"Ah, Captain Mallender," said the principal, rising as he closed a huge account book. "The client of our honoured friends—Jaffer and Co."
"Yes, I got your wire soon after I arrived at Coonoor,—and returned by the next train."
"I'm afraid your friends must have been disappointed," observed Shumilal, and in his studiously bland voice there lurked the quality of unction.
"They were, but my business comes first, and they know that. And so you have news at last—you have found him?"
"We must still continue to go very slowly, and wait."
"You may!" cried Mallender, suddenly losing his temper between heat, mosquitoes, want of sleep, and annoyance, "but I refuse to do so; I must go ahead, and set the pace. I've been out here more than three months, I've paid you a hundred and fifty pounds down——" a clerk at a distant table raised his head, "I return in answer to an urgent summons and at great inconvenience, in hopes of immediate success; and you say I must wait. By Jove, I tell you, that I won't wait!" and a light shone in his dark eyes.
"But, my dear sir, we are doing our best," protested the other soothingly, "you know, it is a strange, and intricate business," he held out a pair of delicate and appealing hands.
"Yes, so you always say," continued the young man angrily. "I hope for your own sakes, that you have not made a fool of me?"
"Come, come, come, young gentleman, this is not good talk."
"No, and I won't give you good talk! I'm not out here in this country, and this furnace of a place, for humbug, and waiting, and 'good talk.' I'm here for action, for real serious business. I don't care how hard it is, so that I succeed in the end. If you have—fooled me I'll make it pretty hot for you, and so I tell you."