The company was also strangely assorted. The two Beaufort girls with the black tresses, and lovely liquid eyes, had unquestionably "four annas in the rupee." Their parent was a rough-hewn ranker. Mrs. Beamish, Jessie and Tom were a kindly commonplace trio, of the lower middle class, and Tara, who did not bear even the faintest resemblance to her relations, was of a totally different type and race, evidently a "throw back" to some of the General's ancestors. She carried her slight figure with grace, her small stag-like head was set on a long neck, her little proud face was illuminated by a pair of dark granite-grey eyes; she had beautiful taper hands,—whilst those of Jessie looked as if her fingers had been cut off at the second joint.
"I think we met this morning," said the guest, addressing her, as she paused from her labours.
"Oh, yes, in the cemetery. I go there every other day to put flowers on the graves of Daddy's friends. At first, I thought you were one of them—one of the young men who had come back to look for something."
"You startled me too, I must confess. I understood Wellunga was entirely deserted."
"Not at all, Captain, not at all!" broke in Beaufort, speaking with his mouth full. "We are quite a nice little family party here; besides the General,—who is our Commander-in-Chief, and his good lady, and belongings; there is myself, and my girls, and my subordinate Perez. Then we have a Police Officer, who comes and goes, a very smart good sort of fellow."
"Indeed," exclaimed Mallender, who was evidently expected to say something.
"Oh, yes, and a Chaplain two or three times in the cold weather; I read the Service on Sunday, since the General resigned, and an inspecting Engineer, my boss, not much of a chap, in my humble opinion; all for new jims and ways and worrying his subordinates."
"Have you no doctor?" enquired the new-comer.
"No, but a first-rate native apothecary and dresser,—Dorosawny is as clever as they make them!"
"My mother is the doctor," put in Tom. "She's first-class, had a training in hospital, got diplomas, and all that sort of thing."