"Oh, Dom, don't say such hideous things! Of course, you may depend on me; but you—can I really trust you? Will you swear to me on the Bible?"
"No; but I'll swear to you on my soul! will that satisfy you?"
Dominga Chandos set but a nominal value on her soul. What little soul she had belonged to Jimmy Fielder, and she broke her oath within three days.
CHAPTER XXXII
The next event of importance was a grand dinner party given by Mrs. Lepell, to which she invited Verona alone. Mrs. Chandos was loudly indignant because Dominga had been overlooked, for she had learnt all particulars of the festivity from her ayah, who heard it from the Lepell's khansamah. There were to be no less than twenty-four guests. These included Colonel and Mrs. Palgrave, Miss Richards, Mr. Young, the Deputy-Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Salwey, a Sir Rupert and Lady Maxwell, who were staying at the Dak bungalow, and various other notabilities; altogether it was to be an unusually smart affair. Poor Verona, who was not particularly anxious to be present, was compelled to listen patiently whilst her mother harped from morning till night on Mrs. Lepell's many delinquencies and Dominga's grievances.
The evening arrived, and Verona, with Pussy's volunteered assistance, began to make her toilette. She arranged her hair carefully, and put on a dress, relic of happier times, a white crêpe de chine; it had come from the atelier of Laferrière, and was a simple, but exquisite gown. Pussy was loud in her expressions of admiration.
"Oh—it is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Verona. If you will sit down before the glass, I will clasp your pearls round your neck, and then you are ready. Now, what do you think mother did to-day?"
Verona shook her head in hopeless ignorance. Her mother did so many things—she resembled a little black ant, and was never idle.
"You know she is awfully mad that Dominga was not invited, especially as Mr. Young is going, so she wrote a note over to Mrs. Lepell to ask her if she could possibly squeeze in Dominga anywhere? The answer came back in two minutes to say that Mrs. Lepell was extremely sorry, but the number of her guests was quite complete."
Verona, listening to this little tale, blushed for her mother to the roots of her hair. At this moment the door of the verandah was burst open, and Mrs. Chandos herself appeared; she looked both angry and excited.