In her contrition she turned and held out her hand. She felt the nervous close grip, momentary as it was, and the friendliness of the Englishwoman warmed towards the exile.
"My brother proposes to travel home with you by rail and give his seat in the motor to Mrs. Greenford, who is upset by the accident. Have you heard how the aviator is?"
"I am afraid from all accounts he is in a bad way. The committee has decided to stop the competitions for to-day. Visitors ought to have no objection."
"It is sad to have an ending like this!" She turned to Wenaston. "Please go and find Mrs. Greenford; Miss Stuart is with her. Bring them both here. Tell them I am in a hurry to start. I should like to get Mrs. Greenford away before she hears worse news. Oh! I wish he hadn't attempted that last flight! It was quite unnecessary, and not on the programme—a mere show to please the people."
Ananda stood by the motor whilst Wenaston went to do his sister's bidding.
"You take these things too seriously, Miss Wenaston. If you were a fatalist you would believe that it was preordained by the gods; and you would be resigned. It is of no use to fight against fate. He had to meet it whether he flew upon an aeroplane or whether he remained in his own house. We are taught that we cannot escape the fulfilment of our destiny."
She looked at him, her attention suddenly rivetted.
"You are taught, you say; but do you believe your teacher in these days of greater enlightenment?"
A reply was not immediately forthcoming. Perhaps he would have left the question unanswered if she had not uttered an interrogatory, "Well?" in a tone that held something more than mere curiosity.
"I am trying to retain my belief in all that my guru instilled into my mind before I left India."