“I don't think so. He has done the same sort of thing several times before, when he has been specially taken by some fresh face from England.”
Others besides the Doctor remarked that the Rajah was not quite himself that evening. He was courteous and polite to his guests, but he was irritable with his own people, and something had evidently gone wrong with him.
The next day he called at the Major's. The latter had not told Isobel of his intention, for he guessed that had he done so she would have gone across to Mrs. Doolan or one of her lady friends, and she was sitting in the veranda with him and young Wilson when the carriage drove up.
“I was so sorry to hear that you were unwell, Miss Hannay,” the Nana said courteously. “It was a great disappointment to me that you were unable to accompany your uncle last night.”
“I have been feeling the heat the last few days,” Isobel said quietly, “and, indeed, I do not care much about going out in such hot weather as this. I have not been accustomed to much society in England, and the crowd and the heat and the lights make my head ache.”
“You look the picture of health, Miss Hannay, but I know that it is trying for Englishwomen when they first come into our climate; it is always a great pleasure to me to receive English ladies at Bithoor. I hope upon the next occasion you will be able to come.”
“I am much obliged to your highness,” she said, “but it would be a truer kindness to let me stay quietly at home.”
“But that is selfish of you, Miss Hannay. You should think a little of the pleasure of others as well as your own.”
“I am not conceited enough to suppose that it could make any difference to other people's pleasure whether I am at a party or not,” Isobel said. “I suppose you mean that as a compliment, Rajah, but I am not accustomed to compliments, and don't like them.”
“You will have to learn to become accustomed to compliments, Miss Hannay,” the Rajah said, with a smile; and then turning to the Doctor, began to tell him of a tiger that had been doing a great deal of harm at a village some thirty miles away, and offered to send some elephants over to organize a hunt for him if he liked, an invitation that the Doctor promptly accepted.