk about anything except the last Gymkhana, or the sins of their last nurse. I was calling on Mrs. Derwills this morning."
"You admit that? They can talk to the subalterns though, and the subalterns can talk to them. Your salon would suit their views admirably, if you respected the religious prejudices of the country and provided plenty of kala juggahs."
"Plenty of kala juggahs. Oh my poor little idea! Kala juggahs in a salon! But who made you so awfully clever?"
"Perhaps I"ve tried myself; or perhaps I know a woman who has. I have preached and expounded the whole matter and the conclusion thereof"--
"You needn"t go on. "Is Vanity." Polly, I thank you. These vermin--"
Mrs. Hauksbee waved her hand from the veranda to two men in the crowd below who had raised their hats to her--"these vermin shall not rejoice in a new Scandal Point or an extra Peliti"s. I will abandon the notion of a salon. It did seem so tempting, though. But what shall I do? I must do something."
"Why? Are not Abana and Pharphar"--
"Jack has made you nearly as bad as himself! I want to, of course. I"m tired of everything and everybody, from a moonlight picnic at Seepee to the blandishments of The Mussuck."
"Yes--that comes, too, sooner or later, Have you nerve enough to make your bow yet?"
Mrs. Hauksbee"s mouth shut grimly. Then she laughed. "I think I see myself doing it. Big pink placards on the Mall: "Mrs. Hauksbee!
Positively her last appearance on any stage! This is to give notice!" No more dances; no more rides; no more luncheons; no more theatricals with supper to follow; no more sparring with one"s dearest, dearest friend; no more fencing with an inconvenient man who hasn"t wit enough to clothe what he"s pleased to call his sentiments in pa.s.sable speech; no more parading of The Mussuck while Mrs. Tarka.s.s calls all round Simla, spreading horrible stories about me? No more of anything that is thoroughly wearying, abominable and detestable, but, all the same, makes life worth the having. Yes! I see it all! Don"t interrupt, Polly, I"m inspired. A mauve and white striped "cloud" round my excellent shoulders, a seat in the fifth row of the Gaiety, and both horses sold.
Delightful vision! A comfortable armchair, situated in three different draughts, at every ballroom; and nice, large, sensible shoes for all the couples to stumble over as they go into the veranda! Then at supper. Can"t you imagine the scene? The greedy mob gone away. Reluctant subaltern, pink all over like a newly-powdered baby--they really ought to tan subalterns before they are exported--Polly--sent back by the hostess to do his duty. Slouches up to me across the room, tugging at a glove two sizes too large for him--I hate a man who wears gloves like overcoats--and trying to look as if he"d thought of it from the first.
"May I ah--have the pleasure "f takin" you "nt" supper?" Then I get up with a hungry smile. Just like this."
"Lucy, how can you be so absurd?"
"And sweep out on his arm. So! After supper I shall go away early, you know, because I shall be afraid of catching cold. No one will look for my "rickshaw. Mine, so please you! I shall stand, always with that mauve and white "cloud" over my head, while the wet soaks into my dear, old, venerable feet and Tom swears and shouts for the mem-sahib"s gharri.
Then home to bed at half-past eleven! Truly excellent life helped out by the visits of the Padri, just fresh from burying somebody down below there." She pointed through the pines, toward the Cemetery, and continued with vigorous dramatic gesture--"Listen! I see it all down, down even to the stays! Such stays! Six-eight a pair, Polly, with red flannel--or list is it?--that they put into the tops of those fearful things. I can draw you a picture of them."
"Lucy, for Heaven"s sake, don"t go waving your arms about in that idiotic manner! Recollect, every one can see you from the Mall."
"Let them see! They"ll think I am rehearsing for The Fallen Angel. Look!
There"s The Mussuck. How badly he rides. There!"
She blew a kiss to the venerable Indian administrator with infinite grace.
"Now," she continued, "he"ll be chaffed about that at the Club in the delicate manner those brutes of men affect, and the Hawley Boy will tell me all about it--softening the details for fear of shocking me. That boy is too good to live, Polly. I"ve serious thoughts of recommending him to throw up his Commission and go into the Church. In his present frame of mind he would obey me. Happy, happy child."
"Never again," said Mrs. Mallowe, with an affectation of indignation, "shall you tiffin here! "Lucindy, your behavior is scand"lus.""
"All your fault," retorted Mrs. Hauksbee, "for suggesting such a thing as my abdication. No! Jamais--nevaire! I will act, dance, ride, frivol, talk scandal, dine out, and appropriate the legitimate captives of any woman I choose until I d-r-r-rop or a better woman than I puts me to shame before all Simla--and it"s dust and ashes in my mouth while I"m doing it!"
She swept into the drawing-room, Mrs. Mallowe followed and put an arm round her waist.
"I"m not!" said Mrs. Hauksbee, defiantly, rummaging for her handkerchief. "I"ve been dining out the last ten nights, and rehearsing in the afternoon. You"d be tired yourself. It"s only because I"m tired."
Mrs. Mallowe did not offer Mrs. Hauksbee any pity or ask her to lie down, but gave her another cup of tea, and went on with the talk.
"I"ve been through that too, dear," she said.
"I remember," said Mrs. Hauksbee, a gleam of fun on her face. "In "84 wasn"t it? You went out a great deal less next season."
Mrs. Mallowe smiled in a superior and Sphinxlike fashion.
"I became an Influence," said she.
"Good gracious, child, you didn"t join the Theosophists and kiss Buddha"s big toe, did you? I tried to get into their set once, but they cast me out for a skeptic--without a chance of improving my poor little mind, too."
"No, I didn"t Theosophilander. Jack says"--
"Never mind Jack. What a husband says is known before. What did you do?"
"I made a lasting impression."