“Bound to,” he answered curtly.
After a moment I said:
“I have a hundred rupees I will give to Michael, for which he will account to you. I suppose I shall be allowed to come and see you?”
“Yes,” he replied, “and you had better come after dark.”
“Well, whatever happens, Ronnie, remember that I shall stick to you through thick and thin.”
“Then if you do, you will be an awful fool! I shall only drag you down. When this business is over, I’ll go to the colonies or South America, and you must return home and marry Falkland.”
At this moment the ayah pulled back the curtain. She had a chit in her hand.
“For missie,” she said, coming forward. I opened the note; it was from Mrs. Lakin, and ran:
“Dear Girl,—I have heard of your great trouble, and am so sorry for you both. You must come to me to-day. I shall fetch you about three o’clock, and bring a cart for your luggage. Down here at Begumpett we are out of the world, and you can just be as quiet as you please. There are only my husband and myself. We are, as you know, neither young nor smart, only dull and old-fashioned, but we’ll do our best to take care of you and will look upon you as one of our own girls.—Yours in affectionate sympathy,
“Lucinda J. Lakin.”