[#] Immediately.
The Resident looked at him curiously. He didn't much like his guest at that moment.
"I think," he said rather coldly, "she has gone away to her tent. It's a bit rough on her, Graeme, you know."
"By Jove, yes, of course it is. I must go and find her at once. When do you think we can start, Sir Reginald?"
"Time enough if you leave Baramoula to-morrow. You can't do it to-night; besides, if you're thinking of your brother officers, they'll have gone by now."
"I sincerely trust they have. I don't want their company, Porky in a tonga would be just about the limit, and I must go to-night. I shouldn't sleep a wink if I didn't. Oh, let's be off. You can give me a permit, I suppose, for the road?"[#]
[#] A permit from the Resident of Kashmir is required by those wishing to make the Tonga journey to the plains by night. This is on account of the dangerous nature of the road.
"Oh, as far as that goes, there'd be no difficulty, but..."
"That's settled then. I'll go and tell Lucy."
"Very well, if you insist, we'll be ready in half an hour from now. You can manage it, I suppose, Sarah?" to his wife, who was looking at Graeme with indignant eyes.