"Yes, I only arrived a few hours before you"—the girl was obviously speaking the truth; she was a lady—"I came out in the Arabia on Monday."
"Then the Mactears were on board?" with a judicial air.
"Yes, they were in the next cabin to us—to the friend I came out with."
"I'm afraid you won't have a favourable first impression of India," said Miss Ball.
"Oh, but I was born here. I was in India till I was nine years old. Philip is my guardian, you know," and then she laughed, as she added, "We have all taken him by storm to-day."
"But you were expected, surely?"
"No—no more than you were."
"We never heard that Major Gascoigne had a ward," remarked Miss Ball, trenchantly.
"If you had been in Ramghur nine years ago, you would have heard all about me. Here he comes," as Philip entered and beheld the ladies cheered and clothed, and in a right state of mind. Evidently they were getting on capitally with Angela, and this was important, though she was too simple to guess at her guardian's reason for being particularly civil to his guests. Mrs. Flant had a sharp tongue; she lived in his station, knew all his friends, and was capable of making a very fine story out of this evening's rencontre. Angel rather wondered at her cousin's affability, and how well he talked. After a while he said:
"You three ladies had better turn in soon, as you'll have a long day to-morrow; you will have to share the same room," he explained, "and to rough it a good deal, I'm afraid."