It was also certain that Mrs. Chandos happened to be in a peculiarly bad temper that evening; she had had a quarrel with Dominga; and although she adored Dom, they had their little differences.
Dom was the only creature who dared to withstand her mother, and their disputes were terrible. Beginning in the ordinary every-day English tongue, as the altercation waxed in fury, they passed into shrill Hindustani, from that to "Gali" (abuse), and to hear the pair when the battle was raging an outsider would have supposed them to be a couple of mad grass cutters! Mrs. Chandos was walking about the dining-room in a highly-strung condition, when her breath was almost taken away by her husband entering the room and demanding "the keys of her office!"
At such an impudent request, she simply laughed in his face.
"Give them at once, Rosa," he said, with astonishing decision, "and clear your character; there are terrible charges against you. If what the police say is true, you have covered us all with shame and disgrace."
For a moment Mrs. Chandos was too paralysed to speak, but she speedily found her tongue, and overwhelmed her husband with such a torrent of wild, shrieking abuse, that she literally drove the poor man before her, backing him down the verandah steps into his own sanctum. Then turning swiftly about, she found herself face to face with Salwey—Salwey, in full official dress (a khaki uniform, with narrow red collar, spurred boots, and cord breeches).
"The keys of your office, if you please," he said, holding out his hand.
"Get out of my house," she screamed. "Get away!"
"The keys of your office," he repeated, with the utmost composure, "I do not wish to proceed to extreme measures, but I have a search warrant here, and I will break open the door."
"What do you want, you thief! you beast! you spy!"
"Stolen bonds and documents which I've every reason to believe are in your possession. The keys!" He spoke with an air of decision and command.