“By Jove!—here’s old Balthasar!—just the very man I wanted to see.”
He was just the man I did not want to see, but naturally I was bound to be civil in my own house, and although he oozed affability and admiration at every pore, I was not softened. No! Could I ever forgive his insolent wink? However, Ronnie and he appeared to be on excellent terms, and he accompanied my brother into his little office or writing-room, there to confer together on some important subject, which they declared would not interest me. Later, as Ronnie was obliged to go to barracks, I was left to entertain Mr. Balthasar alone.
After discussing a recent gymkhana, Ronnie’s prowess in the Loyd-Lindsay and tent-pegging, he worked the conversation round to Silliram.
“Do you ever hear from your friends there?” he inquired.
“I do not know that I have any friends there at present,” I answered evasively. “All the people I knew have gone down to the plains.”
“I was over at the Katchookan Mines last week for a couple of days and put up with the Hayes-Billingtons,” he continued.
“Oh, did you? How is she?” I asked.
“She looked awfully seedy—no beauty now, so thin and faded. It’s a horrible hole for a woman; nothing to do, hardly a soul to speak to. Billington is in the mines all day, and of course for a lady accustomed to a very—er—er—flash sort of life, as she was, when Mrs. de Lacy, it must be a sort of hell on earth—minus the company. She was asking for you; she seems awfully fond of you. I say,” and he hitched his chair a few inches closer and lowered his voice, “it’s a pity that your people at home were so slack about making inquiries, eh?” Here he rolled his pale grey eyes at me. “It’s an awful handicap for a girl to start out in this country as the companion of a woman of loose character.”
I clenched my hands tightly, but held my tongue.
“Luckily for you,” he continued, “the matter has been kept dark down here. There are only one or two people in the know, and I am one of them, and, my dear young lady, you can always rely on me.” As he made this unctuous announcement he patted me on the arm with odious familiarity. “Your brother and I are tremendous pals; he is an awfully clever chap, and I would do more than that for him—and for you—but you must not be so stand-off, you know—let us be friends, great friends. Ronnie must bring you down to tiffin and I will show you my little bungalow, and you will let me take you for some drives in my new car. Perhaps you would like to go out to the mines one day and see Mrs. Hayes-Billington?”